SAN FRANCISCO, June 15 (UPI) -- The average U.S. adult spends about 30 minutes a year with a primary care physician, found a study comparing primary care practice in the three countries.
The study, published in the online edition of the British Medical Journal, showed patient-physician time in the United States is about half the average of New Zealand and one-third of Australia.
"The substantially shorter time per capita in the United States was the biggest difference we saw in our study," lead author Dr. Andrew Bindman, of the University of California, San Francisco, said in a statement.
"Such a severe shortfall impacts preventive care and management of chronic conditions in the United States and could explain why the United States does not achieve health outcomes that correspond to its higher level of investment in healthcare."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta recommend U.S. doctors spend an average of 40 minutes per year for adults and 37 minutes for children. Patients with chronic care needs are estimated to need an average 20 to 40 minutes of additional time per condition in primary care, according to Bindman.
