Author/year | Aim | Duration | No. of practice/doctors | No of patients/consult'n | Mean consult'n length | Method of measuring Consult'n length | Type and method of study | % of eligible participating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Westcott UK 1977 [25] | To study length of general practice consultations and patient characteristics. | 2 weeks | 1/1-the author | 182 patients | 8.66 mins | Timed by doctor | Quantitative Data recorded by doctor | 100% of all surgery consultation. |
Raynes UK 1980 [38] | To determine which characteristics of GPs, patients & consultations contribute to differences in consultation length, esp. with psychosocial problems. |  | -/10 | 264 | 4.2–8.7 | Recorded by non-participating observer | Quantitative Consultations observed and analysed, GP questionnaire | Only 4 patients refused. 1.5% |
Hughes UK 1983 [3] | To assess whether length of booked appointments affected consultation outcomes | 12 weeks | 2/6 | 1652 consultations | Practice A: 8 min, 4 secs. Booked 10 m Practice B: 5 min 18 s. Booked 5 min | Timed over some sessions | Quantitative Doctor filled encounter forms | -Not stated |
Whitehouse UK-Manchester 1987 [29] | To study factors that influence the management of psychosocial illness in general practice | - | -/201 | 6870 consultation with psychosocial diagnosis, | <6, 6–6.99, 7–7.99, >8 | Recorded by doctor | Quantitative Doctor encounter forms | 40%, representative sample |
Andersson 1989 Sweden [37] | To test hypothesis that longer consultations provide greater satisfaction to the doctor & patient. | 20–40 consec. Consult'ns | 4/7 male doctors with interest in research | 160 consultations | 21 mins | Doctor recorded-from greeting to farewell | Quantitative Doctor and patient questionnaire | -Not stated |
Howie UK-Lothian (Scotland 1991/1989 [24, 36] | To examine association between different consulting styles, consultation length & prescribing, between quality of consultation, working style of doctors and length of consultation, (slow, intermediate and fast). | 1 year | -/85 | 21,707, 1787 for RTI | Fast <7 mins, Intermediate = 7–8.99, Slow >9 mins | Timed by doctor | Quantitative Doctor completed encounter forms, some patient questionnaires | 17% |
Andersson Sweden 1993 [52] | To study factors assoc with short and long consultations | 80 consec. consult'ns | 3/6-all male | 80 each doctor | 66 consultations <10 mins, 314 between 11–30 mins 83 >31 mins | Recorded by doctor | Quantitative Patient questionnaires GP questionnaires | 96.4% |
Winefield Australia 1996 [40] | To assess relation between patient-centredness (PC), patient satisfaction and consultation length. | Consecutive appointments | -/21 | 10 per doctor = 210 | 16.9 mins for high doctor PC, 10.6 mins for low | Audiotapes | Quantitative Consultations audio taped and analysed for PC | 41% GPs 82.5% patients |
Martin Australia 1997 [45] | To assess characteristics of longer billed consultations. | 1984–1992 | -/- | - | Longer consultations>20 or >25 mins Mean = 14.6 mins [54] | Medicare data. Aust Morbidity & Treatment survey ACT Record Linkage survey | Quantitative Retrospective analysis Data from government records | AMTS-50.4% ACT Record Linkage Survey- 94% [48] |
Carr-Hill UK 1998 [39] | To study characteristics of patients, GPs and practices associated with variation in consultation length. | 2 weeks | 10/51 | 836 | GP averages between 4.4–11.0 mins | time with patient, measured by research nurse who sat in | Quantitative Research nurse sat in consultation & recorded data. | Not stated |
Blumenthal Boston USA 1999 [30] | To determine the patient, practice, physician and visit characteristics that affect consultation duration. |  | -/686 | Random sample picked from 19,192 | 16.3 mins | Recorded by office staff | Data obtained from 1991–1992 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey & physician interviews Encounter forms | 72% of a random sample of doctors |
Howie UK UK 1999 [26] | To study relationship between, patient enablement scores, consultation length & quality as measured from NHS data. | 2 weeks | 53/221 | 25994 | 8 | Doctor timed | Quantitative Doctor encounter forms & survey, patient questionnaires | 38% |
Stirling UK, Glasgow 2001 [9] | To examine factors in GP associated with diagnosis & management of psychosocial distress and consultation length | 6 months | 9 (all accredited for training)/21 | 1075 consult'ns (about 50 each GP) | 8.71 mins (SD = 4.4) | Timed by observer in waiting room | Quantitative Patients completed GHQ-12 and questionnaire, GP rated psychological distress | Not stated Not representative |
Harman New York, USA 2001 [42] | To determine the factors in a doctor's visit associated with recognition of depression | Â | Â | 17058 consult'ns | 16.4 mins without depression, 19.3 mins with depression | Recorded by doctor | Quantitative Data from National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 1998 Encounter forms | 67.9% of doctors, random sample |
Deveugele Belgium, Spain, UK, Switzerland., Germany, Netherlands 2002 [43] | To explore the determinants of consultation length in general practice across six European countries | - | 190 | 3674 | G = 7.6, Sp = 7.8, UK = 9.4, N = 10.2, B = 15, SW = 15.6 mins | Measured by stopwatch | Quantitative Videotaped consultations | 79% of patients |
Telford 2002 UK [34] | To survey GPs' views on barriers to the provision of good management of depression | - | -/1703 | - | - | Â | Qualitative, cross-sectional GPs sent postal questionnaire | 48% |
Tahepold Estonia, 2003 [41] | To study influence of patients' age, gender & problem on length of consultation. | Â | -/27 | 405 | 9.0 mins | Videotaped | Quantitative Videotaped consecutive consultations, analysed | 98% of patients Doctors not stated |
Britt Australia 2004 [17] | To examine relations between billed consultation length and content. | Apr 2000 – Mar 2002 | -/2811 | 101112 | <20 mins, >20 mins Mean = 14.6 mins [54] | Doctor recorded & Medicare data | Quantitative Doctor encounter forms & Medicare item number. | 26.1% of random sample of GPs Features of GPs stated [49]. |
Britt Australia 2005 [27] | To measure effect on consultation length of GP, practice & patient characteristics. | Jan 2001–Dec 2002 | -/1904 | 70758 | 14.6 mins [54] | Recorded by doctor | Quantitative analysis of data from BEACH study | 21.6% of a random sample of GPs. Features of GPs stated [47] |
Zantigne The Netherlands 2005 [33] | To investigate whether GPs' workload in consultations is related to psychological or social problems of patients | 2000–20002 | -/142 | 1392 consult'ns | 9.06–12.65 mins | Videotaped | Quantitative analysis of data from Second Dutch National Survey of General practice | 73% of GPs 88.1% of patients 66% consultations |
Wright [35]2005 Australia | To study needs of rural GPs, esp in care of depressed patients | - | -/99. 63 male, 36 fem | - | - | - | Quantitative GP sent postal survey | 55% |