Comparability of Two Methods of Time and Motion Study Used in a Clinical Setting

Two methods of time and motion study, continuous observation and work sampling, were used to measure physician behavior in a prepaid group practice. Results of the two methods were compared to determine whether differences occurred because of method. No significant differences appeared in time/unit of patient service for 82 per cent of physicians studied, nor did the presence of the continuous observed affect the number of units of patient service/half day of observation. Nonpatient activities showed a slightly larger number of differences although 74 per cent of comparisons of mean activity times still showed none. Suggested causes for noted discrepancies may be circumstantial dissimilarities in the two study periods or observed proximity. Nonetheless, overall the two methods show a high degree of similarity. Unless there is particular interest in the exact content of the physician-patient encounter, when continuous observation is required, work sampling is preferred because of time, cost, and possible observed influence on nonpatient activities

Affect (linguistics) · Circumstantial evidence · Comparability · Geography · Observer (physics) · Sampling (signal processing) · Statistics · Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Skills · Computer Science · Mathematics · Medicine · Patient Safety and Medication Errors · Patient Satisfaction in Healthcare · Psychology

• Capacity constraints to the adoption of new interventions

  Open Access•Thomas Adam, Taghreed Adam et al.•Health Policy and Planning•2005

  Añadir item

• Mammographic screening

  S F Hurley, Patricia M Livingston et al.•Journal of Epidemiology and…•1994

  Añadir item

• A Work Sampling Study of Midlevel Health Professionals in a Rural Medical Clinic

  Richard A Reid•Medical Care•1975

  Añadir item

• A Study of the Validity of the Task Inventory Method of Job Analysis

  Eugene C Nelson, Arthur R Jacobs et al.•Medical Care•1975

  Añadir item

• Combined Time-Motion and Work Sampling Study In A General Medicine Clinic

  Joseph J Mamlin, Duke H Baker•Medical Care•1973

  Añadir item