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Abstract

Background: Missing appointments delay treatment affecting patient outcomes and healthcare resource utilization. Adherence to scheduled appointments has not been studied in patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV-OPSCC). Methods: We collected data from 36,690,000 scheduled medical outpatient encounters at the University of Kentucky Health Care from 2012 to 2021. A total of 36,579 of these encounters were from 334 patients with HPV-OPSCC. We performed regression analysis of no-show appointments by demographics, tumor characteristics, and insurance factors. Results: The no-shows rate for appointments was significantly higher for the HPV-OPSCC cohort (4.6% vs. 2.2% p < 0.001). The HPV-OPSCC cohort missed 36% of their appointments. Black, Hispanic, younger, those who have ever smoked and patients with advanced tumor stage all had statistically significantly higher no-show rates (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Treatment delay impacts cancer treatment efficacy and no-show appointments burden medical systems. Further research into targeted interventions is needed to lower barriers for attending appointments.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-1-2026

Notes/Citation Information

Publisher Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s). Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Triological Society.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1002/lio2.70460

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