Parents Want to E-mail with Their Children's Doctors

About one-half of parents would like to communicate electronically with their children’s healthcare provider, according to findings from a National Poll on Children’s Health.

The study — a joint effort of C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, the University of Michigan Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, and the University of Michigan Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit — also found that less than 15% of parents use e-mail or Internet to communicate with providers, and less than 10% are currently are able to use email or the internet for administrative tasks, such as scheduling an appointment or obtaining an immunization record.

The study — a joint effort of C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, the University of Michigan Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, and the University of Michigan Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit — also found that less than 10% are currently able to use email or the Internet for administrative tasks, such as scheduling an appointment or obtaining an immunization record, and less than 15% can communicate electronically with their children’s providers.

“Electronic communication can reduce wasted time and minimize frustration for both parents and office staff,” said Matthew M. Davis, MD, the poll’s director, and “provides a way to obtain advice without waiting on hold for long periods of time.”

However, there are concerns for providers, he noted, namely medical liability and reimbursement issues. Still, “significant efforts should be made to address these challenges.”

For the poll, 1,612 parents of children ages 17 or younger were questioned on how they communicate with their children’s care providers.