"E-patients"



G

Griffin

Guest
Interesting online article:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/478313?rss

For some time, I've made it a point to ask all of my
patients if they use the Internet, if they have e-mail, etc.
My e-mail address is on my business cards, and I include the
patient's e-mail address in their chart if they want me to
use it as a method of contact. In these cases, they sign a
simple "e-mail agreement" that basically says they
understand that it's not to be used for urgent communcation
or diagnosis, and that it's not secure. If patients are Internet-
savvy, I'll sometimes refer them to specific web sites with
information about a condition or health topic that we're
addressing. I keep mailing lists of my online diabetic
patients, for example, and will periodically send out
broadcast messages to the list when I run across something
that I think will interest them. Several people routinely
send me their blood pressure and blood sugar readings, which
are printed and filed in their chart, as are any other clinically-
relevent communications. All of this takes very little of my
time, and the patients seem to really like it. Just curious
if anyone else is doing anything similar.
 
"Griffin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:2004052118285216807%griffin@wellscom...
> Interesting online article:
>
> http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/478313?rss
>
> For some time, I've made it a point to ask all of my
> patients if they use the Internet, if they have e-mail,
> etc. My e-mail address is on my business cards, and I
> include the patient's e-mail address in their chart if
> they want me to use it as a method of contact. In these
> cases, they sign a simple "e-mail agreement" that
> basically says they understand that it's not to be used
> for urgent communcation or diagnosis, and that it's not
> secure. If patients are Internet-savvy, I'll sometimes
> refer them to specific web sites with information about a
> condition or health topic that we're addressing. I keep
> mailing lists of my online diabetic patients, for example,
> and will periodically send out broadcast messages to the
> list when I run across something that I think will
> interest them. Several people routinely send me their
> blood pressure and blood sugar readings, which are printed
> and filed in their chart, as are any other clinically-
> relevent communications. All of this takes very little of
> my time, and the patients seem to really like it. Just
> curious if anyone else is doing anything similar.
>

Yes, I for one encourage it, along similar lines although my
specialty is different, and therefore such communication
patterns are different. I haven't done the email agreement
thing, but over the last few years have had no occasion to
regret that. It's not something that is misused in my
particular practice.

My home phone number is also on my card and it's more often
that patients or their family members call me rather than
email with questions about a particular surgical diagnosis
or procedure that we are dealing with.

HMc
 
On 2004-05-21 19:21:10 -0400, "Howard McCollister" <[email protected]> said:

> Yes, I for one encourage it, along similar lines although
> my specialty is different, and therefore such
> communication patterns are different.

General surgery, right?

> I haven't done the email agreement thing, but over the
> last few years have had no occasion to regret that. It's
> not something that is misused in my particular practice.

In the early days, I didn't do that either. I added it
after HIPAA came into play, mostly because my practice
advisors suggested it. In general, most HIPAA stuff strikes
me as overkill.

> My home phone number is also on my card and it's more
> often that patients or their family members call me rather
> than email with questions about a particular surgical
> diagnosis or procedure that we are dealing with.

You're brave. ;-) I'm listed in the phone book, but rarely
get calls from patients. I don't encourage it, as I'm a big
believer in compartmentalizing one's time for sanity's sake.
I also can't ensure that I'll be able to respond in a timely
fasion, so I prefer that patients contact our on-call
physician after hours (which, every few days, happens to be
me). If I absolutely, positively have to be contacted, the
on-call doc always knows how to find me (my cell phone is
practically fused to my hip).
 
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