Doc-by-mail?

March 26, 2013 -- Should we communicate with our doctors by email?

Today iHealthBeat released the results of a recent Wall Street Journal survey of physicians. Results were mixed. Some said it saves time and is easier than calling on the phone. Others complained that it is inconvenient, a data security risk, and that, unlike in-person patient encounters, they are not paid for time they spend emailing.

My opinion? I think it's great. I am a Kaiser patient and Kaiser's web portal offers a mechanism for secure, online communication. I would prefer email because then I could keep copies of what's said, but it's better than nothing.

A related question: are those "patient portals" a good thing? Yes, in a limited way. It's useful to be able to look up those portions of my medical record that my provider deigns to share, and to schedule appointments without enduring phone tree misery.

But they have many flaws. They do not share data with other providers e.g. from one hospital chain to another, or to my local pharmacy. They offer me no opportunity to add data of my own such as immunizations, lab results or procedures from outside their "network". In general, their objectives are less the patient's and more the vendor's.

This could be resolved by regulatory legislation. It would require all healthcare vendors to share data. (To its credit, Obamacare does include some baby steps in that direction.) It would put the patient in control of access to that data. It would require storage and management by a neutral third party. And more...

This wish list goes way beyond mere email... I can dream, can't I?

Table of Contents