THE PERILS OF THE 6 MINUTE CONSULTATION

March 3, 2016

Many years ago I did some locum general practice work at a rapid turnaround bulk-billing medical practice. Patients were booked in by the receptionists at 10 per hour. This meant that on average the consultation lasted no more than 6 minutes!

This works well if all that’s needed is a quick medical certificate or a prescription, but anything that required a detailed history and examination was just not possible. There’s no way that you can really understand and get to know the person sitting in front of you which really was what old fashioned general practice was all about. The whole business model was based on volume and the quality of service was definitely substandard. I didn’t last long doing that!

stopwatch

Have you heard of Integrative general practitioners? These doctors have eliminated the quick consultation from their repertoire completely. They will spend 1 hour with a new patient taking a detailed history that includes a proper social and family history, as well as a dietary, nutritional, sleep, exercise and sexual history. They inquire in detail about stress and relationships. And by getting to know the person behind the condition, they are better able to effect change in a sustained way. And since their method is not about quick fixes, they are more able to use simpler and more natural methods of treatment and prevention which act more slowly but have less side effects.

You would be surprised that there are many integrative practitioners who are working away quietly without too much fuss, providing top quality holistic medical care. And though you will spend more than seeing a regular GP, it’s well worth the money, since prevention is better than cure, and wellness is better than feeling OK.

Seek one out!

In Health and Wellness