Health IT Alters Doctor-Patient Interactions

Health information technology is a two-way street.

Physicians who use health IT to streamline administrative functions could spend more time with patients, a new survey suggests. Yet a majority of patients would also communicate with their doctors by email and schedule appointments online if they could, according to the survey that was commissioned by the Capstrat communications agency of Raleigh, N.C.

Patients still prefer traditional lines of doctor-patient communication, according to the nationwide survey of 843 adults that was conducted in February by Public Policy Polling. Most respondents ruled out wanting to use social media and instant messaging, but 60 percent said they would email their doctors, and 56 percent expressed interest in online appointment scheduling.