title: Introduction to group medical appointments.
abstract: Both patients and providers suffer from time constraints that limit their face-to-face time. With increasing limitations in reimbursement, office (and hospital) visits tend to become more condensed. This leads to dissatisfied patients and unfulfilled providers. In an effort to remedy this situation, many practices have adopted group medical appointments. This article outlines the; concept, mechanics, responsibilities of the parties, and the reimbursementfeatures of this relatively novel and seemingly paradoxical initiative.
authors.affiliation: deeanns@surewest.net
authors.forename: DeeAnn K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Schmucker
mesh_terms: D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006126:Group Processes; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011216:Practice Management, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*