Visit Duration Does Not Correlate with Perceived Physician Empathy.

BACKGROUND: Perceived physician empathy is a strong driver of patient satisfaction. We assessed the influence of wait time, time spent with the surgeon, and surgeon stress level on the way patients rated surgeon empathy.
METHODS: One hundred and fourteen patients visiting 1 of 6 participating surgeons were prospectively enrolled in the study. We recorded patient demographics and assessed the patient rating of perceived physician empathy. Time waiting for the surgeon and time spent with the surgeon were measured with use of ambulatory tracking systems and by research assistants with stopwatches outside the patient rooms. Patient ratings of surgeon empathy were assessed with use of the Jefferson Scale of Patient's Perceptions of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE), and surgeon stress level was assessed with use of the Perceived Stress Score short form. The mean wait time was 30 ± 18 minutes, and the mean time spent with the surgeon was 8.7 ± 5.3 minutes. Two separate multilevel linear regression models were used to compare factors associated with the JSPPPE and time spent with the surgeon.
RESULTS: Neither time spent with the surgeon nor wait time was independently associated with perceived physician empathy; being male, having at least a post-college graduate degree, and higher self-reported surgeon stress levels were independently associated with less perceived empathy. More time spent with the surgeon was independently associated with lower self-reported surgeon stress levels; follow-up visits and visits for a traumatic condition were independently associated with less time spent with the surgeon.
CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study show that improved communication strategies, rather than shorter wait time or increased time spent with the patient, may increase patient satisfaction. This should be a focus of future research.