* Research into healthcare and messaging
Osterman Research and Health Industry News will be publishing a study that examines the use of electronic communications technologies in the healthcare industry. We have completed the research and have gained some interesting insights into how e-mail and other communications technologies are used in the healthcare industry in North America.
One of the interesting findings in the research that we did with healthcare providers is the fact that e-mail is not widely used in many of the interactions between healthcare organizations. For example, fewer than two in five provider organizations communicates with patients via e-mail, while only one in eight sends prescriptions to pharmacists via e-mail. A key reason for this is very likely the significant level of concern that healthcare providers have over the disclosure of patients’ health-related information: 78% of the healthcare providers we surveyed are concerned or very concerned about unauthorized disclosure of this type of information.
Our research with healthcare consumers also revealed some interesting findings. For example, only 30% of consumers can order or refill prescriptions via an online system, but almost 70% would prefer to be able to do this. Similarly, while 73% can order or refill their prescriptions in person, only 40% would actually prefer this ability. Only 15% of healthcare consumers can schedule an appointment with their primary healthcare provider via e-mail or a Web site and only 18% of consumers have ever received an e-mail from this provider.
While there are some very good reasons for the relative lack of electronic communications in the healthcare industry, communications between healthcare providers and between these providers and their patients has a long way to go.
