Question · Duration house call Berlin
How long does a doctor's house call in Berlin last?
Short answer: for "How long does a doctor's house call in Berlin last?", RAB Arztbesuche sends a licensed physician on a private home visit anywhere in Berlin — daily from 6 am to midnight, usually within 60 to 90 minutes.
A typical house call in Berlin lasts 25 to 45 minutes from doorbell to leaving. History, examination, diagnostics, therapy and counselling all take time — faster only with a clear unambiguous picture, slower for complex cases or several patients in one household.
Medically reviewed by Susanne Reiche · Last reviewed
Short answer
A typical house call in Berlin lasts 25 to 45 minutes from doorbell to leaving. History, examination, diagnostics, therapy and counselling all take time — faster only with a clear unambiguous picture, slower for complex cases or several patients in one household.
What makes up the duration of a house call
Booking a private house call buys you primarily time, not speed. Unlike the seven-minute practice consultation, in which a GP processes diagnoses between turnovers, on a house call we spend 25 to 45 minutes with the patient. That is not luxury but good medicine: history (complaint, comorbidities, medication, allergies, family if relevant), physical examination (focused or broad), rapid tests and pulse oximetry where indicated, diagnosis, therapy decision, prescription or injection, counselling on expected course and especially on the red flags that should trigger another call or hospital review.
What shortens a visit: a clearly defined picture, a known patient with documented history, an unambiguous finding (e.g. uncomplicated UTI with positive dipstick), good household preparation (insurance card, maternity record or vaccination booklet ready, medication list at hand). What lengthens it: complex multi-morbidity, several affected people in one household (family with gastroenteritis), unclear pictures requiring broader examination, older patients with long medication lists, foreign-language history needing translation, hard-to-mobilise patients with time-consuming positioning.
Rule of thumb: plan two to three hours between phone call and the doctor leaving. That comprises 45 to 120 minutes arrival plus 25 to 45 minutes visit plus buffer. Do not schedule a house call into the window before an important appointment. What we definitely do not do: hand over a prescription at the door and drive on. That would be neither good medicine nor our self-conception nor GOÄ-compliant billing, which explicitly knows extended counselling.
Example: young patient with strep tonsillitis
A 28-year-old patient in Wilmersdorf has high fever 39.5 °C and severe sore throat for 24 hours. We come on a weekday afternoon. History in 7 minutes — no comorbidity, no allergies. Examination in 12 minutes — typical strep findings: enlarged tonsils with whitish exudate, tender angle-of-jaw nodes, no cough. Strep rapid test positive in 5 minutes. Diagnosis, antibiotic prescription (penicillin V), pain relief, sickness note, counselling on expected course — 10 minutes. Total with patient: 34 minutes. Examination cloth rolled up, hands disinfected, goodbyes.
What happens during a house call
- History: 5 – 10 minutes — current complaints, comorbidities, medication, allergies.
- Physical examination: 10 – 15 minutes — focused or broad depending on picture.
- On-site diagnostics: 5 – 10 minutes — rapid tests, pulse oximetry, blood glucose, urine dipstick.
- Therapy decision and prescription: 3 – 5 minutes — including counselling on effects and side effects.
- Safety-net counselling: 5 – 10 minutes — red flags, course, follow-up.
- Several patients per household: duration adds up accordingly.
- Complex cases (senior, non-German history, polypharmacy): more time, GOÄ-factor-relevant.
Emergency? Dial the emergency number
If unconscious, with severe chest pain, breathlessness or heavy bleeding, dial 112 immediately. Our service complements the emergency services — it does not replace them.
Frequently asked questions
Can it be faster?
Yes, with an unambiguous picture and no complications — sometimes 20 to 25 minutes. We do not shorten further because quality would suffer.
Can I see several family members at once?
Yes, often sensible — e.g. a gastroenteritis going through the household. A separate GOÄ rate applies per patient, but the travel fee is only charged once.
How long does the doctor stay after an injection?
For vaccinations 15 minutes of tolerance observation. For triptan or antiemetic injections we wait for onset — 20 to 30 minutes — and observe tolerance.