Six minutes

Abstract

At present, there is a trend towards reducing the duration of office visits. In some regions of Spain, it has been set at 6 minutes per patient. This impacts on several levels: literally, many times it is impossible to complete the medical act; at an emotional level, because there is little possibility to establish an adequate doctor-patient relationship; and symbolically, for considering that the main aspects of humane health care are expendable. This takes place in a society that tends to see health care as a merchandise subject to market rules that gives priority to the immediate over the important. Patients, physicians, and managing authorities are participants of this change which negatively affects current medical practice. The increase in unnecessary additional testing, avoidable treatments, the costs of iatrogenesis, a lower treatment adherence, and unnecessary reconsultations are proven consequences. In the field of pediatrics, this increases the risk of losing screening opportunities in critical areas.