AaosNews11-8-02

Communication Skills Mentoring Program

Communication Skills in the News

Source: AAOS Headline News

Date: November 8, 2002

 

Doctors spend 12 minutes with patients, says PA survey

 

A Pennsylvania Medical Society survey of 330 physicians found that on average, doctors spend 12 minutes with patients, and made it clear that they would like to spend more time with them. Seven out of 10 doctors take additional time to follow up with patients after office visits. The preferred method is phone calls (62 percent) followed by physicians' Websites and e-mail (32 percent). The time crunch doesn't seem to affect patient relationships, however, as fully 94 percent of doctors say their relationships with patients are good or excellent. Physicians identified HMOs and the managed care approach to medicine as the biggest time bandits.

 

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