Dr. Hochster, an oncologist and associate professor of clinical medicine at New York University School of Medicine, is one of thousands of physicians across the country who have started sending clinical information to patients over the Web. For these doctors, the allure of e-mail is strong. Used sometimes as a replacement for phone calls but often as a supplement, e-mail can prevent telephone tag, limit misunderstandings and be linked to educational resources on the Internet. An e-mail can quickly dispatch test results along with the physician's comments and advice, or can be attached to a patient's records. A written dialogue is helpful, and that's the really nice thing about using e-mail.
Patients seem to love it even more.
The medium isn't appropriate for emergencies. But perhaps the major reason doctors don't use the Web more is that there is no financial incentive to do so. Medicare and Medicaid do not reimburse for e-mail consultations and, therefore, virtually no insurers do, either. Doctors who have gotten over the hurdles, however, understand how invaluable e-mail can be. Many even send him on-line photos of their newborns.