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Table 1 Studies based on interviews of doctors about consultation length and the management of psychological problems
| Author/year/location | Aim | No. of practices/doctors | No of patients/consultation | Mean consult'n length | Method of measuring consult'n length | Method of study | % of eligible doctors particip'ing | Conclusions/findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rost USA 1994 [28] | To describe preferences & barriers to rural primary care physicians treating depression | 53 | Semistructured Interviews | 86% Random sample | 30% of primary care physicians state that lack of time, & 23% that patient not recognising problem, is the biggest barrier to treating depression | |||
| Howe 1996 UK [44] | To assess factors that influence GPs' identification of psychological distress | -/19 GPs, random sample in Sheffield | - | - | - | GPs sent postal 'questionnaire, then semi-structured interviewed | Time shortage recorded as factor in 15/19 | |
| Pollock 2003 UK [31] | To investigate GP perspectives on consultation times and the management of depression in general practice | 8/19 Not representative | - | 8–10 mins booking times | - | Qualitative, cross-sectional GP semi-structured interviews | Dealing with depression, particularly first consultation, takes longer. GPs accommodate this by running over time. | |
| Smith 2004 UK [32] | To explore GPs' views on clinical guidelines on management of depression & barriers to use | -/11. Picked to representative of GPs | - | 5–10 minute booking interval | - | Qualitative, cross-sectional In-depth interviews with GPs | 73% | Lack of time major barrier to guideline use |
