FAC T SHEET FOR PROVIDERS

A Health Campaign of Uniformed Services University, www.usuhs.edu, and theCenter for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Bethesda, Maryland, www.CSTSonline.org

The Doctor-Patient Relationship:

Opportunities and Risks of New Communication Technologies
The doctor-patient relationship isextend, healthcare communications
A number of tools and applications are
the most important component ofthat once ceased at the end of an officeongoing care. It is the basis of medical
encounter. Now, with ever-expanding
poised to change the way physicians
practice, sustaining care, providing
ways to share, military and civilian
and patients interact, and in that way
comfort, relief of pain, and the basis ofpopulations alike are expanding
the patient’s trust in their care. While
access and have the potential for
potentially change the nature andpatients have always talked with their
ongoing communication, support,quality of the doctor-patient relationship.
physician and health care providers
and information sharing beyond thein person, they now can “talk” via
traditional medical settings.
telephone, email, Twitter, texting, and teleconferencing.
Service members and their families face the challenge
Wide arrays of communication technologies haveof maintaining continuity of medical care in the context
evolved to now become integral components of modernof frequent relocation, post-deployment health issues, andhealthcare delivery. A number of tools and applications are
the evolving changes with systems of care. As a component
poised to change the way physicians and patients interact,of our new mobile health, E-communication tools canand in that way potentially change the nature and quality
bridge gaps and facilitate our navigation of complex and,of the doctor-patient relationship. The internet, socialoftentimes, changing systems.
networking, and smart phones can complement, and even
Dedicated Medical Websites
Many medical practices have their own websites thatoffer information and services to enhance communicationand care. These websites are particularly well suited toaddress the needs of proactive patients who often prefer
online communication opportunities. Features often
include:■ Professional practitioner bios, medical services, andspecialties■ Office hours, location, and directions■ Patient portals to facilitate downloading/filling out offorms: registration, insurance, parental consent, privacy
policy, and authorization to release one’s medicalinformation■ FAQs for general information such as: seeking medical

attention when the office is closed, new patient
information, cancellation policies, and Medicare andinsurance related information■ Resources: doctor-recommended resources to learn

more about medical conditions and organizations,
local, state, and national

Doctor-Patient Communication Options/Preferences
Reports indicate that patients and medical professionals
alike want to improve medical communications, however,both parties must decide on the best tools to use. A patient’s
willingness to expand communication with their healthcare professional can be potentially advantageous for all,creating an atmosphere that improves health outcomes.
Options for health care practitioners to expand
communications include:■ Email — Specific guidelines for patients andpractitioners are recommended when using email. Thismethod requires both compliance with the healthcare
provider’s parameters, as well as agreement between
doctor and patient regarding its use. Emails should
not be used in emergency situations, only for generalquestions.

■ Patient Portals that use Personal Health Record

Systems — Allows patients to more actively participate
in their health care, which may be a significant factor
in improving health outcomes. Provides a secureenvironment to engage health records and information.
Continued

■ Guidelines surrounding use of patient portals vary andare posted on the health provider’s website.

■ Videoconferencing — Interactive programs that support

visual as well as voice interaction such as Skype,
telemedicine initiatives, and video chats are especiallyhelpful for patients who are homebound or living inrural or remote locations. Attention must be paid tostate licensing regulations unless the interaction takes
place in a DoD or VA facility.

■ Social media — Web and mobile-based technologies

including Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and LinkedIn
enable individuals to connect with larger communities
for information exchange and support. In serving
healthcare needs, social media raises many questions
explored in the next section.

Risks and Challenges
A variety of new technologies are available forestablishing and maintaining doctor-patient relationships.
Use of such communication methods requires thoughtfulconsideration of the benefits and potential risks fordelivering care. Areas of concern include:■ Maintaining “new” professional boundaries■ Patient privacy and HIPAA implications■ User-generated content (social media sites) increases

risk of inaccurate/problematic information■ Legal issues include medical information privacy, lackof standards for online care, and medical licensing
when using telemedicine technologies that cross statelines.

Summary
New e-communication tools designed to enhance
doctor-patient communications offer many benefits fortoday’s tech savvy and mobile population. Many of thesetools can reduce administrative costs and increase timespent on patient care. In addition to being knowledgeable
about risks, medical professionals must stay abreast ofvarious medical professional society guidelines and work
to ensure these tools continue to enhance, and not hinder,
essential medical communications.

Medical Professionals and Social Media Guidelines
Medical professionals who decide to use Social
Media should review employer and professionalsociety guidelines; but be aware that base focus ison how to avoid problems…not necessarily how
to employ media and advance the healthcare ofyour patients. There are solid reasons, however,why physicians should consider engaging in social
media and these include expanding partners
and collaborators, propagating accurate medical
information, and broadening professional horizons.
Physicians who want to share peer-reviewed medical
information, appropriate to their specific patient
population, can easily “retweet” from a broad arrayof governmental and professional sources, and, in
this way, serve as a trusted resource to patients, bybringing expertise to bear on healthcare issues, andby pointing people toward accurate and reliable
resources.

Reliable Resources include:
https://twitter.com/CDCgov
https://twitter.com/aafp
https://twitter.com/JAMA_current
https://twitter.com/NEJM
https://twitter.com/NIHClinicalCntr
Federation of State Medical Boards: Model Policy
Guidelines for the Appropriate Use of Social Mediaand Social Networking in Medical Practice
http://www.fsmb.org/siteassets/advocacy/policies/
social-media-and-electronic-communications.pdf
AMA Policy: Professionalism in the Use of Social Media
https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/ethics/
professionalism-use-social-media

Courage to Care is a health promotion campaign of Uniformed Services University and its Centerfor the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS). CSTS is the academic arm and a partnering Center of the
Defense Centers of Excellence (DCoE) for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.

Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Department of Psychiatry
Uniformed Services University
4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799
www.CSTSonline.org