title: Electronic communication improves access, but barriers to its widespread adoption remain.
abstract: Because electronic communication is quick, convenient, and inexpensive for most patients, care that is truly patient centered should promote the use of such communication between patients and providers, even using it as a substitute for office visits when clinically appropriate. Despite the potential benefits of electronic communication, fewer than 7 percent of providers used it in 2008. To learn from the experiences of providers that have widely incorporated electronic communication into patient care, we interviewed leaders of twenty-one medical groups that use it extensively with patients. We also interviewed staff in six of those groups. Electronic communication was widely perceived to be a safe, effective, and efficient means of communication that improves patient satisfaction and saves patients time but that increases the volume of physician work unless office visits are reduced. Practice redesign and new payment methods are likely necessary for electronic communication to be more widely used in patient care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, NY, USA. tlFernan@med.cornell.edu
authors.forename: Tara F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Press
authors.forename: Jayme L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Mendelsohn
authors.forename: Lawrence P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Casalino
mesh_terms: D003144:Communication Barriers; D003197:Computer Literacy; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D034742:Electronic Mail / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006123:Group Practice / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060145:Text Messaging / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States; D014600:Utilization Review
keywords: Cost Of Health Care; Organization And Delivery Of Care; Primary Care; Quality Of Care
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