PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 744, p15 - 16 Jan 2016 Email messages reduce other healthcare usage Secure email messages between patients and their healthcare providers reduce other healthcare usage and may improve health, according to the findings of a US study published in the American Journal of Managed Care. Investigators conducted a cross-sectional survey on patient-reported preferences and outcomes in 1041 adults with chronic asthma, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus or hypertension who were in an integrated healthcare delivery system (Kaiser Permanente Northern California) which had a portal for patients to send email messages to providers at no cost. Just over half of the patients (56%) responded that they had emailed their providers within the previous year, and 46% of patients reported that email was their first method of contact with providers. Patients with higher out-of-pocket costs (≥$60) for office visits were significantly more likely to use email as the first method of contact than patients with lower costs per visit (p<0.05). Overall, 42% of patients who emailed providers responded that emailing reduced telephone contact with providers, 36% responded that emailing reduced office visits and 32% responded that emailing providers improved their health. "As more patients gain access to patient portal tools associated with an electronic health record, patientprovider e-mails may shift the way that healthcare is delivered and have the potential to impact efficiency, quality, and health outcomes," said the investigators. Reed M, et al. Patient-Initiated-E-mails-to-Providers-Associations-With-Out-ofPocket-Visit-Costs-and-Impact-on-Care-Seeking-and-Health. American Journal of Managed Care 21: e632-e639, No. 12, 21 Dec 2015. Available from: URL: http:// www.ajmc.com/journals/issue/2015/2015-vol21-n12/Patient-Initiated-E-mails-toProviders-Associations-With-Out-of-Pocket-Visit-Costs-and-Impact-on-Care803165147 Seeking-and-Health
1173-5503/16/0744-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2016 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved
PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 16 Jan 2016 No. 744
1
