Instruments evaluating the duration and pace of clinical encounters: A scoping review

• Published in: Patient education and counseling 2025-02, Vol.131, p.108591, Article 108591
• Main Authors: Soto Jacome, Cristian, Espinoza Suarez, Nataly R., Golembiewski, Elizabeth H., Gravholt, Derek, Crowley, Aidan, Urtecho, Meritxell, Garcia Leon, Montserrat, Mandhana, Dron, Ballard, Dawna, Kunneman, Marleen, Prokop, Larry, Montori, Victor M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clinical encounters; Duration and pace; Patient-centered care; Time assessment; Time scarcity; Unhurried conversations
• ISSN: 0738-3991; 1873-5134; 1873-5134
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2024.108591

Hurried encounters in clinical settings contribute to dissatisfaction among both patients and clinicians and may indicate and contribute to low-quality care. We sought to identify patient- or clinician-reported instruments concerning this experience of time in clinical encounters. We searched multiple databases from inception through July 2023. Working in duplicate without restrictions by language or clinical context, we identified published instruments or single items measuring perceptions of time adequacy in clinical encounters. We characterized these by time domain (perceived duration or pace of the encounter), responder (patient or clinician), and reference (experience of care in general or of a particular encounter). Of the 96 instruments found, none focused exclusively on perception of time adequacy in clinical encounters. Nonetheless, these instruments contained 107 time-related items. Of these, 81 items (77 %) measured the perception of the encounter duration, assessing whether there was adequate consultation time overall or for specific tasks (e.g., listening to the patient, exploring psychosocial issues, formulating the care plan). Another 19 (18 %) assessed encounter pace, and 7 (7 %) assessed both duration and pace. Pace items captured actions perceived as rushed or hurried or the perception that patients and clinicians felt pressed for time or rushed. Patients were the respondents for 76 (71 %) and clinicians for 24 (22 %) items. Most patient-reported items (48 of 76) referred to the patient’s general care experience. There are existing items to capture patient and clinician perceptions of the duration and/or pace of clinical encounters. Further work should ascertain their ability to identify hurried consultations and to detect the effect of interventions to foster unhurried encounters. The available items assessing patient and clinician perceptions of duration and pace can illuminate the experience of time adequacy in clinical encounters as a target for quality improvement interventions. These items may capture unintended consequences on perceived time for care of interventions to improve healthcare access and efficiency. •We sought time-related instruments or items to assess patient and clinician perceptions of clinical encounters.•We found 107 time-related items, 81 items assessing perceived encounter duration, 19 perceived encounter pace, and 7 both.•Existing items could assess the effect of healthcare interventions on perceived time in cl