From the Denver Post [hat tip to Ann Davis Garvin for the link]:
Guess how much time the average physician spends listening to a patient describing her symptoms during an outpatient office visit. Sixty seconds? Fifty?
“Ten,” says Leana Wen, attending emergency department physician at George Washington University Hospital, and co-author of “When Doctors Don’t Listen: How to Avoid Misdiagnoses and Unnecessary Tests.”
“Studies show that doctors will interrupt you 10 seconds after you begin talking. Doctors are under pressure to see more patients in less time. So learn how to make those 10 seconds count.”
Have you ever felt rushed at your doctor’s office? Even if you haven’t, it’s always a good idea to maximize the value of the time you spend there. Click here to get the list of things you need to remember when you visit your doctor.
