E-mail in patient-provider communication: a systematic review.
OBJECTIVE
To review systematically the role of e-mails in patient-provider communication in terms of e-mail content, and perspectives of providers and patients on e-mail communication in health care.


METHODS
A systematic review of studies on e-mail communication between patients and health providers in regular health care published from 2000 to 2008.


RESULTS
A total of 24 studies were included in the review. Among these studies, 21 studies examined e-mail communication between patients and providers, and three studies examined the e-mail communication between parents of patients in pediatric primary care and pediatricians. In the content analyses of e-mail messages, topics well represented were medical information exchange, medical condition or update, medication information, and subspecialty evaluation. A number of personal and institutional features were associated with the likelihood of e-mail use between patients and providers. While benefits of e-mails in enhancing communication were recognized by both patients and providers, concerns about confidentiality and security were also expressed.


CONCLUSIONS
The e-mail is transforming the relationship between patients and providers. The rigorous exploration of pros and cons of electronic interaction in health care settings will help make e-mail communication a more powerful, mutually beneficial health care provision tool.


CONCLUSIONS
It is important to develop an electronic communication system for the clinical practice that can address a range of concerns. More efforts need to be made to educate patients and providers to appropriately and effectively use e-mail for communication.
Ye
Jiali
J
National Center for Primary Care, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA. jye@msm.edu
Rust
George
G
Fry-Johnson
Yvonne
Y
Strothers
Harry
H
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003142:Communication; D034742:Electronic Mail; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations