Table 1.
Characteristics of consultations before and after doctors were instructed not to interrupt the patient's opening statement
| Variable | Day 1 (before instruction) | Day 2 (after instruction) |
|---|---|---|
| No (%) of encounters with new clinical problem | 58 | 54 |
| Length of patient's monologue (seconds) | ||
| Mean (SD) | 26 (28.5) | 28 (26.9) |
| Median (range) | 15 (1-120) | 21 (2-123) |
| No (%) of monologues completed | 18/56 (32) | 32/49 (65)* |
| Physical examinations: | ||
| No (%) of encounters | 53 (91) | 45 (83) |
| Mean (range; SD) length (seconds) | 89 (5-215; 62) | 88 (5-296; 84) |
| No (%) of encounters with tests or referrals | 18 (31) | 21 (39) |
| No (%) of encounters resulting in diagnosis | 56 (97) | 52 (96) |
| No (%) of encounters resulting in prescription | 30 (52) | 24 (44) |
| Mean length (range; SD) of encounter (minutes) | 10.5 (1-33.5; 5.9) | 9 (2-25; 2.7) |
| Geometric mean (minutes) | 8.9 | 7.8 |
*
P<0.001. Completion of monologue could be determined in only 105 encounters. (In a subgroup of 75 encounters in which patients were aged 10 years or over (mean age 43.8; median 40.0; SD 22.4), in 12/38 (32%) encounters on day 1 and 25/37 (68%) encounters on day 2 the monologues were completed; P<0.01 (χ2 and regressions, controlling for doctor).)