Consultation length in general practice: cross sectional study in six European countries
Open accessAbstract
Objectives : To compare determinants of consultation length discussed in the literature with those found in consultations with general practitioners from different European countries; to explore the determinants of consultation length, particularly the effect of doctors' and patients' perceptions of psychosocial aspects. Design : Analysis of videotaped consultations of general practitioners from the Eurocommunication study and of questionnaires completed by doctors and by patients. Setting : General practices in six European countries. Participants : 190 general practitioners and 3674 patients. Results : In a multilevel analysis with three levels (country, general practitioner, and patient), country and doctor variables contributed a similar amount to the total variance in consultation length (23% and 22%, respectively) and patient variables accounted for 55% of the variance. The variables used in the multilevel analysis explained 25% of the total variation. The country in which the doctor practised, combined with the doctors' variables, was as important for the variance in consultation length as the variation between patients. Consultations in which psychosocial problems were considered important by the doctor and the patient lasted longer than consultations about biomedical problems only. The doctor's perception had more influence in this situation than the patient's. Consultation length is influenced by the patients' sex (women got longer consultations), whether the practice was urban or rural, the number of new problems discussed in the consultation (the more problems the longer the consultation), and the patient's age (the older the patient the longer the consultation). As a doctor's workload increased, the length of consultations decreased. The general practitioner's sex or age and patient's level of education were not related to the length of consultation. Conclusion : Consultation length is determined by variables related to the doctor and the doctor's country as well as by those related to patients. Women consulting in an urban practice with problems perceived as psychosocial have longer consultations than other patients.
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
Consultation length in six European countries varied substantially and was shaped by country, doctor, and patient factors, with patient-level variables accounting for 55% of total variance and country and doctor variables about 22–23% each. Consultations were longest for women in urban practices when psychosocial problems were perceived as important, especially by the doctor.
Key findings
- Mean consultation length overall was 10.7 (SD 6.7) minutes. Belgium (15.0 min) and Switzerland (15.6 min) had the longest consultations; Germany (7.6 min) and Spain (7.8 min) had the shortest; the Netherlands (10.2 min) and United Kingdom (9.4 min) were intermediate.
- In multilevel analysis, total variance in consultation length was 44.2, split into 24.4 (55%) at patient level, 9.8 (22%) at doctor level, and 10.0 (23%) at country level; the variables used explained 25% of total variation (R²=0.252).
- Consultations were longer in city practices by 1.5 minutes, for women patients by about 1 minute, for at least one new problem by 51 seconds, when the doctor perceived psychosocial problems as important by 50 seconds, when the patient perceived psychosocial aspects as important by 30 seconds, and when the GP diagnosed a psychosocial problem by 0.95 minutes.
- Consultation time increased by about 1 second per year of patient age and decreased by 0.6 seconds per additional weekly workload unit; GP sex or age, patient education, and prescribing behaviour were not significantly related to consultation length.
Methods
- Cross-sectional analysis of videotaped general practice consultations from the Eurocommunication study in six European countries, with questionnaires completed by doctors and patients.
- Participants were 190 general practitioners and 3674 patients; 20 consultations were videotaped per doctor and 15 per doctor were analysed. Consultation length was measured with a stopwatch, subtracting interruptions.
- Multilevel regression analysis with three levels (country, general practitioner, patient) using MLwiN 1.1; principal components analysis with Varimax rotation was used on patient questionnaire items, and SPSS 9.0 was used for data analysis.
Limitations
- The paper states that the general practitioner groups were not representative: they had lower workloads than doctors in the task profile study, more urban practices were included, and more women doctors took part.
- The paper states that all doctors agreed to have consultations videotaped, so they may have been more interested in communication and more experienced with research/training than average doctors, potentially biasing findings.
- The paper notes that only six countries were included, so country-level variation is subject to a large standard error; the text also makes evident that 976 of 4650 patients (21%) refused participation, with more women refusing and some problem types refusing more often, though age and education were similar between participants and refusers.
Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
2 of 23 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured
- Findingown data
When the doctor perceived a psychosocial problem, the increase in consultation time was nearly twice as long as that when the patient perceived a psychosocial problem.
“When the doctor perceived a psychosocial problem, the increase in consultation time was nearly twice as long as that when the patient perceived a psychosocial problem.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Findingown data
Consultations were longer when the patient felt that psychosocial problems were important (by 30 seconds) than when they did not.
“Consultations were longer when the doctor or patient felt that psychosocial problems were important (by 50 seconds for the doctor's perception and 30 seconds for the patient's perception) than when they did not.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Findingown data
The length of consultation was not significantly longer for consultations in which psychosocial aspects were given as a reason for the encounter by the patient.
“The length of consultation was not significantly longer for consultations in which psychosocial aspects were given as a reason for the encounter by the patient.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Findingown data
Consultations in city practices lasted 1.5 minutes longer than those in rural practices.
“Consultations in city practices lasted 1.5 minutes longer than those in rural practices”
- Also stated in: § Other determinants · plain
“Consultations lasted longer in city based practices than in rural practices.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Also stated in: § Other determinants · plain
- Findingown data
Consultations with women patients lasted about 1 minute longer than those with men.
“those with women patients lasted about 1 minute longer than those with men”
- Also stated in: § Other determinants · plain
“Consultation times were longer for women patients than for men.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim - Also stated in: § Other determinants · plain
- Findingown data
From the patient's perspective, the consultation time was longer when the patient expected some help on psychosocial aspects from the doctor than when they did not.
“From the patient's perspective, the consultation time was longer when the patient expected some help on psychosocial aspects from the doctor than when they did not.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Findingown data
Consultations about at least one new problem lasted 51 seconds longer than those about known problems.
“those about at least one new problem lasted 51 seconds longer than those about known problems.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim - Findingown data
The mean length of consultation for all consultations was 10.7 (SD 6.7) minutes.
“The mean length of consultation for all consultations was 10.7 (SD 6.7) minutes (table 4).”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Findingown data
Consultations were longer when the doctor felt that psychosocial problems were important (by 50 seconds) than when they did not.
“Consultations were longer when the doctor or patient felt that psychosocial problems were important (by 50 seconds for the doctor's perception and 30 seconds for the patient's perception) than when they did not.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Findingown data
The variables used in the multilevel analysis at the different levels accounted for 25% of the explained variation (R_=0.252).
“The variables used in the multilevel analysis at the different levels accounted for 25% of the explained variation (R_=0.252).”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim - Findingown data
The mean length of consultation decreased by about 6.5 seconds for every increase of 10 contact units a week in a doctor's workload.
“The mean length of consultation decreased by about 6.5 seconds for every increase of 10 contact units a week in a doctor's workload.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Findingown data
Consultation length varies from country to country.
“Consultation length varies from country to country”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Findingown data
Characteristics of patients have as much effect on consultation length as the characteristics of countries and doctors combined.
“Characteristics of patients have as much effect on consultation length as the characteristics of countries and doctors combined”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Findingown data
The level of education attained by the patient did not influence the length of consultation.
“The level of education attained by the patient did not influence the length of consultation.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Findingown data
In contrast with literature findings, whether a doctor prescribed drugs had no relation on the consultation length in our study.
“In contrast with literature findings, whether a doctor prescribed drugs had no relation on the consultation length in our study.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked- cites [1] Wilson, 1991, Consultation length in general practice: a review., Br J Gen Pract
- cites [24] Murray, 1978, Consulting time and prescribing rates., Update
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Interpretationown data
A woman consulting a general practitioner in an urban practice with a problem that the doctor and patient both perceive as psychosocial is more likely than other patients to have a long consultation.
“A women consulting a general practitioner in an urban practice with a problem that the doctor and patient both perceive as psychosocial is more likely than other patients to have a long consultation.”
- Also stated in: § Conclusion · plain
“Women consulting in an urban practice for problems perceived as psychosocial have longer consultations.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Also stated in: § Conclusion · plain
- Premisecitation
Determinants identified by studies in one country cannot be extrapolated to other countries.
“The second problem is that determinants identified by studies in one country cannot be extrapolated to other countries.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites [1] Wilson, 1991, Consultation length in general practice: a review., Br J Gen Pract
- Interpretationcitation
Our results agree with Wilson, who said that most differences in the lengths of consultations disappear when factors relating to doctors are controlled for.
“Our results agree with Wilson, who said that most differences in the lengths of consultations disappear when factors relating to doctors are controlled for.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites Wilson
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Interpretationown data
The doctor had the largest impact on the duration of the consultation.
“The doctor had the largest impact on the duration of the consultation.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Interpretationreasoning
These factors could explain the longer consultation times seen in Belgium and Switzerland.
“These factors could explain the longer consultation times seen in Belgium and Switzerland.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim- Rests on an assumption: General practitioners in Belgium and Switzerland are paid mostly by direct payment from the patient at the end of the consultation.
- Study design and conductreasoning
The analysis only included six countries, so the variation in consultation time attributable to the country level is subject to a large standard error.
“The analysis only included six countries, so the variation in consultation time attributable to the country level is subject to a large standard error.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim - Interpretationown data
Consultation length is determined by variables related to the doctor and the doctor's country as well as by those related to patients.
“Consultation length is determined by variables related to the doctor and the doctor's country as well as by those related to patients.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Interpretationown data
When a doctor explores an issue other than the main reason for the encounter, the consultation time increases.
“Our results show that when a doctor explores an issue other than the main reason for the encounter, the consultation time increases.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Premisecitation
Consultations about psychosomatic and behavioural problems are longer than those for other problems.
“Consultations about psychosomatic and behavioural problems are longer than those for other problems.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked- cites [10] Westcott, 1977, The length of consultations in general practice., J R Coll Gen Pract
- cites [11] Raynes, 1980, Factors contributing to the length of general practice consultation., J R Coll Gen Pract
- Interpretationreasoning
If a doctor explores or manages a problem openly introduced by the patient, the length of the consultation is not affected.
“If a doctor explores or manages a problem openly introduced by the patient, the length of the consultation is not affected.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Premisecitation
In Germany and Spain, general practitioners have, on average, more than 200 encounters with patients a week.
“In Germany and Spain, general practitioners have, on average, more than 200 encounters with patients a week.22”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites [22] Strobbe J De Maeseneer J Ceenaeme R .A picture of primary health care in Europe. In: De Maeseneer J Beolchi L , eds. Telematics in primary care in Europe. Amsterdam:IOS Press,1995:17–21.
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Interpretationown data
Location was the most important determinant of the length of consultations among practice characteristics.
“When we looked at characteristics of practices, location was the most important determinant of the length of consultations.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim - Interpretationreasoning
Our finding that consultations lasted longer for new problems supports our conclusions about exploration.
“Our finding that consultations lasted longer for new problems supports our conclusions about exploration.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
- Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 11
- May combine two claims. 22
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).
PremisecitationDoctors spend more time with patients who have new problems than those with already discussed problems.
“Doctors spend more time with patients who have new problems than those with already discussed problems.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim2 of 2 sources checked- cites [8] Morell, 1986, The “five minute” consultation: effect of time constraint on clinical content and patient satisfaction., BMJ source
The Introduction (p. 1) says that whether a consultation concerns a new problem or is a follow-up can affect its duration. It does not say that doctors spend more time on new problems than on previously discussed ones; the reported time comparisons concern appointment-booking intervals instead. (LLM, conf=0.77)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured - cites [9] Morell, 1987, How can good GP care be achieved?, BMJ source
The Introduction discusses immediate and continuing problems, and the ‘How many patients can a general practitioner look after?’ section discusses consultation duration. Neither compares time spent with patients presenting new problems against time spent on previously discussed problems. Searches for that comparison and for follow-up consultation duration found no supporting passage in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
May combine two claims.
Findingown dataThe six countries could be divided into three pairs that differed significantly from each other with respect to total consultation time: Belgium and Switzerland had the longest consultation times, Germany and Spain had the shortest, and the Netherlands and the United Kingdom were in between.
“The six countries could be divided into three pairs that differed significantly from each other with respect to total consultation time.Belgium and Switzerland had the longest consultation times, Germany and Spain had the shortest consultation times, and consultation times for the Netherlands and the United Kingdom were in between.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claimMay combine two claims.
Findingown dataThe presence of psychosocial problems in a consultation was related to the consultation's duration only when a psychosocial problem was diagnosed by the general practitioner, but not when it was mentioned by the patient as a reason for the consultation.
“The presence of psychosocial problems in a consultation was related to the consultation's duration only when a psychosocial problem was diagnosed by the general practitioner, but not when it was mentioned by the patient as a reason for the consultation.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claimProbably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).
Findingown dataAs the patient's age increased by one year, the consultation time increased by one second.
“As the patient's age increased by one year, the consultation time increased by one second.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimMay combine two claims.
Findingown dataFor Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, the length of consultation in this study did not differ significantly from that in other studies from that country.
“For four countries (Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Switzerland), we compared our results with those from other studies in which consultation times were measured; for no country did the length of consultation in our study differ significantly from that in other studies from that country.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimMay combine two claims.
Findingown dataThe total variance in consultation length was 44.2, split into 24.4 (55%) at the patient level, 9.8 (22%) at the doctor level, and 10.0 (23%) at the country level.
“The total variance in consultation length was 44.2.Multilevel analysis showed that this variance split into 24.4 (55%) at the patient level, 9.8 (22%) at the doctor level, and 10.0 (23%) at the country level.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claimMay combine two claims.
Findingown dataWhen doctors perceived a psychosocial problem, the duration of the consultation increased; this was as true when the doctor thought that a psychosocial element was important, even if it was not mentioned during the consultation, as when he or she made a psychosocial diagnosis.
“When doctors perceived a psychosocial problem, the duration of the consultation increased; this was as true when the doctor thought that a psychosocial element was important, even if it was not mentioned in during the consultation, as when he or she made a psychosocial diagnosis.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claimMay combine two claims.
Findingown dataLength of consultation was not significantly correlated with the educational level of the patient, the patient's sex or age, or the experience or prescribing behaviour of the doctor.
“Length of consultation was not significantly correlated with the educational level of the patient, the patient's sex or age, or the experience or prescribing behaviour of the doctor (table 5).”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claimMay combine two claims.
Findingown dataThe consultation time decreased as the doctor's workload increased-the consultation time reduced by 0.6 seconds for every additional unit of workload in a week.
“The consultation time decreased as the doctor's workload increased-the consultation time reduced by 0.6 seconds for every additional unit of workload in a week.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claimMay combine two claims.
Findingown dataWorkload had a negative influence on consultation time, but this relation was weak when calculated as seconds.
“Workload had a negative influence on consultation time, but this relation was weak when calculated as seconds.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimMay combine two claims.
Findingown dataOf doctors' characteristics reported as important in the literature, our study confirmed only the positive orientation to psychosocial problems; the age and sex of the doctor had no impact on the duration of the consultation.
“Of doctors' characteristics reported as important in the literature, our study confirmed only the positive orientation to psychosocial problems; the age and sex of the doctor had no impact on the duration of the consultation.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claimMay combine two claims.
Findingown dataAge seemed to influence the length of consultation, but its influence was too small to take into account-doctors spent about 1.2 seconds more time with patients for every year increase in the patients' age.
“Age seemed to influence the length of consultation, but its influence was too small to take into account-doctors spent about 1.2 seconds more time with patients for every year increase in the patients' age.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimProbably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.
PremisecitationThe patient's age and social class are determinants of consultation length-the older the patient or the higher their social class, the longer the consultation.
“The patient's age and social class are determinants of consultation length-the older the patient or the higher their social class, the longer the consultation.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites [2] Buchnan IC Richardson IM .Time study of consultations in general practice. In: Scottish health services statistics, no 27. Edinburgh:Scottish Home and Health Department,1973.
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).
PremisecitationThe size of a doctor's list is not an important determinant of consultation length, except when lists are extremely large or extremely small.
“The size of a doctor's list is not an important determinant of consultation length, except when lists are extremely large or extremely small.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked- cites [6] Butler J Calnan M .Too many patients? A study of the economy of time and standards of care in general practice. Aldershot:Avebury,1987. source
- cites [7] Knight, 1987, The importance of list size and consultation length as factors in general practice., J R Coll Gen Pract
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).
PremisecitationDoctors are less likely to prescribe during long consultations.
“Doctors are less likely to prescribe during long consultations.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites [12] Hughes, 1983, Consultation length and outcome in two group general practices., J R Coll Gen Pract
Classified as probably not a substantial claim.
Study design and conductnone givenA sample size of a minimum of 27 general practitioners in each country and 15 patients for each general practitioner was needed to detect an effect size of 0.30 at a significance level of 0.05 with a power of 0.80.
“A sample size of a minimum of 27 general practitioners in each country and 15 patients for each general practitioner was needed to detect an effect size of 0.30 at a significance level of 0.05 with a power of 0.80.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claimMay combine two claims.
PremisecitationImportant differences in consultation length exist between countries because of differences in the structure of healthcare organisations and the role of general practitioners.
“Important differences in consultation length exist between countries because of differences in the structure of healthcare organisations and the role of general practitioners.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites [1] Wilson, 1991, Consultation length in general practice: a review., Br J Gen Pract
May combine two claims.
PremisecitationOlder doctors, women doctors, and doctors with positive attitudes to mental health problems tend to have longer consultations.
“Older doctors, women doctors, and doctors with positive attitudes to mental health problems tend to have longer consultations.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked- cites [2] Buchnan IC Richardson IM .Time study of consultations in general practice. In: Scottish health services statistics, no 27. Edinburgh:Scottish Home and Health Department,1973.
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- cites [3] Gray, 1982, The effect of the doctor's sex on the doctor patient relationship., J R Coll Gen Pract
- cites [4] Whitehous, 1987, A survey of the management of psychosocial illness in general practice in Manchester., J R Coll Gen Pract
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
May combine two claims.
Interpretationown dataThe presence of psychosocial problems in the consultation was an important factor influencing the length of consultation, and doctors' and patients' perceptions about psychosocial problems affected the length of the consultation.
“The presence of psychosocial problems in the consultation was an important factor influencing the length of consultation, and doctors' and patients' perceptions about psychosocial problems affected the length of the consultation.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claimMay combine two claims.
Study design and conductown dataThe factor analysis of patients' questionnaires produced two subscales-a biomedical scale with six items and a psychosocial scale with four items-with Cronbach's alpha 0.84 for the biomedical scale and 0.83 for the psychosocial scale.
“This analysis produced two subscales-a biomedical scale with six items and a psychosocial scale with four items (table 3).Cronbach's was 0.84 for the biomedical scale and 0.83 for the psychosocial scale.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimMay combine two claims.
PremisecitationStopwatches accurately measure the length of consultations, and videotaping is accurate and valid and does not alter doctors' behaviour in consultations.
“Stopwatches accurately measure the length of consultations, and videotaping is accurate and valid and does not alter doctors' behaviour in consultations.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked- cites [1] Wilson, 1991, Consultation length in general practice: a review., Br J Gen Pract
- cites [13] Pringle, 1990, Does the awareness of being video recorded affect doctors' consultation behaviour?, Br J Gen Pract
May combine two claims.
Interpretationown dataThe country in which general practitioners work and the individual variation between general practitioners seem to be important determinants of the length of consultations.
“The country in which general practitioners work and the individual variation between general practitioners seem to be important determinants of the length of consultations.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claimMay combine two claims.
Study design and conductnone givenOur general practitioners had lower workloads than the average doctor in the same country in the task profile study, there was a higher proportion of urban practices in our study, and more women doctors took part.
“Our general practitioners had lower workloads than the average doctor in the same country in the task profile study, there was a higher proportion of urban practices in our study, and more women doctors took part.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimProbably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).
PremisecitationA previous study showed that women doctors had longer consultations than men doctors.
“This contradicted a previous study, which showed that women doctors had longer consultations than men doctors.23”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites [23] Roter, 1991, Sex differences in patients' and physicians' communication during primary care visits., Med Care source
Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.
Study design and conductreasoningAll of the doctors in our study agreed to have their consultations videotaped; this may mean that they were more interested in communication and had more experience with research and training than the average doctor, and this positive attitude towards communication could have biased our findings.
“All of the doctors in our study agreed to have their consultations videotaped.This may mean that they were more interested in communication and had more experience with research and training than the average doctor.This positive attitude towards communication could have biased our findings.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimProbably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based).
Interpretationnone givenStudies based on observations of real encounters contradict, or at least tone down, conclusions from other types of research.
“Studies based on observations of real encounters contradict, or at least tone down, conclusions from other types of research.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claimMay combine two claims.
InterpretationreasoningFor new problems the doctor needs to explore the problem, but for follow up consultations the doctor can rely on information from earlier encounters.
“For new problems the doctor needs to explore the problem, but for follow up consultations the doctor can rely on information from earlier encounters.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claimProbably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).
PremisecitationSeveral studies reported an influence of social class on consultation length.
“This contradicts results from several studies that reported an influence of social class on consultation length.”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked- cites [1] Wilson, 1991, Consultation length in general practice: a review., Br J Gen Pract
- cites [2] Buchnan IC Richardson IM .Time study of consultations in general practice. In: Scottish health services statistics, no 27. Edinburgh:Scottish Home and Health Department,1973.
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
May combine two claims.
Study design and conductown dataAlthough the patients in our study probably were representative of the population of the participating countries, the groups of general practitioners were not.
“Although the patients in our study probably were representative of the population of the participating countries, the groups of general practitioners were not.”
Quote in the paperSubstantial claimProbably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.
PremisecitationWomen patients are often described as more talkative than men, and they are more likely to discuss psychosocial problems.
“Women patients are often described as more talkative than men, and they are more likely to discuss psychosocial problems.23”
Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked- cites [23] Roter, 1991, Sex differences in patients' and physicians' communication during primary care visits., Med Care source
The paper relies on this without support.
General practitioners in Belgium and Switzerland are paid mostly by direct payment from the patient at the end of the consultation.
“Moreover, general practitioners in Belgium and Switzerland are paid mostly by direct payment from the patient at the end of the consultation.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The United Kingdom and the Netherlands have well organised primary healthcare systems, with restricted patient lists and gatekeeping.
“The United Kingdom and the Netherlands, which had intermediate consultation times, have well organised primary healthcare systems, with restricted patient lists and gatekeeping.”
The paper relies on this without support.
General practitioners in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are predominantly paid by capitation.
“General practitioners in these countries are predominantly paid by capitation (the government supplies a fee per patient).”
The paper relies on this without support.
In urban practices, patients presented more problems within one consultation.
“In urban practices, patients presented more problems within one consultation.”
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Overall doctor sex ratio conflicts with the doctor counts
MinorTable 2 gives the overall men:women ratio as 76:34, whereas table 1 counts 127 men and 63 women among 190 doctors-approximately 67:33.
“Eurocommunication study | 190 | 44.5 (6.8) | 76:34 | 29:71 | 212 (106.7) |”
“| | Men | Women | Total | Men | Women | Total | | Country | (n=127) | (n=63) | (n=190) | (n=1503) | (n=2171) | (n=3674) |”
Patient sex and age are reported as both significant and not significant
MinorThe results say consultation length was not significantly correlated with patient sex or age, but table 5 reports positive coefficients for both, with 95% confidence intervals that exclude zero. The paper also describes longer consultations for women and older patients.
“Length of consultation was not significantly correlated with the educational level of the patient, the patient's sex or age, or the experience or prescribing behaviour of the doctor (table 5).”
“| Woman patient | 0.99 (0.40 to 1.58) | | At least one new problem | 0.86 (0.27 to 1.46) | | Patient's age (years) | 0.02 (0.01 to 0.04) |”
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“, pregnancy and related care), research has demonstrated that women visit family physicians more often and report longer consultation times than men [11, 13].”
BackgroundIrving, G., Neves, A. L., Dambha-Miller, H., Oishi, A., Tagashira, H., Verho, A., & Holden, J. (2017) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-017902 · Cited by 1,083 · see citing works
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“In terms of the health care process, depending on the communication displayed, one might observe a worse or better atmosphere, a more or less efficient goal obtainment, and/or the need for more or less time [16].”
BackgroundSelf-citationThe Quality of Medical Advice in Low-Income Countries
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The Inverse Care Law: Clinical Primary Care Encounters in Deprived and Affluent Areas of Scotland
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“In addition, patients explaining their problem to a physician were interrupted after an average of 23 seconds (Bodenheimer, 2008); similar numbers have been reported for primary care practices in European countries (Deveugele et al., 2002).”
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Money for nothing: The dire straits of medical practice in Delhi, India
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What Is the Best Dementia Screening Instrument for General Practitioners to Use?
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“The mini-mental state examination takes an average of eight minutes to administer. Many clinicians find time to complete this but with an average consultation time in general practice in Europe of 10.7 minutes”
BackgroundInfluentialSommerhalder, K., Abraham, A., Zufferey, M. C., Barth, J., & Abel, T. (2009) · Patient Education and Counseling · doi:10.1016/j.pec.2009.03.028 · Cited by 200 · see citing works
“Limited time resources was the primary reason, which leads to the question of whether standardised consultation procedures of an average of 10 min length [32] are appropriate for a patient-centred approach.”
BackgroundDiabetes in China: a societal solution for a personal challenge
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Can dimensions of national culture predict cross-national differences in medical communication?
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The need for research in primary care.
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Information Needs and Information-Seeking Behavior of Primary Care Physicians
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The Death Knoll for the MMSE: Has It Outlived Its Purpose?
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Diabetes and its comorbidities—where East meets West
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A Time-Motion Study of Primary Care Physicians’ Work in the Electronic Health Record Era
Young, R. A., Burge, S. K., Kumar, K. A., Wilson, J. M., & Ortiz, D. F. (2018) · Family Medicine · doi:10.22454/fammed.2018.184803 · Cited by 160 · see citing works
General Practitioners’ Attitudes Toward Artificial Intelligence–Enabled Systems: Interview Study
Buck, C., Doctor, E., Hennrich, J., Jöhnk, J., & Eymann, T. (2022) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/28916 · Cited by 147 · see citing works
“For instance, in Germany, primary care is one of the most frequently used health care services, leading to an average physician–patient contact time of 7.6 minutes [26].”
BackgroundInfluentialThe influence of time pressure on adherence to guidelines in primary care: an experimental study
Tsiga, E., Panagopoulou, E. P., Sevdalis, N., Montgomery, A., & Benos, A. (2013) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2013-002700 · Cited by 159 · see citing works
The Expert Patients Programme: a paradox of patient empowerment and medical dominance
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“, 2005), and less time required in consultations (Deveugele et al., 2002).”
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¿Es hora de jubilar al Mini-Mental?
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Analysis of pharmacist–patient communication using the Calgary-Cambridge guide
Greenhill, N., Anderson, C., Avery, A. J., & Pilnick, A. (2011) · Patient Education and Counseling · doi:10.1016/j.pec.2011.04.036 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
“4 min by an international study [32].”
BackgroundHutton, C., & Gunn, J. M. (2007) · BMC Health Services Research · doi:10.1186/1472-6963-7-71 · Cited by 129 · see citing works
Patients’ engagement in primary care: powerlessness and compounding jeopardy. A qualitative study
Sheridan, N., Kenealy, T. W., Kidd, J., Schmidt‐Busby, J., Hand, J. E., Raphael, D. L., McKillop, A., & Rea, H. H. (2012) · Health Expectations · doi:10.1111/hex.12006 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
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Mercer, S. W., Fitzpatrick, B., Gourlay, G., Vojt, G., McConnachie, A., & Watt, G. C. M. (2007) · British Journal of General Practice · doi:10.3399/096016407782604910 · Cited by 116 · see citing works
Elmore, N., Burt, J., Abel, G., Maratos, F. A., Montague, J., Campbell, J., & Roland, M. (2016) · British Journal of General Practice · doi:10.3399/bjgp16x687733 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Should the Mini-Mental State Examination be retired?
Pardo, C. C. (2014) · Neurología (English Edition) · doi:10.1016/j.nrleng.2013.07.005 · Cited by 109 · see citing works
“In a specialist clinic, an administration time of 10 minutes may be acceptable whereas in a primary care consultation, an SCT requiring more than 5 minutes would be too long considering the mean length of consultations in most European countries.(3) SCTs should also require minimal instrument use and be straightforwar…”
BackgroundBokhof, B., & Junius‐Walker, U. (2016) · Drugs & Aging · doi:10.1007/s40266-016-0354-5 · Cited by 109 · see citing works
Direct access in primary care and patient satisfaction: A European study
Kroneman, M. W., Maarse, H., & van der Zee, J. (2005) · Health Policy · doi:10.1016/j.healthpol.2005.05.003 · Cited by 105 · see citing works
Mercer, S. W., Cawston, P. G., & Bikker, A. (2007) · BMC Family Practice · doi:10.1186/1471-2296-8-22 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
“Consultation length is shorter in the UK than in many other countries [29] and observational studies indicate that longer consultations are associated with better quality care [30,31].”
BackgroundSun, H., Zhang, K., Lan, W., Gu, Q., Jiang, G., Yang, X., Qin, W., & Han, D. (2023) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/51300 · Cited by 105 · see citing works
“Moreover, research from Europe has also shown that the duration of patient interaction with nutritional educators is crucial for managing and reducing hemoglobin A 1c levels [25].”
Chan, Y., Fan, M. M., Fok, C.-M., et al. (2011) · American Journal of Infection Control · doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2011.03.017 · Cited by 100 · see citing works
An assessment of patient waiting and consultation time in a primary healthcare clinic.
Ahmad, B. A., Khairatul, K., & Farnaza, A. (2017) · Europe PMC (PubMed Central) · Cited by 100 · see citing works
Henselmans, I., Heijmans, M., Rademakers, J. J. D. J. M., & van Dulmen, S. (2014) · Health Expectations · doi:10.1111/hex.12206 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Communication in context: new directions in communication research
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“[32] DeVeugele M, Derese A, van den Brink-Muinen A, Bensing J, De”
BackgroundSelf-citationDeterminants of consultation length in Australian general practice
Britt, H. C., Valenti, L., & Miller, G. C. (2005) · The Medical Journal of Australia · doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2005.tb06924.x · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Bindman, A. B., Forrest, C. B., Britt, H. C., Crampton, P., & Majeed, A. (2007) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.39203.658970.55 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Rehm, J. T., Allamani, A., Vedova, R. D., Elekes, Z., Jakubczyk, A., Landsmane, I., Manthey, J., Moreno-España, J., Pieper, L., Probst, C., et al. (2015) · The Annals of Family Medicine · doi:10.1370/afm.1742 · Cited by 90 · see citing works
Hullegie, P., & Klein, T. J. (2010) · Health Economics · doi:10.1002/hec.1642 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
“Finally Jürges (2009) finds that privately insured are less likely to contact a doct or, but conditional on seeing a doctor at least once the number of doctor visits is significantly lar ger than that of patients covered by public health insurance.”
BackgroundBecker, G., Kempf, D. E., Xander, C. J., Momm, F., Olschewski, M., & Blum, H. E. (2010) · BMC Health Services Research · doi:10.1186/1472-6963-10-94 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
“These results are similar to the findings of other studies [25,26] and may be attributed to professional experience and greater range of communication skills.”
ResultArcher, S., de Villiers, C. B., Scheibl, F., Carver, T., Hartley, S., Lee, A., Cunningham, A. P., Easton, D., McIntosh, J. G., Emery, J., et al. (2020) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0229999 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
“Primary care clinicians were particularly concerned about the amount of information required for risk prediction as they had limited time available during their consultations [22].”
BackgroundMedical Students’ Gender Awareness
Verdonk, P., Benschop, Y., de Haes, J. C. J. M., & Lagro‐Janssen, T. (2007) · Sex Roles · doi:10.1007/s11199-007-9326-x · Cited by 84 · see citing works
“Furthermore, a study in six European countries including in the Netherlands exposed that in general practice women get longer consultations than men because psychosocial issues are more often discussed ( Deveugele et al. 2002 ).”
BackgroundRuiz-Moral, R., Pérula de Torres, L. Á., & Jaramillo-Martin, I. (2007) · Journal of General Internal Medicine · doi:10.1007/s11606-007-0113-8 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
“They have a list of about 1,500 patients each, usually grouped by families, to whom they assist in a continuous way at visits lasting from 7 to 9 minutes.(30,31) The doctor–patient relationship is of a paternalistic type predominantly, with some exception in educational settings.”
BackgroundWebb, M. J., Wadley, G., & Sanci, L. A. (2018) · JMIR mhealth and uhealth · doi:10.2196/mhealth.8778 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
“Given that the duration of a standard primary care consultation is approximately 10 min [51,52], this concern is understandable.”
Primary Care Visit Length, Quality, and Satisfaction for Standardized Patients with Depression
Geraghty, E. M., Franks, P. J., & Kravitz, R. L. (2007) · Journal of General Internal Medicine · doi:10.1007/s11606-007-0371-5 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
“Previous studies have shown that there is wide variation in primary care visit length, and case-mix may account for up to 55% of that variance.(7) Consequently, the relative contribution of physician and organizational factors to visit length is uncertain.”
BackgroundSpoorenberg, S. L. W., Wynia, K., Uittenbroek, R. J., Kremer, H. P. H., & Reijneveld, S. A. (2018) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0190751 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
“However, regular GP visits are brief and only take about ten minutes [26], with little time to discuss the topic of concern–let alone other health-related topics [64].”
Presseau, J., Sniehotta, F. F., Francis, J., & Campbell, N. C. (2009) · Implementation Science · doi:10.1186/1748-5908-4-77 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Spoorenberg, S. L. W., Uittenbroek, R. J., Middel, B., Kremer, B. P. H., Reijneveld, S. A., & Wynia, K. (2013) · BMC Geriatrics · doi:10.1186/1471-2318-13-62 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
“However, this risk for contamination is considered to be trivial because the intervention contrasts so strongly with the usual care provided by a GP: a regular GP visit tends to be rather brief and normally takes about 10 minutes [68], with only a small amount of time available for assessment of (potential) health pro…”
BackgroundThe workload of GPs: consultations of patients with psychological and somatic problems compared.
Zantinge, E. M., Verhaak, P. F. M., Kerssens, J. J., & Bensing, J. M. (2005) · Europe PMC (PubMed Central) · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Self-citationHaftgoli, N., Favrat, B., Verdon, F., Vaucher, P., Bischoff, T., Burnand, B., & Herzig, L. (2010) · BMC Family Practice · doi:10.1186/1471-2296-11-67 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
“Our results are therefore believed to be relevant for most patients in primary care in western Switzerland even if our mean consultation length of 27 minutes seems to be longer than usual encounters [23].”
How much time does it take to prescribe a new medication?
Tarn, D. M., Paterniti, D. A., Kravitz, R. L., Heritage, J. C., Liu, H., Kim, S., & Wenger, N. S. (2008) · Patient Education and Counseling · doi:10.1016/j.pec.2008.02.019 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
“Studies have shown that female physicians spend more time overall with patients than their male counterparts [20,21]; in addition, older patients [3,21,22], women [21], those with more problems to discuss [21], and those who are new to a physician’s practice [22] have longer visits.”
BackgroundGonzález‐Blanch, C., Hernández-de-Hita, F., Muñoz‐Navarro, R., Ruiz‐Rodríguez, P., Medrano, L. A., & Vindel, A. C. (2018) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-018-28995-6 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Göpfert, A., Deeny, S. R., Fisher, R. F., & Stafford, M. (2020) · British Journal of General Practice · doi:10.3399/bjgp20x714029 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
“Deprivation was based on the patient’s area of residence (Lower Layer Super Output Area level) using deciles of the 2015 Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 20 grouped into high deprivation (deciles 1–3), medium British Journal of General Practice, Online First 2020 2”
InfluentialConsultation content not consultation length improves patient satisfaction
Lemon, T. I., & Smith, R. (2014) · Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care · doi:10.4103/2249-4863.148102 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
“Graph 1: Adapted from Carr Hill, Deveguele, and NHS.[4-6] This graph portrays the increasing GP consultation length in the UK, whilst also providing a comparison to European Union partners in 2002.”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialXuereb, C. B., Shaw, R. L., & Lane, D. A. (2012) · Patient Education and Counseling · doi:10.1016/j.pec.2012.05.011 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
“[35] found that the mean length of consultations in the UK was almost 10 minutes.”
BackgroundMoney for Nothing: The Dire Straits of Medical Practice in Delhi, IndiaPreprint
Das, J., & Hammer, J. S. (2005) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.770977 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
An Overview of Self-Administered Health Literacy Instruments
O’Neill, B. G., Gonçalves, D. C., Ricci‐Cabello, I., Ziébland, S., & Valderas, J. M. (2014) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0109110 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
“In a large European study, for example, Deveugele et al [67] found that the average length of a primary care consultation was 10.”
BackgroundInfluentialUtilidad de los test breves en el cribado de demencia
Villarejo‐Galende, A., & Puertas‐Martín, V. (2011) · Neurología · doi:10.1016/j.nrl.2010.12.002 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Labrie, N., & Schulz, P. J. (2015) · Patient Education and Counseling · doi:10.1016/j.pec.2015.01.017 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
“8), corresponding to earlier findings [24].”
Renewing Primary Care: Lessons Learned From The Spanish Health Care System
Borkan, J., Eaton, C. B., Novillo-Ortiz, D., Corte, P. R., & Jadad, A. R. (2010) · Health Affairs · doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2010.0023 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Effectiveness and costs of phototest in dementia and cognitive impairment screening
Pardo, C. C., Espejo-Martínez, B., López-Alcalde, S., et al. (2011) · BMC Neurology · doi:10.1186/1471-2377-11-92 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
“However, the Eurotest requires 7 minutes to complete and is therefore less useful in PC, in which time constraints are crucial [50].”
Diagnosis and management of acromegaly: the patient’s perspective
Kreitschmann‐Andermahr, I., Siegel, S., Kleist, B., et al. (2016) · Pituitary · doi:10.1007/s11102-015-0702-1 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
“However, increasing caseloads, economic and time pressure as well as prolonged waiting times for access to medical specialists and short consultations (8 min on average in a 2002 study) may have resulted in a more symptom-oriented manner of delivering care, with less emphasis on clinical reasoning and the recognition…”
Jin, G., Zhao, Y., Chen, C., Wang, W., Du, J., & Lu, X. (2015) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0135121 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Chin, W. Y., Chan, K. T. Y., Lam, C. L. K., et al. (2014) · BMC Family Practice · doi:10.1186/1471-2296-15-30 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
“5 minutes [33], by international standards, primary care consultations in Hong Kong’s public sector clinics are brief [35].”
BackgroundFactors related to consultation time: Experience in Slovenia
Šter, M. P., Švab, I., & Živčec, G. K. (2008) · Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care · doi:10.1080/02813430701760789 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
“Mental health problems need less biomedical but more psychosocial talk between the doctor and the patient [9, 19] and last only about two minutes more than consultations for somatic disorders.”
BackgroundResultInfluentialNeumann, M., Edelhäuser, F., Kreps, G. L., Scheffer, C., Lutz, G. K., Tauschel, D., & Visser, A. P. (2010) · Patient Education and Counseling · doi:10.1016/j.pec.2010.07.020 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
“’’ [5,6].”
Why Research in Family Medicine? A Superfluous Question
Maeseneer, J. M. D. (2004) · The Annals of Family Medicine · doi:10.1370/afm.148 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Perceptions of time constraints among primary care physicians in Germany
Knesebeck, O. V. D., Koens, S., Marx, G., & Scherer, M. (2019) · BMC Family Practice · doi:10.1186/s12875-019-1033-5 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
What factors affect patients' recall of general practitioners' advice?
Selič, P., Švab, I., Repolusk, M., & Guček, N. K. (2011) · BMC Family Practice · doi:10.1186/1471-2296-12-141 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
“Women consulting in an urban practice with problems perceived as psychosocial have longer consultations than other patients [23].”
BackgroundDoes training general practitioners result in more shared decision making during consultations?
Sanders, A., Bensing, J. M., Essed, M. A. L. U., Magnée, T., de Wit, N. J., & Verhaak, P. F. M. (2016) · Patient Education and Counseling · doi:10.1016/j.pec.2016.10.002 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
“Consultations in general practice in the Netherlands take, on average, 10.2 min [25].”
InfluentialSelf-citationFactors influencing consultation length in general/family practice
Orton, P. K., & Gray, D. P. (2016) · Family Practice · doi:10.1093/fampra/cmw056 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Pilgram, R. (2015) · Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) · doi:10.13140/rg.2.2.20870.06724 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Consultation in general practice: a standard operating procedure?
Deveugele, M. I., Derese, A., Bacquer, D. D., van den Brink-Muinen, A., Bensing, J. M., & Maeseneer, J. D. (2003) · Patient Education and Counseling · doi:10.1016/s0738-3991(03)00239-8 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
“Patients’ health status may length of the consultation but it does”
InfluentialSelf-citationBerghout, R. M., Eminović, N., de Keizer, N. F., & Birnie, E. (2007) · International Journal of Medical Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2007.04.004 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
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“Moreover, it has been demonstrated that consultations with patients who suffer from mental health problems take more time [4–9] and leave the GPs more often with the subjective experience of a lack of time [7].”
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“10 min) given the time constraints on Primary Care (PC) consultations [25].”
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“In 2006, Deveugle showed that the consultation time duration was varying from 7 min in Spain and Germany to 15 min in Belgium and Switzerland [26].”
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Interventions to increase or decrease the length of primary care physicians' consultation
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Where There is no Patient: An Anthropological Treatment of a Biomedical Category
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“Deveugele et al [33] state that good communication requires both knowledge and empathy where the interaction between patient and care provider is most important [34].”
BackgroundTime and the consultation – an argument for a ‘certain slowness’
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“Thus, one may expect patients and physicians in rural areas to preserve the traditional physician–patient hierarchy more than is the case in urban areas, leading to lower influence of the patient on the physician (also see Deveugele et al. 2002).”
Blood pressure lowering efficacy of beta-blockers as second-line therapy for primary hypertension
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“However, such a criterion cannot be extrapolated to any country, as the number and the length of consultations depend on the health care system [47].”
Background
- Authors
- Deveugele, M., Derese, A., van den Brink-Muinen, A., Bensing, J., & De Maeseneer, J.
- Affiliations
- Ghent University (BE)
- Corresponding author
- Deveugele, Myriam
- ORCID
- Deveugele, Myriam
- Venue
- BMJ
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2002-08-31
- Volume
- 325
- Issue
- 7362
- Pages
- 472.1
- ISSN
- 0007-1447 (ISSN-L)
- 0959-8138
- 1468-5833
- PMC
- PMC119444
- OpenAlex
- W2124095734
- Semantic Scholar
- 2119cffb00ce6639f398f137dd296833fd1f4fe7
- Cited by
- 515
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 25 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 27
- FWCI
- 27.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.bmj.com/company/legal-information/terms-conditions/legal-information/tdm-licencepolicy (tdm)
- Locations
- BMJ (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (submittedVersion)
- PubMed Central (submittedVersion)
- Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (submittedVersion)
- Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Primary Care and Health Outcomes
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Healthcare Systems and Technology
- Keywords
- consultation time, general practice, general practitioners, patient sex, psychosocial problems, physician workload, patient age, patient education level, cross-national comparison, doctor-patient interaction
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Age Factors, Appointments and Schedules, Cross-Sectional Studies, Europe, Factor Analysis, Statistical, Family Practice, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Office Visits, Physician-Patient Relations, Professional Practice, Surveys and Questionnaires, Rural Health, Time and Motion Studies, Urban Health, Patient Satisfaction
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
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Classified by jev-1.13-20260917 (gold-guideline-v0.2) on 2026-10-14.
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