Mona Saad

Factors affecting the show rate for new patients in ambulatory general paediatric clinics during the FIFA world cup – Qatar 2022

Mona Saad

Sidra Medicine

saadmona40@hotmail.com

Raji Abd Katibe

Abdullah Kafawen

Ahmed Sead

Noora Jassim

Amina Sharief

Huda Al-Maadadi

Aziza Jamal

Abdullah Gulzar

Manasik Hassan

Introduction: Sport mass gatherings have a huge impact on the hosting countries in multiple aspects especially the

health care sectors. In Qatar best practices strategies aligned with the international standards for mass gatherings were

Implemented starting from organization of traffics flows, working hours rules and regulations, school vacations and health

care anticipatory plans during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Doha, Qatar. Our aim is to explore the factors that affected the show rate of new-patients in general paediatric clinics during the World Cup 2022.

Methods: A cross-sectional study run during the Qatar World Cup 2022 (18 November - 18 December, 2022) in the Hamad Medical Corporation Pediatric Out-patients Department. The research team surveyed phone calls to the families who didn’t show for the first appointment at the general pediatric clinics. The survey covered aspects of no-shows related to families, the process and environment.

Results: Total number booked during the World Cup = 535, no-shows = 192, with a similarity of 94 no-shows before the event.

148 (77%) responded to the phone call surveys, national citizens = 69, and non-nationals =  79. The phone call responders were: fathers = 68, mothers = 79. Factors affecting no shows stated per families are shown in the graphs below. Only 42 of the families were aware about the appointment rescheduling / cancellation process to call 16060 and, 106 subjects didn’t know about it in which education was given.

Conclusion: Our study showed that the World Cup mass gathering had similar impacts on the show rate of new patients in

general pediatric clinics in comparison to pre-event period. The recognizable causes of no-shows among the

surveyed families were forgetting the appointment, or not knowing about it even through pre-visit phone and

message reminders. Better understating of the factors affecting the show rate will lead to improve the utilization of clinic

slots, and enhance the solutions to avoid the no-show that will lead to improve patient care and safety.

BIOGRAPHY

Mona Saad is a dedicated pediatrician currently in her fourth year of residency at Sidra Medicine in Qatar, with an expected graduation date in June 2025. She has been committed to pediatrics since her time in medical school at Qatar University, where her passion for helping children recover and thrive solidified her choice of specialty. Throughout her residency, Mona has excelled in clinical practice, research, and leadership. As the Pediatric Chief Resident, she played a key role in organizing educational activities for her peers, further honing her leadership skills.