title: Pioneering organizations expect financial and clinical benefits from 'online encounters'.
abstract: Take advantage of e-communications to boost care of the chronically ill. Experts have long anticipated the day when patients would be communicating directly with their physicians via the web. And now a few pioneering organizations have made that prediction a reality. The obstacles to embarking on such a course are numerous, with concerns over such issues as security and reimbursement looming large. However, the potential benefits--particularly for chronically ill patients--are just too compelling to ignore.
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D016494:Computer Security; D003219:Confidentiality; D019468:Disease Management; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement; D020407:Internet; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D014481:United States