Predictors of telemedicine appointment no-shows in the Peruvian social health insurance: a cross-sectional study

Rodriguez-Zea B.; Cotrina Urteaga B.; Diaz-Obregón D.Z.; Ticona-Tiña D.; Aylas Barranca F.; Castillo Quispe C.J.; Salazar Ccellccaro M.; Murillo Carrasco A.G. · Journal of Public Health Policy (2026) · DOI: 10.1057/s41271-026-00665-2

Resumen

Telemedicine enhances healthcare access but faces challenges with appointment no-shows. In Peru’s health system, telemedicine use has expanded rapidly, yet the no-shows’ determinants remain underexplored. To identify demographic, geographic, institutional, and temporal factors associated with telemedicine appointment no-shows at EsSalud’s National Telemedicine Center (CENATE), we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 538,312 scheduled telemedicine appointments representing 309,819 patients using routinely collected data from the EsSalud ExplotaDatos platform in 2023–2024 and multivariate Poisson regressions. The estimated average no-show prevalence rate was 6.4% with the highest rates in pediatric neurology and obstetrics specialties. A higher risk for no-show was observed among males, young adults (18–29 years old), residents of the Eastern macro-region, appointments at primary healthcare centers, morning shifts, end-of-year months, and end-of-workweek days. No-shows are influenced by individual, institutional, and contextual factors, highlighting the need for tailored interventions to enhance appointment adherence and optimize virtual care delivery. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited 2026.