 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Diabetes / April 2008It's no LOL: Few US Doctors Answer E-Mails From Patients
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/22/AR2008042201723. html?nav=rss_health LOS ANGELES -- Suzanne Kreuziger is a registered nurse who uses e-mail almost exclusively to communicate with friends. But when it comes to reaching her doctor, there's a frustrating firewall >http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/22/AR2008042201723. html?nav=rss_health >LOS ANGELES -- Suzanne Kreuziger is a registered nurse who uses e-mail >almost exclusively to communicate with friends. But when it comes to >reaching her doctor, there's a frustrating firewall If that's her main way of communicating with her friends, I'd say she needs to help from a professional councilor in a face to face setting, and become less of a shut in. Dispensing medical advise over the net without a physical exam can be very dangerous for the patient and legally dangerous for the doctor. Email is great for sending in daily test records and receiving copies of labs and getting dosage suggestions on insulin or diabetic oral meds. But what happens when the patient is having a physical problem and is not giving the doctor accurate information? Case in point, doc my ankle hurts. Doc: did you injure it? Patient: no, I haven't done anything out of the ordinary. Doc: it's probably nothing, just keep an eye on it and let me know if it gets worse. Is that what you want to happen when you actually have a bone fracture? Is that what you want to happen when you have to have surgery on your Achilles tendons in order to correct the way you walk? Having no physical exam would miss these issues, both of which happened to my baby brother. Good thing we didn't have email then. A patient cannot diagnose themselves. Doctors and nurses frequently make the worst patients, because they think they know everything.  SignatureMåck©® Deltec CoZmore Pumper Type 1 since 1975 http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org http://www.diabetic-talk.org http://www.insulin-pumpers.org http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/type1and2/ http://www.pandora.com enter "Jason & Demarco" http://www.ratbags.com/dechunging/ "To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." ...Theodore Roosevelt (o ô) --ooO-(_)-Ooo-------------------- "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." ....Bilbo Baggins DISCLAIMER If you find a posting or message from me offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it. If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate... . >>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/22/AR2008042201723. html?nav=rss_health >>LOS ANGELES -- Suzanne Kreuziger is a registered nurse who uses e-mail >>almost exclusively to communicate with friends. According to the article, it's how she stays in touch with friends and family who live at a distance. Susan doctors are fat wrote in message ... >http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/22/AR2008042201723. html?nav=rss_health >LOS ANGELES -- Suzanne Kreuziger is a registered nurse who uses e-mail >almost exclusively to communicate with friends. But when it comes to >reaching her doctor, there's a frustrating firewall I can't see why doctors would answer e-mail in most cases. You would have just about every hypochondriac in the world sending emails hourly. If you're that sick, go in person, or try to call the doctor, in which case you won't have that much luck with talking to them either. :-) Cheri > I can't see why doctors would answer e-mail in most cases. You would > have just about every hypochondriac in the world sending emails > hourly. If you're that sick, go in person, or try to call the doctor, > in which case you won't have that much luck with talking to them > either. :-) Nah, my endo uses email, having so many long distance patients. There is a CPT code for insurance billing that pays for email consultations and one for phone. Sometimes you just have an important question that's not urgent, and doctors can decide when, day, time, etc. to reply to non emergency emails, making them more convenient for them. They can have a policy limiting free emails to a certain number per year or month, too. Susan : x-no-archive: yes : > I can't see why doctors would answer e-mail in most cases. You would : > have just about every hypochondriac in the world sending emails : > hourly. If you're that sick, go in person, or try to call the doctor, : > in which case you won't have that much luck with talking to them : > either. :-) : Nah, my endo uses email, having so many long distance patients. There : is a CPT code for insurance billing that pays for email consultations : and one for phone. Sometimes you just have an important question that's : not urgent, and doctors can decide when, day, time, etc. to reply to non : emergency emails, making them more convenient for them. They can have a : policy limiting free emails to a certain number per year or month, too. : Susan Two of my doctors, my retina specialist and my pain doctor have given me ways to email them, but not in emergencies. Right now I am working of a neurontin for pain management and have been titrating my dosages up. I have had a few questions about this, and I did have to tell the doctor that it was working, so we have had a few exchanges. I also sent him my low carb cheesecake recipe that he requested (he is a type 1) in one of my emails:-) I have had only one eccasion to email the retina man adn that was about an article I read and wanted his opinion on. He gave it to me. Wendy > [ . . . ] > Two of my doctors, my retina specialist and my pain doctor have given me [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > that was about an article I read and wanted his opinion on. He gave it > to me. I have my Diabetician's email addy and have emailed him a couple of times regarding the Thai herbs I use for BG control. He doesn't email me back, but we talk about it the next time I go in. He's very interested in how much I take, when and the immediate effect. He's very open minded. As long as my numbers are good, he's OK with what I do. He's not an herbalist, but what he refers to as "A milligram guy!" SignatureNick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families! I've known US vets who served as far back as the Spanish American War. They are all my heroes! Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~ My endo used to use email, gut switched systems and the new system wants me to spend 30-40 minutes fillling out my medical history before I can use it. Not likely. My GP uses email and sends my lab results that way, but I'm more likely to have any substantive conversation by phone. I have two other docs who talk to me on the phone and two with whom I exchange faxes. When you have ten chronic ailments and six docs you see on a regular basis, you need to economize on office visits. >x-no-archive: yes > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > >Susan I'm not saying some of them don't, I'm just saying why would most of them, especially when the article said that most of them aren't reimbursed by insurance. Specialists might have a different result, but I would be surprised if it's actually the doctor emailing in a lot of cases anyway, though I'm sure there are some that do. Hell, we know one doctor that's on the net 24/7, and probably e-mails too. ;-) Cheri > I'm not saying some of them don't, I'm just saying why would most of > them, especially when the article said that most of them aren't > reimbursed by insurance. Specialists might have a different result, > but I would be surprised if it's actually the doctor emailing in a lot > of cases anyway, though I'm sure there are some that do. Hell, we know > one doctor that's on the net 24/7, and probably e-mails too. ;-) That article may be out of step; new CPT codes were issued very recently for billing email and internet time with established patients only. Email is a great tool that quite a few medical offices are using to save staff and physician time. Some practices also give patients access to their test results with a secure log in, to stop calls for those or the need to mail them. Time and money saver. Susan >That article may be out of step; new CPT codes were issued very recently >for billing email and internet time with established patients only. That could very well be true, I was only repeating what the article in the paper day before yesterday said. I have no personal experience with it, and since you do, I'll take your word for it. :-) Cheri > >http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/22/AR2008042201723. html?nav=rss_health > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Cheri Personally, my preference is to call my patients when they email me. This way I get the opportunity to test them to make sure they are doing their homework to become smarter :-) http://HeartMDPhD.com/BeSmart Here is a simple parable given in hopes of promoting greater understanding: http://HeartMDPhD.com/Parable Life here in the blessed US is life in a blessed feed lot ! Be hungry... be healthy... be hungrier... be euglycemic: http://TheWellnessFoundation.com/BeHealthier Prayerfully in the infinite power and might of the Holy Spirit, Andrew <>< -- Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD Lawful steward of http://EmoryCardiology.com A latter-day disciple of the KING of kings and LORD of lords. http://HeartMDPhD.com/HolySpirit/DiscipleNow Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD wrote in message >Personally, my preference is to call my patients when they email me. > >This way I get the opportunity to test them to make sure they are >doing their homework to become smarter :-) That makes sense too. Cheri > Andrew, in the Holy Spirit, boldly wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Cheri Laus Deo http://HeartMDPhD.com/LausDeo <>< http://HeartMDPhD.com/HolySpirit/Love From patients..... You do not HAVE PATIENTS. That's a figment of your imagination. Like "Jane" and "Cheri". You ought to worry about the IRS, who just sentenced Wesley Snipes to 2 1/2 years for evading his taxes.... In Pvt. Assy Mc Chung's collective clinical experience, it is the overeating from the irrational compulsion to avoid hunger that makes people stupid!!! So there!!! So that the Holy Spirit is absolutely right to convict Pvt. Assy Mc Chung!! How does it feel to be a real sick cookie??? SignatureCap'n Hugo-Satan Knockboots. Arrrgh, JOBLESS, Anorexic Matey!! Bubba Do Wah Ditty > Smarter to eat less, be anorexic:.... http://HeartMDPhD.com/Convicts/ChungDung/UnEmployed http://HeartMDPhD.com/Ignorantsatan <>< http://HeartMDPhD.com/HolySpirit/Counsels From patients..... You do not HAVE PATIENTS. That's if figment of your imagination. You ought to worry about the IRS, who just sentenced Wesley Snipes to 2 1/2 years for evading his taxes.... In Pvt. Assy Mc Chung's collective clinical experience, it is the overeating from the irrational compulsion to avoid hunger that makes people stupid!!! So there!!! So that the Holy Spirit is absolutely right to convict Pvt. Assy Mc Chung!! How does it feel to be a real sick cookie??? SignatureCap'n Hugo-Satan Knockboots. Arrrgh, JOBLESS, Anorexic Matey!! Bubba Do Wah Ditty > Smarter to eat less, be anorexic:.... http://HeartMDPhD.com/Convicts/ChungDung/UnEmployed "Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD" <heartdoc21@emorycardiology.com> wrote in message > Personally, my preference is to call my patients when they email me. What difference does it make? Even if they're having a heart attack you're just going to babble your usual nonsense about eating less down to the optimal amount, then convict them and tell them they don't have much time left if they question you. http://HeartMDPhD.com/Whinersatan <>< http://HeartMDPhD.com/HolySpirit/Counsels |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.