Comments on: Email In Your Practice - Thinking Outside Of The Box http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/09/11/email-in-your-practice-thinking-outside-of-the-box/ A Cynical Look At Medical School and Medical Training Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:21:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: jay http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/09/11/email-in-your-practice-thinking-outside-of-the-box/#comment-9100 jay Sun, 18 Nov 2007 08:27:15 +0000 http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/09/11/email-in-your-practice-thinking-outside-of-the-box/#comment-9100 Re:Shining Hector I think its more for common cases- not for emergency cases- its really up to the patient to decide- i dont think any sensible person would wait for his doctor's response if he's bleeding through his bellybutton...i think its more for patients conditions that doctors have already seen and know about and can recommend other things if somethings not working or for followups.. But i do agree about the liabilities- i think it poses a risk of being sued- more than usual..just because whatever the doctor says is now documented in the email and can essentially be used against him- but definitely for follow ups simple consultations- its a great medium but great article! Re:Shining Hector

I think its more for common cases- not for emergency cases- its really up to the patient to decide- i dont think any sensible person would wait for his doctor’s response if he’s bleeding through his bellybutton…i think its more for patients conditions that doctors have already seen and know about and can recommend other things if somethings not working or for followups..
But i do agree about the liabilities- i think it poses a risk of being sued- more than usual..just because whatever the doctor says is now documented in the email and can essentially be used against him- but definitely for follow ups simple consultations- its a great medium

but great article!

]]> By: Shining Hector http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/09/11/email-in-your-practice-thinking-outside-of-the-box/#comment-4526 Shining Hector Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:49:51 +0000 http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/09/11/email-in-your-practice-thinking-outside-of-the-box/#comment-4526 Adaptation and heavily regulated and scrutinized industry don't necessarily go hand in hand. What happens if someone who should have gone to the ER right away dies waiting for your reply while you're away from keyboard and you forgot to flag an automatic response you'll be unavailable? At least they'll be pretty sure about your availability with a phone call, even if the answering service just says you're out of the office. Assuming a bare minimum of responsibility or common sense whatsoever on the patient's part to call 911 even if you already told them to beforehand is no guaranteed defense in the current legal environment, so it's also another potential avenue for liability regardless of how useful it might be in an ideal world. Adaptation and heavily regulated and scrutinized industry don’t necessarily go hand in hand. What happens if someone who should have gone to the ER right away dies waiting for your reply while you’re away from keyboard and you forgot to flag an automatic response you’ll be unavailable? At least they’ll be pretty sure about your availability with a phone call, even if the answering service just says you’re out of the office. Assuming a bare minimum of responsibility or common sense whatsoever on the patient’s part to call 911 even if you already told them to beforehand is no guaranteed defense in the current legal environment, so it’s also another potential avenue for liability regardless of how useful it might be in an ideal world.

]]> By: Tiny Surgeon http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/09/11/email-in-your-practice-thinking-outside-of-the-box/#comment-4482 Tiny Surgeon Wed, 12 Sep 2007 03:31:55 +0000 http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/09/11/email-in-your-practice-thinking-outside-of-the-box/#comment-4482 It sounds like a practice could be run very successfully with a large part of the quick & easy questions conducted via email. I've heard of a practice where the majority of quick & easy questions were answered via emails; telephone calls had to be scheduled; and an office visit would be scheduled if both the above systems didn't work. The doctors spent a LOT of time doing these emails and calls, but they were able to spend 30 minutes per patient in an office visit because the only people coming into the office really needed it. Excellent article! It sounds like a practice could be run very successfully with a large part of the quick & easy questions conducted via email. I’ve heard of a practice where the majority of quick & easy questions were answered via emails; telephone calls had to be scheduled; and an office visit would be scheduled if both the above systems didn’t work. The doctors spent a LOT of time doing these emails and calls, but they were able to spend 30 minutes per patient in an office visit because the only people coming into the office really needed it.

Excellent article!

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