Jacob B. Mirsky|Lina Tieu|Courtney R. Lyles|Urmimala Sarkar
A Mixed-Methods Study of Patient–Provider E-Mail Content in a Safety-Net Setting
University of California, San Francisco|University of California, San Francisco|University of California, San Francisco|University of California, San Francisco
explore content patientprovider emails safetynet primary care clinic conducted content analysis using inductive deductive coding email exchanges n 31 collected january november 2013 participants englishspeaking adult patients chronic condition caregivers cared single publicly funded general internal medicine clinic primary care providers attending general internist physicians clinical fellows internal medicine residents nurse practitioners emails nonurgent patients included medical update 19 emails patients requested action 77 emails common requests overall action regarding medications treatment 29 requests information less common 45 emails patient requests n 56 resolved 84 email exchanges resulting 63 actions results show patients safetynet clinics capable safely effectively using electronic messaging betweenvisit communication providers safetynet systems implement electronic communications tools soon possible increase health care access enhance patients involvement care