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Short or long consultations? Primary care nurses' considerations in making appointments with general practitioners
S O Andersson1, H Hallberg, V Norström
1Department of Family Medicine, University of Umeå, Sweden.
Journal of Advanced Nursing
|October 1, 1995
Summary
Experienced primary care nurses (PCNs) in Sweden prioritize patient care quality over strict appointment times. They use immediate factors and long-term experience to allocate consultation lengths, enhancing overall general practice accessibility and quality.
Area of Science:
- Primary Care Nursing
- Health Services Management
- Qualitative Research Methods
Background:
- Primary care nurses (PCNs) in Sweden manage health centre (HC) appointment systems.
- PCNs determine the allocated duration for general practice consultations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore experienced PCNs' decision-making processes regarding consultation lengths.
- To understand the rationale behind assigning different appointment durations.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews.
- 10 experienced PCNs from 8 HCs in Umeå Health District, Sweden, were interviewed.
Main Results:
- PCNs consider immediate factors (patient problem, patient/doctor characteristics, HC/area situation) and long-term experienced factors (time consumption perspective).
- The primary focus is on overall consultation quality, not just individual appointment length.
- No direct correlation is applied between consultation duration and quality.
Conclusions:
- Experienced PCNs balance immediate needs with long-term efficiency for quality care.
- Their practical time allocation strategies likely improve general practice consultation quality and accessibility.
- Focusing on holistic care enhances primary healthcare delivery.