Instruments evaluating the duration and pace of clinical encounters: a scoping review

Abstract

Objective

Hurried encounters in clinical settings contribute to dissatisfaction among both patients and clinicians and may indicate and contribute to low-quality care. We sought to identify patient- or clinician-reported instruments concerning this experience of time in clinical encounters.

Methods We searched multiple databases from inception through July 2023. Working in duplicate without restrictions by language or clinical context, we identified published instruments or single items measuring perceptions of time adequacy in clinical encounters. We characterized these by time domain (perceived duration or pace of the encounter), responder (patient or clinician), and reference (experience of care in general or of a particular encounter). Results Of the 96 instruments found, none focused exclusively on perception of time adequacy in clinical encounters. Nonetheless, these instruments contained 107 time-related items. Of these, 81 items (77 %) measured the perception of the encounter duration, assessing whether there was adequate consultation time overall or for specific tasks (e.g., listening to the patient, exploring psychosocial issues, formulating the care plan). Another 19 (18 %) assessed encounter pace, and 7 (7 %) assessed both duration and pace. Pace items captured actions perceived as rushed or hurried or the perception that patients and clinicians felt pressed for time or rushed. Patients were the respondents for 76 (71 %) and clinicians for 24 (22 %) items. Most patient-reported items (48 of 76) referred to the patient’s general care experience. Conclusion There are existing items to capture patient and clinician perceptions of the duration and/or pace of clinical encounters. Further work should ascertain their ability to identify hurried consultations and to detect the effect of interventions to foster unhurried encounters.