Patients ration consultation time

Patients feel an intense sense of time pressure and impose their own rationing on the length of consultations. A qualitative study by Pollock and Grime (p 687) of 32 general practice patients with mild to moderate depression and 30 respondents from the Depression Alliance also found a mismatch between patients' sense of time entitlement and the doctor's capacity to offer more time. Mechanic comments (p 690) that good doctors let their patients disclose their problems and make extra time when possible.


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Relevant Article

Patients' perceptions of entitlement to time in general practice consultations for depression: qualitative study • Commentary: Managing time appropriately in primary care
Kristian Pollock, Janet Grime, and David Mechanic
BMJ 2002 325: 687. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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