Doctors Interrupt Patients, Stop Listening After 11 Seconds On Average, Study Says

July 22, 2018 – Newsweek –

Doctors only spend 11 seconds on average listening to patients before interrupting them, according to a new study.  Newsweek has picked up the essence of the recently published scholarly article in the Journal of General Internal Medicine .

The concluding point: There could be many reasons that many doctors haven’t been allowing patients to speak, including a lack of communication training, time constraints or burnout, researchers say. The scientists hope that future studies might reveal if allowing a patient to speak longer would positively affect the outcome of the visit.

This article gives me pause to reflect on how my doctor listens to me.  My family physician, Dr. Tim Pursley, is an extraordinary listener and always makes certain to deeply understand me.   Even though I know there are many patients waiting to see him, he makes me feel like I am the only one in the building. ~ Rick

Listening Seekers, what are your thoughts?  Does your doctor stop listening to you after only 11 seconds?  How does it make you feel?  Is your doctor in the minority who takes the necessary time to deeply understand you?  How does that make you feel?   Please reply below.

Click here for complete article.