Global health worker visit time variation: A systematic review
Peter Murphy1,2, Wajeeha Raza1,2, Filip Meheus2
1Centre for Health Economics, University of York, York, United Kingdom.
Health Policy OPEN
|April 22, 2026
Summary
Accurate health care visit times are essential for global health system evaluation. This review found average visit times vary significantly by country income, service delivery, and telemedicine use, highlighting research gaps in low-income nations.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Global Health
- Health Economics
Background:
- Accurate estimation of health consultation duration is vital for assessing diagnostic quality, workforce planning, and global service costing.
- Variability in visit times can be influenced by healthcare worker type, service delivery models, and clinical complexity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and synthesize data on health care visit times globally.
- To identify factors modifying health care visit durations, including service delivery platforms and healthcare worker types.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of 422 studies were conducted across seven databases and grey literature.
- Data extraction, quality appraisal, and meta-analysis were performed, with subgroup analysis and meta-regression exploring heterogeneity.
Main Results:
- The average health care visit time, excluding procedures, was 19.2 minutes (95% CI: 16.7-21.6 minutes).
- Significant variations in visit times were observed based on country income classification, region, service delivery platform, health worker type, and telemedicine use.
- Meta-regression models identified country income, telemedicine, and service delivery platform as significant factors influencing visit times.
Conclusions:
- Estimated variations in health care visit times provide evidence for appraising global health systems, informing workforce planning, and service costing.
- Further research is needed to address significant evidence gaps in visit times, particularly in lower-income countries, as most studies originated from high and upper-middle income nations.
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