Table 3.
Mean Duration of Visits and Multivariate Generalized Linear Model Regression Analysis of the Association Between Patient Visit Duration and Patient, Practice, Visit Content, and Geographic Characteristics
| Variable | Time |
Marginal Effect |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | SE | Minutes | SE | |
| All patients | 22.9 | 0.5 | ||
| Patient characteristic | ||||
| Age, years | ||||
| < 50 | 24.8 | 1.5 | Reference | |
| 50-64 | 23.8 | 0.8 | −0.3 | 1.2 |
| 65-74 | 21.7 | 0.9 | −1.1 | 1.7 |
| ≥ 75 | 22.0 | 0.6 | −0.0 | 1.6 |
| Sex | ||||
| F | 23.9 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| M | 21.7 | 0.6 | Reference | |
| Race/ethnicity | ||||
| Non-Hispanic white | 23.0 | 0.5 | Reference | |
| Non-Hispanic black | 22.1 | 1.2 | −0.1 | 0.9 |
| Hispanic | 23.0 | 1.8 | −1.2 | 1.4 |
| Other race | 21.4 | 1.8 | −2.1 | 1.3 |
| Insurance | ||||
| Private insurance | 24.4 | 0.8 | Reference | |
| Medicare | 21.7 | 0.6 | −1.3 | 1.1 |
| Medicaid | 22.9 | 1.3 | −0.6 | 1.3 |
| Uninsured | 23.0 | 2.1 | −1.7 | 1.7 |
| Other insurance | 21.7 | 2.1 | −3.7* | 1.0 |
| Patient status | ||||
| Established patient | 22.3 | 0.5 | Reference | |
| New patient | 30.2 | 1.9 | 8.1* | 1.9 |
| Cancer type | ||||
| Lung/larynx | 21.6 | 1.2 | Reference | |
| Female breast | 23.6 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| Prostate | 19.5 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 1.3 |
| Colorectal | 22.2 | 1.7 | −0.8 | 1.3 |
| Lymphoma/leukemia | 21.9 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 1.1 |
| Melanoma | 18.7 | 1.9 | −2.7 | 2.0 |
| Other cancer | 26.1 | 0.9 | 4.8* | 1.2 |
| Cancer stage | ||||
| In situ | 23.8 | 2.0 | Reference | |
| Local | 23.2 | 1.0 | −2.1 | 1.9 |
| Regional | 25.4 | 1.5 | −0.8 | 2.2 |
| Distant | 25.1 | 1.5 | −1.6 | 2.0 |
| Unknown | 21.5 | 0.6 | −3.0 | 1.9 |
| No. of chronic conditions | −0.6 | 0.3 | ||
| Provider characteristic | ||||
| Physician specialty | ||||
| Nononcology provider | 21.1 | 0.5 | Reference | |
| Oncology | 24.7 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 1.1 |
| Physician owned | 22.2 | 0.5 | −2.9† | 1.4 |
| Compensation | ||||
| Patient satisfaction | 24.5 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 3.3 |
| Physician productivity | 23.6 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Quality | 24.0 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 2.9 |
| Practice profiling | 21.5 | 2.7 | −2.6 | 2.2 |
| > 25% revenue performance-based | 18.3 | 0.6 | −4.4* | 1.2 |
| > 25% capitation | 20.1 | 2.1 | −5.7* | 1.9 |
| Visit characteristic | ||||
| Referred to the physician | 24.3 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Patient reason for visit | ||||
| Symptoms | 22.6 | 1.3 | Reference | |
| Cancer | 23.9 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
| Chemotherapy/injections | 21.5 | 1.6 | −0.9 | 1.2 |
| Pre-/postoperative follow-up | 21.5 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.3 |
| Tests, examinations, medications | 23.1 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.7 |
| Other | 23.7 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| Provider reason for visit | ||||
| New problem | 26.0 | 1.5 | Reference | |
| Chronic condition | ||||
| Routine | 22.6 | 0.5 | −0.4 | 1.3 |
| Flare-up | 26.8 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 1.6 |
| Before/after surgery | 19.2 | 0.8 | −4.6* | 1.3 |
| Preventive care | 20.1 | −3.4 | 2.2 | |
| Anticancer drug | 23.6 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Radiation therapy | 28.6 | 2.6 | 5.5† | 2.2 |
| No. of diagnostic/screening services | 0.3 | 0.2 | ||
| No. of health education services | 1.3 | 0.8 | ||
| Referred to another physician | 24.2 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 1.1 |
| Geographic characteristic | ||||
| MSA | 23.3 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.1 |
| Region | ||||
| Northeast | 24.8 | 1.0 | Reference | |
| Midwest | 20.0 | 0.7 | −5.1* | 1.2 |
| South | 25.2 | 1.0 | −1.4 | 1.2 |
| West | 22.2 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 1.1 |
| Socioeconomic indicator, % | ||||
| Poverty (lowest quartile) | 21.9 | 1.3 | −0.4 | 1.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher education (lowest quartile) | 21.0 | 1.0 | −1.2 | 1.0 |
Abbreviation: MSA, metropolitan statistical area.
*
Significant at P < .01.
†
Significant at P < .05.