In a 2008 survey, 6.7 percent of more than 4,200 office-based physicians said they "routinely" e-mailed patients about clinical matters, according to a release by the Center for Studying Health System Change.
The center attributed physicians' low use of e-mail to the extra work involved, the lack of reimbursement, concerns about data security, avoiding increased medical liability and doubts about the impact of e-mails on quality of care.
The physicians who were most likely to use e-mails with patients were those in HMOs, academic centers or in practices the have already converted to electronic medical records.
Read the release by the Center for Studying Health System Change on healthcare IT.
Read more coverage on healthcare IT:
- Study: Healthcare Providers in Rural and Ethnic Communities Lagging in EMR Use
- FTC: What Attributes Does an ACO Need to Have?
- Physician-Hospital Alignment: Strategic Insights for Regional and Community Hospitals
The center attributed physicians' low use of e-mail to the extra work involved, the lack of reimbursement, concerns about data security, avoiding increased medical liability and doubts about the impact of e-mails on quality of care.
The physicians who were most likely to use e-mails with patients were those in HMOs, academic centers or in practices the have already converted to electronic medical records.
Read the release by the Center for Studying Health System Change on healthcare IT.
Read more coverage on healthcare IT:
- Study: Healthcare Providers in Rural and Ethnic Communities Lagging in EMR Use
- FTC: What Attributes Does an ACO Need to Have?
- Physician-Hospital Alignment: Strategic Insights for Regional and Community Hospitals