Time Is the Currency of Medicine in Clinical Encounters

Longer visits were associated with more psychosocial risk assessment and anticipatory guidance.

Addressing parental concerns and parental psychosocial risk factors, performing developmental screening tests, and providing anticipatory guidance are essential parts of pediatric well-child care during the first 3 years of life. To determine if length of well-child visits is associated with content of care, family-centered care, and parental satisfaction, researchers analyzed data from structured telephone interviews with 1691 parents of children aged 4 to 35 months who participated in the 2000 National Survey of Early Childhood Health.

Parents reported wide variation in the amount of time spent with the clinician at their last well-child visit: 34% reported ≤10 minutes (shortest visits), 47% reported 11–20 minutes, and 20% reported ≥21 min…

Reviewing Author

Martin T. Stein, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardPearson Neuroscience Advisory Board

Speaker’s bureauAmerican Academy of Pediatrics

RoyaltiesElsevier, Inc.

Editorial boardsJournal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

Martin T. Stein, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardPearson Neuroscience Advisory Board

Speaker’s bureauAmerican Academy of Pediatrics

RoyaltiesElsevier, Inc.

Editorial boardsJournal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics