2018 Volume 33 Issue 4 Pages 586-594
Objective: To evaluate the results of repetitive efforts to raise rates of having follow-up examinations after health check-ups, and clarify the issues to work on.
Methods: The subjects were examinees who underwent health check-ups at our hospital from January 2008 to November 2016 (average 2,265 per year). During the period, we improved methods of encouraging people to undergo follow-up examinations. We evaluated the change in consultation rates between 2008 and 2016.
Results: We started our investigation on follow-up examinations at our hospital in 2008, and at another hospital in 2009. The investigation was conducted by sending a questionnaire to examinees. In 2013, we changed the system for receiving follow-up examination results; obtaining them from the hospital of consultation, not from the examinee as before. In 2014, we changed to an automated health check-up system that enabled us to make a time-series database of the results of follow-up examinations, which streamlined the process of the investigation. Consultation rates for life style-related disease follow-up examinations rose significantly between 2008 and 2016 due to these efforts. An increasing trend for cancer-related examination consultation rates was observed, except for upper endoscopy.
Conclusion: In order to further raise consultation rates for follow-up examinations in the future, it will be necessary to continue finding ways of motivating examinees to take them.
