Case Introduction

You are one of the health care practitioners in a community health center that provides primary care to a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual urban community. Many, but not all, of the patients live below the poverty line. Physicians and nurses see a large volume of patients with challenging medical and psychosocial issues. 

Lately you have realized that the scheduling of patient visits has become something of a nightmare. Because of the high volume of patients, the wait for an appointment for routine care can be anywhere from six to eight months or more. Even acutely ill patients often wait for two to three days to see a health care provider. Out of frustration, many patients are walking in without appointments, often during lunch hour or late in the afternoon when everyone is getting ready to leave. 

What makes the problem so challenging is that 20 to 40 percent of patients fail to show up for appointments on a given day…

Download the full case study here.

Learning Objectives

Upon finishing this case study, students will be able to do the following:

• Analyze the many possible reasons behind patient “non-compliance.”
• List ways to make health care more accessible and equitable for a diverse population.