Features of good consultation in general practice: Is time important?

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Abstract
Objective – To relate specifically defined ‘good consultations’ (GC) to length of consultation, continuity, patients' age and sex, and different doctors. Design – A questionnaire about consultation length, communication and problem character, given to doctors and patients immediately after consultations. Main outcome measures – The number of GCs for different doctors in relation to time, continuity, and patients' age and sex were calculated. Setting – 581 consultations were registered with six male general practitioners working at three different health centres in Umeå, a university town in northern Sweden. Results – A significant difference in the number of GCs was only found between the doctors (p < 0.01). Length of consultation, patients' age and sex, and continuity had no impact on the GC frequency. Conclusion – The doctor as a person and his working style is most important in achieving good consultations in general practice. Length of consultation is less influential.