Derjung M. Tarn|Debora A. Paterniti|Richard L. Kravitz|John Heritage|Honghu Liu|Sue Kim|Neil S. Wenger
How much time does it take to prescribe a new medication?
University of California, Los Angeles|University of California, Davis|University of California Davis Medical Center|University of California Davis Medical Center|University of California, Los Angeles|University of California, Los Angeles|Ewha Womans University|University of California, Los Angeles
measure length time spent discussing aspects new prescriptions guidelinerecommended aspects counseling evaluate factors associated duration discussion analyzed tape recordings 181 patients received 234 new medication prescriptions 16 family physicians 18 internists 11 cardiologists 2 healthcare systems sacramento california january november 1999 mean total visit time 159 min sd 434 mean 26 sd 28 allocated guidelinerecommended components mean 23 sd 25 allocated discussion aspects new prescription medications majority time spent discussing individual new prescriptions dedicated medication purpose justification directions duration use side effects average complete discussion components associated time time spent talking guidelinerecommended information patients better health third party room medication belonged psychiatric compared ear nose throat medication class less time spent discussing overthecounter otc medications prescribed patients previous visit physician higher quality information transmission physicians patients new medications requires time may difficult achieve short office visits timecompressed office visits may need redesigned promote improved providerpatient communication new medications