This interesting study showed that the average number of GP-patient contacts per disease falls with multimorbidity.This suggests that more than one issue is being dealt with in each consultation. It would be interesting to know what impact this had on consultation length. We know from other work that each additional problem dealt with in a GP-patient consultation not only increases the duration of that consultation but also increases the likelihood of clinical inertia.12 So although it may appear to be a coup for health service delivery, a falling level of consultations per disease may spell greater demands on GP time and more suboptimal care.
1. Parchman M, Pugh J, Romero R, Bowers K. Competing Demands or Clinical Inertia: The Case of Elevated Glycosylated Hemoglobin. Ann Fam Med May 1, 2007 vol. 5 no. 3 196-201 2. Salisbury C, Procter S, Stewart K, Bowen L, Purdy S, Ridd M, Valderas J, Blakeman T, Reeves D. 2. The content of general practice consultations: cross-sectional study based on video recordings.Br J Gen Pract. 2013 Nov;63(616):e751-9.
Complexity rising?
16 April 2014
This interesting study showed that the average number of GP-patient contacts per disease falls with multimorbidity.This suggests that more than one issue is being dealt with in each consultation.
It would be interesting to know what impact this had on consultation length. We know from other work that each additional problem dealt with in a GP-patient consultation not only increases the duration of that consultation but also increases the likelihood of clinical inertia.12 So although it may appear to be a coup for health service delivery, a falling level of consultations per disease may spell greater demands on GP time and more suboptimal care.
1. Parchman M, Pugh J, Romero R, Bowers K. Competing Demands or Clinical Inertia: The Case of
Elevated Glycosylated Hemoglobin. Ann Fam Med May 1, 2007 vol. 5 no. 3 196-201
2. Salisbury C, Procter S, Stewart K, Bowen L, Purdy S, Ridd M, Valderas J, Blakeman T, Reeves D. 2. The content of general practice consultations: cross-sectional study based on video recordings.Br J Gen Pract. 2013 Nov;63(616):e751-9.
Competing interests
None declared