Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27777231›Full record

ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2016

Investigating the relationship between consultation length and patient experience: a cross-sectional study in primary care.

Natasha Elmore, Jenni Burt, Gary Abel, Frances A Maratos, Jane Montague, John Campbell, Martin Roland

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 60 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
60citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

60 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Article
  5. Building Trust in a Newly Established Physician-Patient Relationship: A Scoping Review.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
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  9. Article
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  14. Observational
  15. Patient-Registered Nurse Communication: Exploring Patients' Expectations and Experience in Primary Care Consultations.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025
    Observational
  16. Article
  17. Is Disease Stability an Attainable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Treatment Goal?American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine · 2025
    Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Natasha ElmorePrimary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge.
Jenni BurtPrimary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge.
Gary AbelUniversity of Exeter Medical School, St Luke's Campus, Exeter.
Frances A MaratosUniversity of Derby, Derby.
Jane MontagueUniversity of Derby, Derby.
John CampbellUniversity of Exeter Medical School, St Luke's Campus, Exeter.
Martin RolandPrimary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge.

Funding

Department of Health RP-PG-0608-10050
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLonger consultations in primary care have been linked with better quality of care and improved health-related outcomes. However, there is little evidence of any potential association between consultation length and patient experience.

aimTo examine the relationship between consultation length and patient-reported communication, trust and confidence in the doctor, and overall satisfaction. DESIGN AND

settingAnalysis of 440 videorecorded consultations and associated patient experience questionnaires from 13 primary care practices in England.

methodPatients attending a face-to-face consultation with participating GPs consented to having their consultations videoed and completed a questionnaire. Consultation length was calculated from the videorecording. Linear regression (adjusting for patient and doctor demographics) was used to investigate associations between patient experience (overall communication, trust and confidence, and overall satisfaction) and consultation length.

resultsThere was no evidence that consultation length was associated with any of the three measures of patient experience (P >0.3 for all). Adjusted changes on a 0-100 scale per additional minute of consultation were: communication score 0.02 (95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.20 to 0.25), trust and confidence in the doctor 0.07 (95% CI = -0.27 to 0.41), and satisfaction -0.14 (95% CI = -0.46 to 0.18).

conclusionThe authors found no association between patient experience measures of communication and consultation length, and patients may sometimes report good experiences from very short consultations. However, longer consultations may be required to achieve clinical effectiveness and patient safety: aspects also important for achieving high quality of care. Future research should continue to study the benefits of longer consultations, particularly for patients with complex multiple conditions.

Indexed as

Physician-Patient RelationsPrimary Health CareAppointments and SchedulesCross-Sectional StudiesEnglandFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPatient SatisfactionReferral and ConsultationSurveys and QuestionnairesTime Factorsappointments and schedulescommunicationgeneral practicephysician–patient relationsprimary health care

Identifiers

PMID27777231
PMCPMC5198642

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.