Interesting study from Vanderbilt University. Paying physicians to take more time with patients. I guess it would make sense if there was a correlation between improved patient outcomes and the length of the visit.
A small number of physicians at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, are taking part in a study to find out if it’s more cost effective in the long run to pay doctors to take more time with each patient. Since the introduction of managed care, providers have felt financial pressure to fill their daily schedules, and industry reports have shown the average primary care physician spends about six minutes with each patient. The new study is investigating if doctors who see patients with high blood pressure, congestive heart failure or diabetes could offset long-term costs to insurance companies and employers by spending more time with the patients, who might stay healthier as a result and need fewer medical visits.
Six minutes sounds about right. Conveyor-belt medicine.
