Author: Kleiner K, Akers R, Burke B, & Werner E
Source: PEDIATRICS Volume 109, Number 5, May 2002, pages 740-744
In this study, the authors looked at the e-mail capabilities of families and physicians from a pediatric health care system in Virginia.
Parents and physicians were interviewed to determine if they had access to electronic mail (e-mail) and were asked questions about their attitudes towards using e-mail as part of a patient/parent physician relationship.
About 60% of families, and 86% of physicians had access to e-mail. Parents aged 31-40 years, those with higher levels of education, and those with higher incomes were more likely to have e-mail access.
Most parents (about three quarters) expressed interest in using e-mails to contact their child?s physician, but most doctors (80%) did not want to use e-mail to communicate directly with parents.
Parents and physicians who did not want to use e-mail for parent-physician communication said it was because of worries about safety, confidentiality and (for the physicians) an increase in workload.
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