Use of email for patient communication in student health care: a cross-sectional study
| Autor: | Marja Niemi, Johanna Castrén, Irma Virjo |
|---|---|
| Přispěvatelé: | University of Tampere |
| Rok vydání: | 2004 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male medicine.medical_specialty Cross-sectional study Office Visits Student Health Services Office visits education Health Informatics Documentation lcsh:Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics Health informatics behavioral disciplines and activities Electronic mail Medical Records InformationSystems_GENERAL health services administration Physicians Surveys and Questionnaires Health care medicine Terveystiede - Health care science Humans health care economics and organizations Finland Aged Physician-Patient Relations Electronic Mail business.industry Health Policy Medical record Middle Aged humanities Computer Science Applications Telephone Cross-Sectional Studies Family medicine Health Care Surveys lcsh:R858-859.7 Patient communication Female business Research Article |
| Zdroj: | BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, Vol 5, Iss 1, p 2 (2005) |
| ISSN: | 1472-6947 |
| Popis: | Background Citizens increasingly use email in personal communication. It is not however clear to what extent physicians utilize it for patient communication. Our study was designed to examine physicians' activity in using email and to estimate the proportion of email messages missing from documentation in electronic patient records (EPR). Methods All physicians (n = 76; 48 general practitioners and 28 specialists) at the Finnish Student Health Service received a questionnaire by email, and were asked to print it and keep a daily tally of visits, phone calls and email messages over the study period of one working week (5.5. – 9.5.2003). The response rate was 70%. The data originating from the questionnaire were compared with statistical data from the EPR during the study period. Results The majority (79%, 41/52) of doctors reported using email with patients, averaging 8.6 (range: 0–96) email contacts and a percentage rate of "email / visit" 20% (range: 0–185%) in one working week. Doctors in the capital city region and those doctors who had a positive attitude toward email for patient communication were most active in email use. Up to 73% of email contacts were not documented in the EPR. Conclusion The activity in using email with patients verified among Finnish physicians is compatible with recent study results elsewhere. The notable proportion of un-recorded email messages establishes the need for an electric communication system built into the EPR to improve the quality of patient care and to limit medico-legal risks. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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