Debated in Parliament on 13 Sep 2022.
Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Health with regard to time spent by healthcare professionals communicating with patients and their families in the course of providing care (communication time) (a) whether any studies have been conducted on the time needed for effective communication time and, if so, whether findings have shown an increase in the need for communication time; and (b) whether contemporary manpower planning have considered the role of effective communication time in providing holistic patient-centric care.
We have not come across literature that recommends an optimal time duration for communication between healthcare professionals and their patients or family members. From our experience, effective communication varies with factors, such as disciplines or specialties and individual circumstances, including but not limited to case complexity and the baseline health literacy of the patient and their family. As of now, manpower planning is still, primarily, based on patient load and the complexities of their diseases.
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