Office Visits with Patients over 65 Years of Age: Do They Take More Time?

Office visits were timed for 952 patients seen in a family practice, comparing time required for patients aged 65 and over with time required for patients aged two to 65. Diagnoses were similar in both groups. No significant difference was found in time required. This may be due to familiarity with the patients and appropriate office design, or may mean that not enough time was spent with geriatric patients. However, since family medicine is inherently patient-centred and not disease-centred, good geriatric care should take no more time than care to other age groups.