In almost every era doctors have perceived themselves as "running faster" but there is little evidence to support this. Doctors feel stressed because there is now so much more they can do. There are more external forces impinging on their practice and patients and the public have raised expectations, yet patients value meaningful time with a trusted clinician.
A paper in this week's BMJ explores how new technologies can help doctors maintain continuity of care and allow more time for meaningful communication with patients.
Some doctors think that email will increase practice demands and not substitute for other care, writes David Mechanic, a Research Institute Director at the State University of New Jersey. However, primary care doctors who have adopted email with patients report favourable results.
Email is also a way for patients to maintain continuity with their doctors, explains the author. It can facilitate information flow, allow better scheduling of appointments, and avoid gaps in communication. It may also reduce unnecessary appointments, save the patient and doctor time and inconvenience, and contribute to health education and patient responsibility.
Email communication with patients, properly structured and with adequate safeguards, helps maintain continuity of care, provides opportunities to deal with routine matters, and allows more time for meaningful communication, he concludes.