Regular email

[Guest guest]

Does anyone communicate with their patients by regular email?

Do they have to sign a consent form? How do you make sure it is used appropriately? HIPPA compliance issues?

Any other issues I ought to think of?

I use Medem now, but I just found out I have paid for my own website space with my DSL and I think I might change?

[Guest guest]

I

use email extensively thru my EMR (Alteer) – communicating lab results,

pts updating me on their situation (BP logs, glucose logs, changing mole,

arthritic knee not responding to treatment, response to meds, URIs, reminder

for appointment due, etc). When a new patient comes in, I have them

complete a patient contact form, which has email as an option for communicating

with them, if they desire. I advise them that email is not

necessarily secure, and have the usual footer on my outgoing emails (this is

intended for the recipient, etc). Patients love it, and use it

extensively. I have yet to have an inappropriate email (chest pain, eg),

thankfully. This topic was part of a recent patient satisfaction survey done

with Kaiser on my practice, and is of great interest to the medical director,

who is a supporter of cutting edge practices. Because I do email so much,

I do charge for it ($50/person/yr), which is cheap. I will be increasing

it for 2006. I’ve heard of other docs charging $10/mo, $150-$350/yr

for it. I don’t want it to be so costly as to scare people away,

but it has been so well received/utilized in my practice, that I’m losing

lots of money with it, but I want to continue this accessibility avenue, and

will need to increase my charge for it, until insurance covers it. I have

heard there are some insurances reimbursing for this, but don’t know any

details. Anyone else heard of this?

A. Eads, M.D.

Pinnacle Family Medicine, PLLC

phone fax

P.O. Box 7275

Woodland Park, CO 80863

Regular email

Does anyone communicate with their patients by

regular email?

Do

they have to sign a consent form? How do you make sure it is used

appropriately? HIPPA compliance issues?

Any

other issues I ought to think of?

I use Medem now, but I just found out I have paid for

my own website space with my DSL and I think I might change?