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• Posted July 22, 2024

As Days Heat Up, More Seniors Skip Doc Appointments

More folks, especially seniors, are missing doctors’ appointments due to extreme weather, a new study shows.

The rate of missed primary care appointments increases 0.64% for every 1-degree increase in temperatures 90 degrees or hotter, researchers reported recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The same goes for cold days, with the rate of missed appointments increasing by 0.72% for every 1-degree decrease in temperatures below 39 degrees.

Patients aged 65 and older and those with chronic diseases were most likely to miss appointments as temperatures grew more extreme, researchers found.

“When patients don’t show up at appointments, they damage their own health and also cause downstream consequences for others,” said lead researcher Dr. Janet Fitzpatrick, a clinical associate professor with the Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia.

“No-shows waste valuable appointment slots that could be used for others anxiously awaiting appointments and can lead to decreased patient satisfaction due to longer wait times,” Fitzpatrick added in a university news release. “It also makes our nation’s healthcare system more expensive, due to increased use of urgent care and emergency room visits, and poorer management of chronic illness leading to more medical care needed in the future.”

For the study, researchers tracked more than 1 million appointments for 91,580 adult patients at 13 university outpatient clinics in Philadelphia between 2009 and 2019.

They linked those appointments to temperature tracking from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to see whether climate change might be affecting people’s ability to see their doctor.

“Extreme temperatures from climate change threaten the health and well-being of all patients with chronic health conditions,” said senior researcher Dr. Nathalie May, a professor with the Drexel College of Medicine.

“We must be especially vigilant for our most vulnerable patients who may not have the resources to combat extreme heat or extreme cold stretches,” May added. “In studying the impact of climate change in primary care utilization, we hope to promote policies that support health and equity in light of the negative effects of climate change, especially in cities.”

Health systems can counter this trend by leaning on telemedicine, Fitzpatrick said.

“During the COVID pandemic, telemedicine became an integral part of healthcare delivery,” Fitzpatrick said. “With worsening climate change, this study supports advocating for permanent telemedicine coverage as an option to ensure patients can get the care they need.”

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on climate change and health.

SOURCE: Drexel University, news release, July 18, 2024