15-Minute Visits Take Toll on Doctor-Patient Relationship

[Northerner]

Joan Eisenstodt didn’t have a stopwatch when she went to see an ear-nose-and-throat specialist recently, but she is certain the physician was not in the exam room with her for more than three or four minutes.

“He looked up my nose, said it was inflamed, told me to see the nurse for a prescription and was gone,” said the 66-year-old Washington, D.C., consultant, who was suffering from an acute sinus infection.

When she started protesting the doctor’s choice of medication, “He just cut me off totally,” she said. “I’ve never been in and out from a visit faster.”

These days, stories like Eisenstodt’s are increasingly common. Patients – and physicians – say they feel the time crunch as never before as doctors rush through appointments as if on roller skates to see more patients and perform more procedures to make up for flat or declining reimbursements.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/823992

Same the world over it seems. I'm fortunate in that my GP never rushes me out. 🙂

 

[Copepod]

This shows a lot about the differences between medicine in UK and USA. In the UK, a GP would diagnose and treat a sinus infection, perhaps with the assistance of a practice nurse with prescribing rights. It doesn't need 15 minutes to deal with a sinus infection, even if a patient thinks it does.

In fact, when I had two sinus infections within a year some 14 years ago, my GP prescribed antibiotics, but also recommended that I bought some nose drops for that occasion, but also to buy some if I ever felt the early stagees again. By following her advice, I haven't needed antibiotics for a sinus infection (or anything else) since then .

 

[ypauly]

I thought where have they got 15 minutes from? then I realised it =was stateside. My GP has 8 minutes, sounds bad but if you feel you need longer they will give double and treble appointments so it works quite well.