Physicians’ Use of Email With Patients

Journal of Medical Internet Research - Physicians’ Use of Email With Patients: Factors Influencing Electronic Communication and Adherence to Best Practices

This paper by Robert G Brooks & Nir Menachemi in the Journal of Medical Internet Research reports a US study which aimed to examine the factors associated with physician-patient email, and report on the physicians’ adherence to recognized guidelines for email communication.

They concluded that "physicians, practicing in ambulatory settings, show only modest advances in the adoption of email communication, and little adherence to recognized guidelines for email correspondence. Further efforts are required to educate both patients and physicians on the advantages and limitations of email communication, and to remove fiscal and legal barriers to its adoption."

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