By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Can Thinking Younger Make You Live Longer?
    April 20, 2011
    Image
    Obesity’s Outlook Unchanged
    June 13, 2011
    When It’s An Emergency Elderly Not Treated As Well in Hospitals
    July 16, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Is E-mailing with Patients a Good Idea?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Remote Diagnostics > Is E-mailing with Patients a Good Idea?
eHealthRemote Diagnostics

Is E-mailing with Patients a Good Idea?

Michael Kirsch
Last updated: November 23, 2015 4:20 pm
Michael Kirsch
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

Physicians speak with patients every day on the phone for a variety of reasons. Our practice now uses a portal system, giving patients access to some of their medical data and to us.  Although I was resistant to having e-mail communications with patients, I have come to appreciate the advantages.

Physicians speak with patients every day on the phone for a variety of reasons. Our practice now uses a portal system, giving patients access to some of their medical data and to us.  Although I was resistant to having e-mail communications with patients, I have come to appreciate the advantages.

  • It relieves our ever congested phone lines
  • It relieves patients from a state of suspended animation as they hope and pray that a living breathing human being will return to the line after being placed on hold
  • It saves our staff time, who no longer have to triage calls as the patient directly reaches the doctor

While this streamlined cyber communication system is useful, it does have limitations.  It can’t solve every problem.  Indeed, some issues are not appropriate for either a phone call or an e-mail.

Calling his doctor?

Consider the following scenarios.  Which can be appropriately handled on the phone and which merit a face to face encounter with a physician?

More Read

How Predictive Analytics And Big Data In Healthcare Can Improve Care
Hospital Sued After Patient Sees Photos of Herself on Social Media
The Future of Healthcare: Part II, The Waiting Room of Tomorrow
Using Technology to Promote Health Literacy
Judgment, Fact and Anxiety
  • I was in the emergency room yesterday and they told me to call you for pain medicine.
  • My diverticulitis is acting up and I need an antibiotic.
  • My breathing is worse.  I think it’s a side-effect of the new heart medicine I started last week.
  • What can I take for constipation?
  • My cousin had the same symptoms and it ended up being her gallbladder. Can you give me the name of a surgeon?
  • I’m dizzy and my hemorrhoids have been bleeding for a week. What can I take?
  • I have hepatitis C.  Is is okay if my grandchildren visit?
  • I had some chest pain yesterday when I was shoveling snow.  Should I double my Nexium?

The practice of  medicine is not fully wireless, at least not yet.  Sure, e-mail is convenient for everyone, but if used too casually it can become quicksand. Often, the patient feels an e-mail is sufficient, but the physician may not be comfortable, depending upon the medical facts and how well the doctor knows this patient.  When you are face to face with your doctor, the medical history will be more detailed, there may be a physical examination, and there will be a dialogue and review of treatment options.  It’s a lot easier for us to assess your pain, for example, when you are in front of us.  Moreover, when you return to see us for a follow-up visit, we have a baseline to use as a comparison.

What are your thoughts on all this?   Feel free to e-mail me, but I’d prefer if you came to see me
face to face.

TAGGED:doctor-patient communicatione-mail
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

HIMSS Analytics 3rd Annual Mobile Survey

June 24, 2014

Emcompassing Theory of Online Patient Diagnosticians Somewhat Overblown

January 16, 2013

A Virtual Nurse for Hospital Discharge

November 2, 2011
HIE
BusinesseHealthHealth ReformHospital AdministrationMedical RecordsPolicy & LawPublic HealthTechnology

Collaboration and Federation: IHE Creating Direct Project Provider Directory

June 7, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?