Do’s and don’ts of emailing patients

Electronic communication can provide a useful alternate point of access for patients. Dr Richard Stacey explores the pros and cons

Do:

• Ask to have sight of the practice email communication policy 
• Ensure that the policy incorporates appropriate safeguards in order to preserve patient confidentiality 
• Confirm that the patient is content to receive a response by way of email 
• Remember that when corresponding by email, many of the non-verbal clues and nuances, which would be apparent in a face-to-face consultation, or to a lesser extent in a telephone conversation, will not be apparent, and this problem may be amplified because you might have had no previous contact with the patient 
• Remember to respond in a professional manner and avoid “text–speak” 
• Respond in a timely way.

Don’t:

• Forget that email exchanges are an important part of a patient’s medical records and should be saved therein 
• Be tempted to use email to respond to complicated or difficult problems; if you feel that a consultation would be more appropriate then make the necessary arrangements to see or telephone the patient 
• Be afraid to either involve one of the partners or to ask that they respond if you feel uncomfortable responding to the patient’s request 
• Forget that responding to email enquiries may take some considerable time. You should ensure that if you are to be expected to respond to email queries, you should be alerted to this in advance of taking up a locum position and that you should be appropriately remunerated for the same.

Useful links

• Car, J and Sheikh, A. Email Consultations in Healthcare, BMJ (2004)
• Guidelines for Clinical Use of Electronic Mail Patients, American Medical Informatics Association (1998)
• Evaluating Internet Health Information: A Tutorial from the National Library of Medicine.