Doctors don’t change their routine during longer consultations

Medical News Today, July 31, 2008

In five studies conducted in the United Kingdom, doctors did not discuss more problems, prescribe more drugs, run more tests, make more referrals, or do more examinations when they spent more time with patients. The patients in the five studies did not feel more satisfied with their care when they were able to consult longer with their doctors, according to researchers. However, in each study consultation times were only slightly longer than usual, and might have not been enough extra time to make a difference in the doctors' routine or the patients' satisfaction, the researchers write.