title: Opportunities to enhance patient and physician e-mail contact.
abstract: The purpose of our study was to evaluate how e-mail is currently used between physicians and patients in an integrated delivery system, and to identify developments that might promote increased use of this form of communication. A paper-based survey questionnaire was administered to 94 primary care physicians. We evaluated the role e-mail currently plays in a physician's typical work day, physician views on the impact of e-mail on phone use and the barriers to increasing the use of e-mail with patients. 76% of physicians surveyed responded. All respondents currently use e-mail. Close to 75% of physicians use e-mail with their patients, but the vast majority do so with only 1-5% of those patients. 50% of physicians believe that up to 25% of their patients would send e-mail to them if given the option, with an additional 37% believing that between 25% and 50% of patients would value this option. The main reported barriers to physician-patient e-mail related to workload, security and payment. Our survey findings indicate that with adequate pre-screening, triage, and reimbursement mechanisms physicians would be open to substantially increasing e-mail communication with patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hobbs
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wald
authors.forename: Yamini S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Jagannath
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kittler
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pizziferri
authors.forename: Lynn A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Volk
authors.forename: Blackford
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Middleton
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Bates
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003142:Communication; D034742:Electronic Mail; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D006113:United Kingdom