Researchers used a multi-method approach, including direct observation, to study 4,454 patient visits to 138 family physicians in 84 practice sites. Traditionally, family physicians have varied in the number of patients they see per hour, based on their own work styles and the needs of their communities and patient populations. Now, however, patient volume is a measure of physician productivity. This greater productivity of the high-volume physicians did come at some cost, however. Those patients also reported slightly lower levels of satisfaction and scored their doctors slightly lower on several measures of the doctor-patient relationship, such as the doctor's listening skills, explanations of care and efforts to follow up on past problems.
Patient volume has an impact on what family physicians 'produce' during outpatient visits.
Take-away lesson Family physicians in all kinds of practice settings should pay attention to the balance between volume of patients, patient satisfaction and quality indicators. These trade-offs should be carefully considered by physicians and health care systems in their expectations of productivity. J Fam Pract. A person viewing it online may make one printout of the material and may use that printout only for his or her personal, non-commercial reference.