Comments on: Life Without Email? Wassup, Doc?

By: Kris Gainsforth

Kris Gainsforth — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:21:39 +0000

I wouldn’t want to use regular e-mail to transfer data. It’s unencrypted and easy to read, just like mailing your numbers on a postcard.

If there was a secure web-based log, with mobile options, I’d be all for it, but raw e-mail is too unsecure for most medical purposes.

By: Julie

Julie — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:45:29 +0000

I’ve been seeing my endo for 10 years and don’t ever even get phone calls with her, much less emails. I would LOVE to have my test results emailed or electronically accessible but instead I have to wait a week for her to leave a message on some kind of phone message system and then I call it with a code to get the results. It seems like the entire system is set up to keep patients from bugging their Dr. with questions….but don’t we actually need to communicate with them? It might make it easier for them to leave messages for “numbers” instead of patients and to only talk to the nurse about patient issues…but it’s a lot harder for us and there have been several instances of miscommunication due to the passing of information through several people. This issue has bothered me for a long time and I can’t wait to move, so that I can try out a new endo.

By: Kendra

Kendra — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:15:35 +0000

I didn’t realize how lucky I was! I can email my blood sugar logs to the PA at my endo’s office, and I will receive a phone call reply that same day with adjustments. They prefer sending documents like logs over email vs fax; fax is too slow and wastes paper.

By: Faith

Faith — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:37:45 +0000

My endo has email set up through a system the hospital has set up. I just wish all my drs would decide to use it. Any concern, big or small I can email her about and get a response within a few hours. It goes through the hospitals website and I have to have a special sign in and log in picture and pw just for the email stuff.
I can also see when my appts coming up are there and results of any recent labs.

By: MaryM

MaryM — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:41:27 +0000

I think that’s reasonable to charge a co-pay for email. The DR. that answers it has to look you up in his/her records so they can remember who you are.

If you talk with your lawyer he/she will send you a bill.

The plus of paying for a service is then the service is available. If you are just sponging off the office then they’ll be less reliable in answering you.

If you wouldn’t pay $10 to have a question answered is it really worth asking?

By: Jo

Jo — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:58:04 +0000

Every email communication between patient and doctor would have to be electronically filed to that patients’ records. The need of a person to sit all day long and forward, save, etc to email may not be cost effective to a small doctors’ office.

In my industry, we have to save every email that we get from the client, and to etc. One day a week I do nothing but file these emails to the clients record. And I mean one whole 8 hour day.

By: Carol

Carol — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:29:40 +0000

My PCP communicates with me by email but I know he is selective about the patients he does this with. I know he won’t do email with people who want to use it instead of coming in for a visit, or who would inundate him with it.

He sends me test results via email and it’s not unusual for us to trade a few follow up chatty emails. He has a wicked sense of humor and isn’t above making me laugh.

Just last week I got an email from him that was sent very early in the morning saying he wanted to call and check up on me but that he was going to wait because “I know how much you loooooooove being called at 7am!”.

And, he is much more likely to just pick up the phone to check in if he hasn’t heard from me for a few months.

What I love is that I’m so fortunate to have such a great relationship with my wonderful doctor.

By: laurie edwards

laurie edwards — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:02:34 +0000

I have a fantastic doctor who is even more fantastic in communicating with me over e-mail. Our correspondence does not replace the need for sputum tests and cultures, pulmonary function tests, etc, but is great for quick questions about changing dosages, monitoring symptoms, and the like. For someone with chronic problems like mine, it makes sense.

Plus, when I get released from the hospital, he often shoots me an e-mail just to see how I am doing. Does he have to do that? No, of course not. But he has no idea how much I appreciate it. Reminds me that he thinks of me as a person, not just one of his many, many patients.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:50:19 +0000

HIPAA is a huge consideration. There are strict regulations about what goes out over telephone lines and protection of patient confidentiality. At my clinic we have a secure fax with a dedicated line, and very strict rules about collecting information over the phone. There are a TON of liability and privacy issues surrounding email and telephone communications with patients.

I will be a doctor in a few years. I’m obviously nowhere near physician-hood yet, but as of now, I disagree with communicating with patients over email. I’m already quite leery of telephone consults. Medicine is not something that can be done at a distance, at least my in experience. (Emailing lab slips and results is different, though; I don’t see why a nurse can’t do that on behalf of a doctor, to make our lives easier.)

By: Nick

Nick — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:42:12 +0000

My practitioner prefers not to do email (and suggests fax) because of something to do with HIPPA. Apparently email does not meet HIPPA standards or something.