2026 MSSRP available projects

Preceptor:  Michael Cusick
Department:  Ophthalmology
Contact:  Phone (301) 466-7630; email:  mc9cr@uvahealth.org
Project title:  Identify patient and appointment characteristics associated with missed appointments 
Project description:   Nonattendance to appointments (“no-shows”) and frequent cancellations, are a problem commonly faced by clinical practices in the United States, with no-show rates ranging from 5% to 55%. Missed appointments negatively impact health care delivery and result in negative individual and societal consequences, including poor health outcomes for the no-show patient, lost opportunity and longer wait times for other patients, and wasted resources, decreased revenue, and decreased provider productivity for the clinical practice. Missed appointments negatively impact the field of ophthalmology, a field characterized by high-volume clinical visits and surgical procedures. Missed appointments are a significant concern particularly for academic medical centers, which not only provide a disproportionate share of care to vulnerable patients but also handle patients with more complex medical conditions that require more resources and coordination of care.

The present project aims to identify patient and appointment characteristics associated with missed appointments at UVA Health department of Ophthalmology. The project also aims to implement quality improvements to decrease the number of missed appointments in the future.