Isn't it Time that UK Family Doctors Embraced Email Services for their Patients?

The UK government sees the use of email contact and e-consultations as a means of boosting patient access to primary care and is piloting these services in 20 general practices in England. It has mandated email communication for repeat prescriptions and appointment booking in the latest general practice contract and stipulated that patients should be able to communicate electronically with their health and social care team by 2015.

But wider use of email is not compulsory, and primary care doctors have been slow to embrace this form of technology for communicating with their patients.

With good reason, contends Emma Richards, academic GP registrar and honorary clinical research fellow, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College, London. Despite its enthusiasm for the medium, the government has failed to issue guidance for doctors on email communication with patients, she says.

"The idea that patients can email unlimited requests and questions fills many GPs with dread not only in terms of time but also clinical safety," she writes.

The evidence from telephone consultations indicates that they don't replace face to face appointments; rather, they increase them, she says.

And unlike phone calls, where a doctor can pick up aural cues about a patient's health and ask pertinent questions, that sort of exchange isn't possible in an email, she insists.

The inevitable delay in answering an email could also prove disastrous for a suicidal patient or one with chest pain, she suggests.

And she worries that email access will potentially widen health inequalities, as those most in need of healthcare, such as the elderly, may struggle to use this option because of lack of know-how or facilities.

But Elinor Gunning, a locum family doctor in London and a clinical teaching fellow in the Department of Primary Care and Population Health at UCL Medical School, insists that email services can work well, when properly planned and managed.

An email triaging system, a secure server, and patient consent, as well as ensuring that both patients and clinicians understand the limitations of email and which kinds of inquiries are best suited to this medium, are essential, she says.

"Patients must be made aware that emails may not be read immediately. The terms and conditions of email use can be covered comprehensively when consent for email use is taken, and reiterated in each email response," she writes.

Many of the concerns raised about email services can be applied to phone and fax - now regarded as established and trusted components of general practice, she says.

She agrees that not everyone will be able to access or readily use email, but it's up to general practice to provide as many means of access as possible "to improve care for all," she suggests.

"Although more research, investment, and official guidelines are needed, sufficient strategies already exist to support the safe implementation of email services," she writes.

More to the point: email use will soon be inevitable, she says. If doctors don't embrace it now, they may "miss out on a vital opportunity to shape [it], to the detriment of patients and clinicians."

Most Popular Now

AI Model can Read ECGs to Identify Femal…

A new AI model can flag female patients who are at higher risk of heart disease based on an electrocardiogram (ECG). The researchers say the algorithm, designed specifically for female patients...

New AI Tool Mimics Radiologist Gaze to R…

Artificial intelligence (AI) can scan a chest X-ray and diagnose if an abnormality is fluid in the lungs, an enlarged heart or cancer. But being right is not enough, said...

Researchers Find Telemedicine may Help R…

Low-value care - medical tests and procedures that provide little to no benefit to patients - contributes to excess medical spending and both direct and cascading harms to patients. A...

AI Revolutionizes Glaucoma Care

Imagine walking into a supermarket, train station, or shopping mall and having your eyes screened for glaucoma within seconds - no appointment needed. With the AI-based Glaucoma Screening (AI-GS) network...

North Cumbria Integrated Care Signs 10-Y…

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) has signed a long-term agreement for use of the Alcidion Miya Precision platform, to provide an electronic patient record (EPR) for the...

AI Accelerates Discovery of Neurodevelop…

Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) approach that accelerates the identification of genes that contribute to neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy and developmental delay. This new...

AI may Help Clinicians Personalize Treat…

Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a condition characterized by daily excessive worry lasting at least six months, have a high relapse rate even after receiving treatment. Artificial intelligence (AI)...

AI can Open Up Beds in the ICU

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals frequently ran short of beds in intensive care units. But even earlier, ICUs faced challenges in keeping beds available. With an aging...

AI Model Predicting Two-Year Risk of Com…

AFib (short for atrial fibrillation), a common heart rhythm disorder in adults, can have disastrous consequences including life-threatening blood clots and stroke if left undetected or untreated. A new study...

Accelerating NHS Digital Maturity: Paper…

Digitised clinical noting at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is creating efficiencies for busy doctors and nurses. The trust’s CCIO Dr Andrew Adair, deputy CCIO Dr John Greenaway, and...

Can AI Help Detect Cognitive Impairment?

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can be an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease or dementia, so identifying those with cognitive issues early could lead to interventions and better outcomes. But diagnosing...

Mobile App Tracking Blood Pressure Helps…

The AHOMKA platform, an innovative mobile app for patient-to-provider communication that developed through a collaboration between the School of Engineering and leading medical institutions in Ghana, has yielded positive results...