E-mail netiquette for the medical practice employee: 50 do's and don'ts

E-mail has at one and the same time become a primary communication tool for many medical practice employees and a source of untold frustration, misunderstandings, and stress. This article provides a total of 50 rules (25 do's and 25 don'ts) for e-mail netiquette to help medical practice employees use e-mail more effectively. It offers suggestions about the optimal format of e-mails, tips for writing concise e-mail texts, and guidance about the most pressing e-mail privacy and confidentiality concerns. Medical practice employees can use the practical tips presented in this article to help them save time and use their medical practices' e-mail system more productively and effectively. This article also offers suggestions for creating and using a medical practice e-mail disclaimer statement. It describes the six legal threats a disclaimer statement can prevent and the typical content for such disclaimers. Finally, this article includes guidance about creating and implementing a medical practice e-mail policy and provides an outline of typical e-mail policy content.