Abstract
To assess physicians’ use of and attitudes toward electronic mail (e-mail) for patient communication, we conducted a mailin survey of physicians who see patients in outpatient clinics affiliated with a large academic medical center (N=283). Seventy-two percent of physicians reported using e-mail to communicate with patients, averaging 7.7 e-mails from patients per month. The lowest level of use was by community-based primary care physicians (odds ratio, 0.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.08 to 0.59). Those physicians who reported using e-mail with patients reported high satisfaction with its use. Although physicians were concerned about the confidentiality of e-mail, few discussed this issue with patients.
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Received from the Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.
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Gaster, B., Knight, C.L., DeWitt, D.E. et al. Physicians’ use of and attitudes toward electronic mail for patient communication. J GEN INTERN MED 18, 385–389 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2003.20627.x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2003.20627.x