A Kaiser Permanente study found a third of patients with chronic conditions who communicated with their physicians via email said email enhanced their overall health, according to News-Medical.
In the study, investigators surveyed 1,041 Kaiser Permanente patients in Northern California with chronic conditions such as asthma, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes or hypertension, as well as patients who had used Kaiser Permanente's online patient portal, My Health Manager, to send secure email messages.
American Journal of Managed Care published the study.
Here are five takeaways:
1. Thirty-two percent of participants said exchanging email with their provider improved their overall health.
2. Of the participants, 67 percent said the email exchange did not change their overall health.
3. Less than 1 percent said emailing made their health worse.
4. Forty-six percent of patients used email as the first method of contact for one or more medical concerns.
5. Of the patients who emailed their provider, 42 percent said it reduced phone contacts and 36 percent said it reduced in-person visits.
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