Study: Parents opt for email communication with their kids pediatrician
Healthcare reform legislation includes promoting EHRs to improve the efficiency and quality of medical care. But little attention has been paid to understanding whether patients and parents have an interest in, or have access to, electronic methods for interacting with their children’s physicians, the University of Michigan Health System reported.
A U.S. survey conducted by Knowledge Networks for the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital poll on children’s health asked 1,612 parents of children age 0-17 about how they communicate with their children’s healthcare providers. About 50 percent of parents surveyed said it would be very helpful to be able to use email or online access to complete administrative and clinical tasks, such as requesting records or prescription refills.
Fifty percent of parents reported they would like to have access to electronic communication features with their children’s doctor’s office. However, less than 15 percent of parents reported they could use email or the internet to schedule appointments, receive immunization or lab records, complete screening forms, request prescription refills or get medical advice.
“Electronic communication between parents and their children’s healthcare providers offers a lot of potential benefits,” said Matthew Davis, MD, director of the poll and associate professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases in the Children’s Health Evaluation and Research Unit at the University of Michigan Medical School.
“For administrative tasks that almost all parents need to complete, electronic communication can reduce wasted time and minimize frustration for both parents and office staff,” Davis said. “For clinical services, parents often have questions about whether minor injuries or illnesses require an office visit; electronic communication provides a way to obtain advice without waiting on hold for long periods of time.”
However, while having access to electronic methods of communicating with physicians may increase efficiency for parents, challenges exist for widespread adoption of online communication by physicians.
“Some healthcare providers have expressed concerns about reimbursement for electronic services that require staff time. Others worry about medical liability associated with offering clinical advice via email or the Internet, without examining the patient,” Davis said.
“However, given the strong endorsement for electronic communication from this national sample of parents, significant efforts should be made to address these challenges. The obvious advantages of EMRs—efficiency, clarity, documentation—are the same reasons why we should work to make e-communications available for our patients and families,” he said.
A U.S. survey conducted by Knowledge Networks for the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital poll on children’s health asked 1,612 parents of children age 0-17 about how they communicate with their children’s healthcare providers. About 50 percent of parents surveyed said it would be very helpful to be able to use email or online access to complete administrative and clinical tasks, such as requesting records or prescription refills.
Fifty percent of parents reported they would like to have access to electronic communication features with their children’s doctor’s office. However, less than 15 percent of parents reported they could use email or the internet to schedule appointments, receive immunization or lab records, complete screening forms, request prescription refills or get medical advice.
“Electronic communication between parents and their children’s healthcare providers offers a lot of potential benefits,” said Matthew Davis, MD, director of the poll and associate professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases in the Children’s Health Evaluation and Research Unit at the University of Michigan Medical School.
“For administrative tasks that almost all parents need to complete, electronic communication can reduce wasted time and minimize frustration for both parents and office staff,” Davis said. “For clinical services, parents often have questions about whether minor injuries or illnesses require an office visit; electronic communication provides a way to obtain advice without waiting on hold for long periods of time.”
However, while having access to electronic methods of communicating with physicians may increase efficiency for parents, challenges exist for widespread adoption of online communication by physicians.
“Some healthcare providers have expressed concerns about reimbursement for electronic services that require staff time. Others worry about medical liability associated with offering clinical advice via email or the Internet, without examining the patient,” Davis said.
“However, given the strong endorsement for electronic communication from this national sample of parents, significant efforts should be made to address these challenges. The obvious advantages of EMRs—efficiency, clarity, documentation—are the same reasons why we should work to make e-communications available for our patients and families,” he said.