JAMA & ARCHIVES
Arch Fam Med
SEARCH
GO TO ADVANCED SEARCH
HOME  PAST ISSUES  TOPIC COLLECTIONS  CME  PHYSICIAN JOBS  CONTACT US  HELP
Institution: CLOCKSS  | My Account | E-mail Alerts | Access Rights | Sign In
  Vol. 3 No. 3, March 1994 TABLE OF CONTENTS
  Archives
 • Online Features
  Original Contributions
 This Article
 •References
 •Full text PDF
 •Send to a friend
 • Save in My Folder
 •Save to citation manager
 •Permissions
 Citing Articles
 •Citation map
 •Citing articles on HighWire
 •Citing articles on Web of Science (4)
 •Contact me when this article is cited
 Related Content
 •Similar articles in this journal

The Utility of Electronic Mail as a Medium for Patient-Physician Communication

Richard A. Neill, MD; Arch G. Mainous III, PhD; Jonathan R. Clark; Michael D. Hagen, MD

Arch Fam Med. 1994;3(3):268-271.


Abstract



Objective
To examine patients' knowledge, use, and attitudes regarding electronic mail communication with their family physicians.

Design
Mail survey.

Setting
A university-based family practice center.

Participants
Adult patients (18 years and older) of full-time faculty physicians at a university-based family practice center who had seen their physicians at least once in the 10-month period between July 1, 1992, and April 30, 1993 (N=4094). Subjects were eligible for participation if both they and their physicians had an electronic mail address at the University of Kentucky, Lexington (n=117).

Intervention
None.

Main Outcome Measures
Patient-reported knowledge, use, and attitudes regarding the utility of electronic mail as a means of patient-physician communication.

Results
The response rate to the survey was 74% (n=87). Patient-physician communication via electronic mail was positively perceived by patients for whom electronic mail was accessible Patient-physician communication via electronic mail was perceived to increase speed, convenience, and access to medical care. Electronic mail communication was perceived to be good for simple and nonurgent problems, such as refilling prescriptions, communicating laboratory results, and making appointments. Ninety percent of the patients who had corresponded with their physicians via electronic mail used the medium to discuss a medical problem.

Conclusions
Although electronic mail is not presently in wide use for patient-physician communication, there is great potential for its widespread acceptance.



Author Affiliations



From the Department of Family Practice, University of Kentucky, Lexington. Mr Clark is a medical student at the University of Kentucky.



THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Assessment of email communication skills of rheumatology fellows: a pilot study
Mittal et al.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2010;17:702-706.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Impact of electronic messaging on the patient-physician interaction
Wallwiener et al.
J Telemed Telecare 2009;15:243-250.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Enhancing Doctor-Patient Communication Using Email: A Pilot Study
Leong et al.
J Am Board Fam Med 2005;18:180-188.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

A 67-Year-Old Man Who e-Mails His Physician
Slack
JAMA 2004;292:2255-2261.
FULL TEXT  

Patient Experiences and Attitudes about Access to a Patient Electronic Health Care Record and Linked Web Messaging
Hassol et al.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2004;11:505-513.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Email consultations in health care: 2--acceptability and safe application
Car and Sheikh
BMJ 2004;329:439-442.
FULL TEXT  

A Content Analysis of E-mail Communication between Patients and Their Providers: Patients Get the Message
White et al.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2004;11:260-267.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Web Messaging: A New Tool for Patient-Physician Communication
Liederman and Morefield
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2003;10:260-270.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Parent and Physician Attitudes Regarding Electronic Communication in Pediatric Practices
Kleiner et al.
Pediatrics 2002;109:740-744.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Facts About E-mail
Bergren and Bergren
The Journal of School Nursing 2001;17:274-277.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Empowering Children and Families With Information Technology
D'Alessandro and Dosa
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2001;155:1131-1136.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

System issues for successful telemedicine implementation
Fitch et al.
Health Informatics Journal 2000;6:166-173.
ABSTRACT  

Legal Issues Concerning Electronic Health Information: Privacy, Quality, and Liability
Hodge et al.
JAMA 1999;282:1466-1471.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Promoting partnerships: challenges for the internet age
Jadad
BMJ 1999;319:761-764.
FULL TEXT  

Technical and Clinical Progress in Telemedicine
Strode et al.
JAMA 1999;281:1066-1068.
FULL TEXT  

Patients Looking for Information on the Internet and Seeking Teleadvice: Motivation, Expectations, and Misconceptions as Expressed in E-mails Sent to Physicians
Eysenbach and Diepgen
Arch Dermatol 1999;135:151-156.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Origin, Content, and Workload of E-mail Consultations
Borowitz and Wyatt
JAMA 1998;280:1321-1324.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Responses to Unsolicited Patient E-mail Requests for Medical Advice on the World Wide Web
Eysenbach and Diepgen
JAMA 1998;280:1333-1335.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Electronic House Call
Mainous III et al.
Arch Fam Med 1998;7:210-210.
FULL TEXT  

Guide to the Internet: Electronic mail
Pallen
BMJ 1995;311:1487-1490.
FULL TEXT  




HOME | CURRENT ISSUE | PAST ISSUES | TOPIC COLLECTIONS | CME | PHYSICIAN JOBS | HELP
CONDITIONS OF USE | PRIVACY POLICY | CONTACT US | SITE MAP
 
© 1994 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

DCSIMG