June 2002 -- Electronic mail has been promoted as a way to improve physician-patient communication. While some physicians are starting to respond to patients via email, research shows that this means of communications between doctor and patient has a long way to go before it becomes mainstream, or generally proves to be a timesaver for physicians.

One large study found that e-mail did not offset the volume of patient phone calls and office visits.

The study also found that patients will use e-mail appropriately if physicians establish clear guidelines with patients regarding when to email the doctor, what sorts of topics can be covered, and when a response will be provided

To read more about this, see the AMNews article.