The
latest on whether e-mail improves communications with
patients and reduces office workload
Preamble
70 percent of patients
with a chronic condition who use the Internet would like
to email their physicians office, but only 2 percent are
doing it according to a recent Jupiter Research Survey.
A just released e-mail
study funded by Intel Corp. and performed at the
University of Michigan Health System in which 50
providers patients were taught and encouraged to use
email and 50 providers patients were not (control group)
shed light on what patients will and will not do via
email.
Finding #1
The study showed that
patients will deliver messages that are appropriate for
the practice and provider to receive if given guidance
on the appropriate use of email for a physicians
practice (27% for updates on a patients condition [drug
side effects or notice of an ER visit], 9% for questions
about their health, 18% about prescriptions, 10% were
referral requests and 5% were laboratory result
requests).
Comment: Patients
don't spend the time composing an email without
sincerely wanting an answer to some question or
concern. Since the time to compose gives a patient
a chance to clearly define a situation, the practice may
save staff time taking a message and triaging the
communications purpose.
Finding #2
When patients realize
that the provider does accept emails, patients may
utilize this vehicle for interaction with the practice
especially at routinely busy times or when it is not
open.
Comment: E-mail
has the ability to replace or reduce answering service
messages and support nurse triage of questions for
providers to answer.
Finding #3
The increase in email
interaction during the study did not reduce the
number of phone calls the group received during work
hours or change the no-show rate significantly.
Response:
It seems that the population that used emails is a
"different" population than does not already
frequently call or visit their doctor. Email-ers
are taking advantage of a new way to reach their
provider in a more time convenient manner but that email
DOES NOT reduce office call volume or no-shows.
Finding #4
Much
of the work done by nurses in taking script refills and
referral requests can be automated, thereby increasing
support staff capacity to coordinate care for increased
numbers of patients.
Comment:
Email integrated into a practice management system can
assist in developing flow and process for routing
correspondence.
Finding #5
These two research
projects focused on what patients desire from the
provider. While having a patient locus is key,
providers should not lose sight of the opportunities
that the provider and support staff may gain in using
email as a communications vehicle.
Comment:
Email can be used to create mailing lists for regular
communications to patients with specific conditions,
announcing new therapies available, exciting events
within the practice or to remind patients about
screening guidelines for a general or at-risk
population. To do this your practice management
system should collect email addresses and keep track of
patients who authorize (don't forget HIPAA) personal
communications.
Final Comment:
Neither work investigated the effect of scheduling
visits or updating demographics via computers.
More importantly could be computers use in the delivery
of follow up visit reminders or online payment of
bills. Cutting edge
practices should be pondering how to respond to patient
demand for these services and the
opportunities/challenges they will bring.
So, how will a practice
respond? Feel free to send us your comments and if there
is anything that STATpay can do for you, please let us
know!
|
Link