Physicians-in-training spend about eight minutes per day with each of their patients, and they spend the majority of time on activities indirectly related to patients, such as reading charts or entering orders, according to a new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine and cited in a New York Times report.
This is the latest finding in nearly five decades' worth of research on how medical residents and interns spend their time. A medley of factors, such as weekly restrictions on how many hours interns can spend in a hospital and electronic health records, have resulted in unintended consequences that are hampering physician-patient relationships, according to the report.
The latest study, led by researchers from The Johns Hopkins University and University of Maryland, both in Baltimore, found that current interns spend the majority of their time in activities only indirectly related to patient care, such as reading charts, writing notes, entering orders, speaking with other team members and transporting patients, according to the report.
The study also found interns now spend almost half their days in front of a computer screen, since most clinical documentation must be done electronically. The eight minutes they spent face-to-face with physicians accounted for 12 percent of their time.
Bringing Them Home: What's Gained When Hospitals Recruit Hometown Physicians
Report: ED Physicians Key to Reducing Healthcare Costs
This is the latest finding in nearly five decades' worth of research on how medical residents and interns spend their time. A medley of factors, such as weekly restrictions on how many hours interns can spend in a hospital and electronic health records, have resulted in unintended consequences that are hampering physician-patient relationships, according to the report.
The latest study, led by researchers from The Johns Hopkins University and University of Maryland, both in Baltimore, found that current interns spend the majority of their time in activities only indirectly related to patient care, such as reading charts, writing notes, entering orders, speaking with other team members and transporting patients, according to the report.
The study also found interns now spend almost half their days in front of a computer screen, since most clinical documentation must be done electronically. The eight minutes they spent face-to-face with physicians accounted for 12 percent of their time.
More Articles on Physicians and Patients:
Study: Patient Participation in Healthcare Decisions Increases CostsBringing Them Home: What's Gained When Hospitals Recruit Hometown Physicians
Report: ED Physicians Key to Reducing Healthcare Costs