Despite indications that e-mail access to physicians increases patient satisfaction, only 6.7% of office-based physicians routinely use e-mail to communicate with their patients,
according to a report from the Center for Studying Health System Change. The report is based on a 2008 survey of 4,258 physicians (anesthesiologists, pathologists, radiologists, and residents and fellows were excluded).
Only 34.5% of survey respondents said their office was equipped to handle electronic communication about clinical issues with patients, and among them, only 19.5% reported e-mailing with patients routinely.
Barriers to using e-mail included
lack of reimbursement and concerns about increased workload, maintaining data privacy and security, and avoiding increased medical liability. A representative from America's Health Insurance Plans was not available for comment.)
Avoiding e-mail did not necessarily correspond with an avoidance of information technology. The survey also found that 76.6% of physicians had electronic access to lab, radiology or other diagnostic tests, with 61.8% using that application routinely; 56.8% had electronic access to patient notes, medication lists or "problem lists"; and 42.2% had access to electronic prescribing tools.
