Patients overwhelmingly favor ability to email their doctor

When it comes to choosing a physician, email communication is a strong selling point for consumers, according to a recent survey by Catalyst Healthcare Research.

Of the 433 individuals queried, 9 out of 10 adults said they would likely choose a doctor that offers email communication. Of that 93 percent, 1 in 4 said they would still choose that physician even if there was a $25 fee per episode.

“It’s not surprising that consumers want digital access to things like test results and making a doctor’s appointment. The Internet is quick and convenient and it’s in the best interest of health systems, hospitals and physician practices to embrace online options for their patients’ healthcare needs,” said Dan Prince, founder and president of CHR.

In other findings, the “baby boomer” population reported high activity in using online resources for their healthcare and non-healthcare needs, with 84 percent of such respondents using the internet to get information about a medical condition or drug.

“Baby Boomers are and will continue to be a huge consumer of healthcare in the United States, so they are an important group of people to listen to when it comes to figuring out how providers and health systems can better serve patients,” Prince said.