A question and answer E-mail system for responding to query from the general public with which the system manager can...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Medical Communication Systems
• Public Health

Background:

• Effective communication between the public and hospitals is crucial for patient engagement and information dissemination.
• Current systems for handling public email inquiries can be inefficient, leading to delays and misdirected messages.
• Monitoring email replies is essential for quality control and accountability in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel question and answer system for direct email query delivery to appropriate hospital representatives.
• To implement a system for administrators to effectively monitor email replies.
• To assess the efficiency and response times of the developed email management system.

Main Methods:

• Construction of a two-part system: an email questionnaire sub-system for automatic query routing and an email reply monitor sub-system.
• The monitor sub-system verifies email replies by comparing origin and destination addresses against submitted questionnaires.
• System testing involved tracking the number of queries received, replies sent, and the time interval for responses.

Main Results:

• In a 31-day test period, the system received 56 queries, with 37 successfully replied to.
• The system demonstrated improved response times, with 19 replies submitted within the first two days of query receipt.
• The email questionnaire and reply monitor sub-systems facilitated efficient query management and response tracking.

Conclusions:

• The developed question and answer system effectively routes public email queries to the correct hospital personnel.
• The system enhances administrative oversight of email responses, ensuring accountability and timely communication.
• This technological solution offers a scalable and efficient method for managing public health inquiries via email.