March 26, 2008
Study of E-mail Access to Physicians
The "2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers" polled more than 3,000 Americans between the ages of 18 and 75. It was directed by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. Nearly 80 percent of healthcare consumers are interested in having e-mail access to a physician and 23 percent would be willing to pay extra for it. Interestingly enough, most physicians do not offer e-mail exchange and appear to be reluctant to do so.
Eight percent of consumers said they wanted access to their medical records and test results online. Twenty-six percent were willing to pay extra for the service. According to Deloitte, patients clearly want and increasingly expect to be able to access their medical records and connect with their healthcare providers online. It is believed that in order to remain competitive, it will be important for healthcare providers to adopt new technologies and offer enhanced services to meet healthcare consumers expectations or they may risk losing future business.
Manhattan Research, which conducted a similar study as DeLoitte, with similar results, said interest of physicians in e-mailing their patients, though slightly on the rise, is not keeping up with patients’ enthusiasm.
One third of the 1,353 physicians surveyed by Manhattan Research indicated that either they or their office staff communicated with patients online using unsecured e-mail as opposed to a secure, HIPAA compliant method of communication and were most likely related to appointments rather than treatment.
Finally, the Deloitte study also revealed consumers are interested in using online tools to shop around to compare prices and the quality of care provided by their healthcare providers. About two in three respondents are interested in visiting physician and hospital Web sites to research both the price and quality of services offered. The survey also found that three out of four consumers want their physicians to provide online access to an integrated medical record as well as the ability to schedule visits.
Deloitte Center for Health Solutions