No one enjoys long wait times to see a clinician, but this inconvenience affects racial minorities and unemployed people more so than others, according to a study from Harvard Medical School in Boston and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Researchers reported that the average total visit time for a person seeking care — be it for themselves, a child or another adult — was 121 minutes. Of that time, only 20 minutes is spent with physicians, which is a good deal less than the 37 minutes patients spend traveling and the 84 minutes patients spend filling out paperwork or just waiting around.
"We also found that this time burden fell disproportionately on the disadvantaged," said Kristin Ray, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
According to the research, every patient spent roughly the same 20 minutes with physicians, but blacks and Hispanics spent approximately 25 percent longer traveling, waiting and dealing with administration when seeking healthcare than whites. Additionally, lower-income groups and the unemployed also spent more time seeking care than those who are better-off.
To learn more about the monetary cost of this time burden, see the video below.
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