February 08, 2007
You Have The Appointment - Will You Be Given The Time?
NYTimes.com is reporting on an article in Health Services Research, Time Allocation in Primary Care Office Visits.
From NYTimes.com:
The median time for visits, the researchers said, was just under 16 minutes.
During that time, patients tended to bring up six subjects. About five minutes was devoted to one major topic, with the others receiving as little as one minute.
“With only about two minutes of talk time on even the major topic from each speaker,” the authors wrote, “we could not help but wonder how much is accomplished during such a brief exchange.”
When a patient presents a complex problem, the doctor has two basic choices: extend the visit by taking time from another patient, or limit the time spent on other subjects. The second choice was the most common one, the study found.
Sixteen minutes. Start the clock.