Few Patients Use or Have Access to On-Line Services for Communicating With Their Doctors

The on-line poll of 2,624 adults found that a majority of Americans would like to have access to on-line services for communicating with physicians and would like to use other electronic health care services as well. For example, 74% would like to use email to communicate directly with their doctor, and 67% would like to receive the results of diagnostic tests via email.

However, three-quarters of respondents said such services aren't available to them. Only two percent of those polled said they use electronic medical records to capture medical information or receive diagnostic test results by email. Four percent said they receive email reminders when they are due for a doctors' visit or other medical care and three percent said they schedule doctor's visits on-line.

More than half (54%) said the availability of on-line services would influence their choice of doctors "a great deal" or "to some extent." A third said it would influence their choice "not much" or "not at all."

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