Concerns About Wasting PCP's Time May Keep Patients From Seeking Care
Concerns over wasting physician’s time may influence when patients choose to visit their primary care provider, according to the results of a recent study.
During a wider study of the role of patient experience surveys in primary care, researchers discovered that the theme of wasting a physician’s time arose so frequently in their interviews, that they decided to focus specifically on this topic.
Researchers interviewed 52 patients in London and the east and south west of England about their experience with their primary care provider. During the interviews, the issue of wasting a physician’s time arose.
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The researchers identified 3 threads common to the issue: the experience of a conveyor belt approach to care, claims that “other patients” waste physicians’ time, and uncertainty about what concerns are worth taking a physician’s time for.
“Worry about timewasting is a phenomenon that deserves attention for several reasons. First, at the micro-level of the consultation, being attuned to the possible presence of these dilemmas patients grapple with could help foster a more subtle understanding of the patient's experience of illness and, accordingly, improve the quality of the encounter for both patient and doctor. Second, at the macro-level, an awareness of this phenomenon could refine how the health service communicates with patients, and empower patients to seek help rather than worry about timewasting, ultimately leading to an improved experience of healthcare for patients, and, in some instances, a more timely diagnosis.”
—Michael Potts
Reference:
Llanwarne N, Newbould J, Burt J, et al. Wasting the doctor's time? A video-elicitation interview study with patients in primary care [published online January 18, 2017]. Social Science & Medicine. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.01.025