Secure e-mailing between physicians and patients: transformational change in ambulatory care

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Primary Care Medicine
• Digital Health Communication

Background:

• Secure electronic messaging is widely used between physicians and patients in primary care settings.
• Physicians receive an average of five patient e-mails daily, indicating significant adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of secure patient-physician e-mailing on primary care provider workloads.
• To examine the association between secure e-mail use and healthcare quality and utilization.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of secure e-mail communication data in a primary care setting.
• Review of existing literature on patient portal and secure e-mail use and healthcare service utilization.

Main Results:

• Secure e-mailing has not substantially increased primary care provider workloads.
• Associated with increased member retention and improved quality of care.
• Studies show varied impacts on office visits, telephone encounters, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations.

Conclusions:

• Secure patient-physician e-mail is a valuable tool that enhances care quality and patient retention without significantly burdening providers.
• Further research is needed to understand the nuanced relationship between secure messaging and healthcare utilization patterns.