To reap these rewards, health care providers at every stage of involvement in e-commerce should be aware of the possible risks and how to manage them. Users appreciate the convenience of communicating as time allows, the almost-instantaneous delivery of messages, and the flexibility of being able to share documents or print conversations. However, because e-mail combines the informality and spontaneity of speech with the permanence of a document, it can be dangerous for employers. E-mail offers patients an opportunity to communicate quickly and conveniently with their physician or other practitioners without the inconvenience of scheduling appointments or waiting for calls to be returned. E-mail allows patients to print practitioners' responses for easy reference, and gives patients the option of contacting the physician for information rather than relying on potentially unreliable online information sources.
Practitioners also can reap the following benefits from e-mail.
The policies should emphasize the need for accuracy and appropriateness of language used in e-mail, and should address procedures for archiving any orders or patient communications. Frequent training should accompany these policies. Standard time frames for e-mail responses should be created and indicated to patients. Practitioners must be especially alert to the time sensitivity of any electronic communications used to update a patient's status. Policies should emphasize patient privacy and whether a physician may, under some circumstances, share a patient's e-mail with another practitioner.