The majority of GPs are not practising '6 minute medicine'. The
average GP consultation lasts just under 15 minutes, according to a
new study by the AIHW General Practice Statistics and
Classification Unit, published this week in Australian Family
Physician.
Director of the Unit, at the University of Sydney, Professor
Helena Britt, said 'the study also shows that consultations with
female GPs are longer on average (average 15.9 minutes) than those
with males (average 14.3 minutes).
Professor Britt said that this finding was 'consistent with
previous research that suggested that female GPs deal with more
psychological problems (such as depression) and more social
problems.'
'Younger male doctors (under 45 years) practising in
metropolitan areas had the shortest average consultations at a
little over 13 minutes.
'The GPs with the longest consultations, averaging 16.7 minutes,
were rural female GPs aged 55 years and over.'
The study was based on the timed length of 31,000 consultations
for which a Medicare item number was claimed, from a random sample
of 926 GPs.
'Our study shows that the average length of consultations varies
greatly between different GPs, ranging from less than 10 minutes to
more than 30 minutes'.
'The fact that consultations with a few GPs averaged less than
ten minutes is of some concern, but it is obvious from our data
that the great majority of doctors are not in this category'.
'We now plan to look at the effect on the length of
consultations of factors such as patient age and sex, the number
and types of problems managed, and the treatments
'In the meantime we hope this study will be useful in the
planning of future Medicare fee structures for GP attendances.
12 September 2002
Further information: A/Professor Helena Britt,
tel. (02) 9845 8150 (wk)
Or 0411 197 938 (mobile)
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, tel. 02 6244 1032,
OR Media Office, University of Sydney, 02 9351 2261
Availability: Check the AIHW General Practice
Statistics and Classification Unit's website for a PDF version.