Investigation of Methods for Recommending Detailed Medical Examination That Lead to Consultation Behavior:

<p>Objective: At our center, persons identified during a detailed medical checkup as requiring medical care or more detailed examination are issued a referral letter on the day of the checkup. They are also advised to undergo medical examination during an interview to communicate the checkup results and in health guidance sessions, as well as by telephone or letter on a later date. The objectives of this study were to compare the timing of undergoing close examinations and factors promoting consultation behavior; to determine the effectiveness of our efforts and areas that need to be reinforced in order to further improve the rate of undergoing close examination; and to investigate those methods of recommending detailed examination that best lead to consultation behavior.</p><p>Methods: Among those who underwent thorough medical checkups between June 9, 2020 and September 30, 2020, 354 examinees who had been issued a referral letter in the previous year (380 examination items) were included in the study. The subjects were classified by the interval from the time they underwent the health checkup to the time they underwent detailed examination. They were also administered a questionnaire to determine the factors that influenced their decision to undergo detailed examination.</p><p>Results: Among the items examined in detailed examinations, 90.9% were examined less than 3 months after the health checkup. After 3 months, many of the items recommended for detailed examination remained unexamined. The most common factor influencing the decision to undergo detailed examination was “recommendation by the center to undergo examination on the day of the health checkup”, regardless of the timing of undergoing detailed examination. Other factors influencing the decision to undergo detailed examinations within 3 months were “information on medical institutions,” “awareness of the need to undergo examination,” and “surrounding environment.”</p><p>Conclusion: Patients were more likely to undergo detailed medical examination within 3 months after a health checkup. The recommendation to undergo examination on the day of the health checkup was the most important factor that led to consultation behavior. These results suggest that increasing examinees’ willingness to undergo detailed examination on the day of their health checkup and encouraging them to do so within 3 months after the checkups are effective methods of recommending detailed examination that lead to consultation behavior.</p>