title: Patient Satisfaction and its Relation to Perceived Visit Duration With a Hand Surgeon.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether patient perception of time spent with a hand surgeon relates to patient satisfaction after a single new-patient office visit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prior to each visit, 112 consecutive new patients predicted how much time they expected to spend with the surgeon. Following the visit, patients were asked to estimate the time spent with the surgeon, indicate whether the surgeon appeared rushed, and rate their overall satisfaction with the surgeon. Wait time and actual visit duration were measured. Patients also completed a sociodemographic survey, the Consultation and Relational Empathy Measure, the Newest Vital Sign Health Literacy test, and 3 Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-based questionnaires: Upper Extremity Function, Pain Interference, and Depression. Multivariable logistic and linear regression models were used to determine predictors of patient satisfaction, patient-perceived surgeon rush, and high previsit expectations of visit duration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patient satisfaction was not associated with perceived visit duration but did correlate strongly with patient-rated surgeon empathy and symptoms of depression. Neither visit duration nor previsit expectations of visit length were determinants of patient-perceived surgeon rush. Only surgeon empathy was associated. Less-educated patients anticipated needing more time with the surgeon.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patient satisfaction with the surgeon and with the time spent during the office visit was primarily linked to surgeon empathy rather than to visit duration or previsit expectation of visit length. Efforts to make hand surgery office visits more patient-centered should focus on improving dialogue quality, and not necessarily on making visits longer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Raymond C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Parrish
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Mariano E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Menendez
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Chaitanya S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Mudgal
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Jesse B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Jupiter
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Neal C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Electronic address: dring@partners.org.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ring
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010465:Perception; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Doctor rush; empathy; expectations; patient satisfaction; visit duration