There is no uniform guideline regarding the optimum duration for an OPD consultation. Doctors complete an OPD consultation in as little as 3-4 minutes, and some doctors spend almost an hour per patient in the OPDs Spending more time would increase patient’s satisfaction, however, that is not the only criteria ensuring patient’s satisfaction. Longer duration of OPD consultation would limit the number of patients a doctor can see per day This would lead to long waiting periods. Is it advisable, when there are so few doctors seeing so many patients? Duration of OPD consultation can increase without necessarily increasing the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment.

1. Optimum Duration Of OPD
Consultation
Man Mohan Harjai

2. Introduction
• For a surgeon, OPD consultation is important
to counsel patients regarding surgery after
discussing the pros and cons of the procedure.

3. factors determine the success of OPD
consultation
• Whether doctor carefully listened to patient’s
problems or not?
• Whether the doctor was pleasant or not?
• Whether adequate time was allotted for the
consultation or not?
• Whether adequate information was given
regarding diagnosis, investigations, medications,
treatment, prognosis, etc or not?

4. How long should an ideal OPD
consultation last
• There is no uniform guideline regarding the optimum
duration for an OPD consultation
• Doctors complete an OPD consultation in as little as 3-4
minutes, and some doctors spend almost an hour per patient
in the OPDs
• Spending more time would increase patient’s satisfaction,
however, that is not the only criteria ensuring patient’s
satisfaction
• Longer duration of OPD consultation would limit the number
of patients a doctor can see per day
• This would lead to long waiting periods
• Is it advisable, when there are so few doctors seeing so many
patients? Duration of OPD consultation can increase without
necessarily increasing the efficiency of diagnosis and
treatment

5. What is the best strategy
• Most experienced doctors know the relevant factors in history taking and
examination
• Doctors should guide the discussion in OPD, and politely point out if the
patients are drifting away
• Most important points can be discussed in 8-10 minutes
• In any case, patients on average remember only three points from
an outpatient consultation
• So, there is no real point in overloading patients with too much
information in a single consultation
• Also, not all patients require the same amount of time
• For example, a regular patient coming for diabetes or hypertension
medications may not take more than 3 minutes, if sugar and BP are
normal
• On the other hand, an elderly patient with multiple co-morbidities on
multiple medications may take 15 minutes
• So, the duration can be tailored as per the needs of the patient
• On an average, 8-10 minutes per consultation would suffice.

6. OPD Consultation
• The OPD consultation is the quality of your interaction
with the patient
• There can not be any fixed rules. Consultation depends
on the problem. A clinical scan for head to foot is
must. Interrogation and investigation of patient is
important
• You must listen to the patient patiently
• Only prayer of doctor in OPD is not to miss a case
• Only aim is betterment of the person seeking the help

7. OPD Consultation
• Ultimate aim of consultation is to make a
good clinical diagnosis & patient is satisfied
that doctor has listened patiently to all the
problems
• Any amount of time which has given the
patient reasonable hearing and satisfaction
would be enough

8. OPD Consultation
• Give proper time to your patient, listen to him
and then you can charge whatever you want
• The patient should have the satisfaction of
establishing a rapport with the doctor and
doctor should be sure that the patient had
understood how to deal with his problem

9. Managing the OPD effectively is an Art
• Consultation is bilateral interview and when
either side nothing remains to be discussed
they can mutually conclude or when
consulting person thinks that nothing more
need to be advised and all relevant questions
are answered he can conclude

10. Conclusion
• In my view duration of OPD consultation
depend greatly on your experience
• Minimum time should be 20 minutes for new
case & 10 minutes for follow up
• The end point of OPD consultation is the point
when your patients is totally satisfied