RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Physician Activities During Time Out of the Examination Room
JF The Annals of Family Medicine
JO Ann Fam Med
FD American Academy of Family Physicians
SP 494
OP 499
DO 10.1370/afm.391
VO 3
IS 6
A1 Gilchrist, Valerie
A1 McCord, Gary
A1 Schrop, Susan Labuda
A1 King, Bridget D.
A1 McCormick, Kenelm F.
A1 Oprandi, Allison M.
A1 Selius, Brian A.
A1 Cowher, Michael
A1 Maheshwary, Rishi
A1 Patel, Falguni
A1 Shah, Ami
A1 Tsai, Bonny
A1 Zaharna, Mia
YR 2005
UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/3/6/494.abstract
AB PURPOSE Comprehensive medical care requires direct physician-patient contact, other office-based medical activities, and medical care outside of the office. This study was a systematic investigation of family physician office-based activities outside of the examination room. METHODS In the summer of 2000, 6 medical students directly observed and recorded the office-based activities of 27 northeastern Ohio community-based family physicians during 1 practice day. A checklist was used to record physician activity every 20 seconds outside of the examination room. Observation excluded medical care provided at other sites. Physicians were also asked to estimate how they spent their time on average and on the observed day. RESULTS The average office day was 8 hours 8 minutes. On average, 20.1 patients were seen and physicians spent 17.5 minutes per patient in direct contact time. Office-based time outside of the examination room averaged 3 hours 8 minutes or 39% of the office practice day; 61% of that time was spent in activities related to medical care. Charting (32.9 minutes per day) and dictating (23.4 minutes per day) were the most common medical activities. Physicians overestimated the time they spent in direct patient care and medical activities. None of the participating practices had electronic medical records. CONCLUSIONS If office-based, medically related activities were averaged over the number of patients seen in the office that day, the average office visit time per patient would increase by 7 minutes (40%). Care delivery extends beyond direct patient contact. Models of health care delivery need to recognize this component of care.