Comparison of missed appointments between children with tinea capitis and those with other skin diseases: A case-control study.

INTRODUCTION: Treating tinea capitis (TC) requires frequent follow-ups, making adherence essential for successful outcomes. Identifying factors for missed appointments may improve treatment success rates and reduce costs. The objective was to compare missed appointments in children with TC to children with other skin diseases. The secondary objective was to identify predictors for missing appointments. METHODS: Retrospective data from 01 January 2017 to 01 May 2022 were collected from patient records of a dermatological outpatient clinic. Poisson regression was used to identify predictors. RESULTS: Eighty-one children with TC and 238 controls were included. Median age was 5 years, and there were 58-59% boys and 41-42% girls. There were more children from TC endemic countries in the TC group than the control group (56.8% vs. 11.3%). The TC group had a higher no-show rate (14.3% vs. 0%). The control group cancelled more (12.5% vs. 0%). There was no significant difference in overall missed appointments between the groups (33.3% vs. 32.5%).Originating from a TC endemic country was a predictor for no-shows, rate ratio (RR) (95% confidence interval (CI)): 2.39 (1.63-3.50), p=8.25x10-6). Cancellations occurred less frequently in the TC group, RR (95% CI): 0.65 (0.45-0.93), p=0.02. Longer travel distance increased cancellation rates, RR (95% CI): 1.66 (1.01-2.73), p=0.045. CONCLUSION: The appointment adherence was similar in the groups, but the TC group tended to miss appointments without prior cancellation. Originating from TC endemic countries could be an indicator of language barriers and lower socioeconomic status, leading to challenges in navigating the Western healthcare system and social inequities among patients from other cultural backgrounds.