E-Mail Communication Practices and Preferences Among Patients and Providers in a Large Comprehensive Cancer Center

Abstract

Purpose: Little is known about how electronic mail (e-mail) is currently used in oncology practice to facilitate patient care. The objective of our study was to understand the current e-mail practices and preferences of patients and physicians in a large comprehensive cancer center. Methods: Separate cross-sectional surveys were administered to patients and physicians (staff physicians and clinical fellows) at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with current e-mail use. Record review was performed to assess the impact of e-mail communication on care. Results: The survey was completed by 833 patients. E-mail contact with a member of the health care team was reported by 41% of respondents. The team members contacted included administrative assistants (52%), nurses (45%), specialist physicians (36%), and family physicians (18%). Patient factors associated with a higher likelihood of e-mail contact with the health care team included younger age, higher education, higher income, enrollment in a clinical trial, and receipt of multiple treatments. Eighty percent of physicians (n = 63 of 79) reported previous contact with a patient via e-mail. Physician factors associated with a greater likelihood of e-mail contact with patients included older age, more senior clinical position, and higher patient volume. Nine hundred sixty-two patient records were reviewed, with e-mail correspondence documented in only 9% of cases. Conclusion: E-mail is commonly used for patient care but is poorly documented. The use of e-mail in this setting can be developed with appropriate guidance; however, there may be concerns about widening the gap between certain groups of patients.

“You need to be an advocate for yourself”: Factors associated with decision-making regarding influenza and pneumococcal vaccine use among US older adults from within a large metropolitan health system

“…More research is needed to document effectiveness of such communication strategies between health providers and various patient populations. 19 Throughout the discussions, participants describe the need to be an advocate for oneself, to have an opportunity to ask questions, and to have a mechanism through which they can report complaints about health services. This advocacy is based in part on a belief that an individual knows 'one's own body' better than anyone else, and therefore should have the final decision about use of medications and vaccines.…”

Complexity and Simplicity in Doctor–Patient Email Consultations

“…As email is a fairly recent medium in doctor-patient communication, research in the area is still limited (Cook et al, 2016;Voruganti, Husain, Grunfeld, & Webster, 2018). Empirical studies have investigated what patients and doctors think of e-consultations, often presenting the findings in terms of perceived advantages and disadvantages (e.g.…”

Email Use Reconsidered in Health Professions Education: Viewpoint

“…Today, health professionals use email when collaborating and obtaining consults from other professionals because it conveniently enables the dissemination of information, enhances effective communication, and may facilitate patient care [ 38 ]. A survey of oncology physicians found that all respondents had used email to communicate with colleagues, including 78% (n=650) who had received results via email [ 39 ]. Furthermore, email was found to facilitate communication between inpatient and outpatient settings and was identified as the preferred method of communication among primary care providers [ 40 ].…”

“…Email has been described as environmentally and economically friendly, as well as efficient because it quickly connects the individuals providing and receiving care [ 46 ]. In a previous report, 80% of oncology physicians surveyed had communicated with a patient via email [ 39 ]. The two most common topics of emails identified by primary care physicians were answering patient questions (82% of respondents; n=219) and changing appointments (72% of respondents; n=192) [ 47 ].…”