Should patients be able to email their general practitioner?

Yes— Elinor Gunning

The use of email services in primary care to consult on simple medical and administrative problems, and to facilitate follow-up and ongoing self care, has the potential to improve convenience for patients and efficiency for clinicians. Despite high patient demand suggested by descriptive studies, only 20-25% of doctors in Europe and the United States use email to communicate with patients.1 2 Within primary care use is variable; it is commonplace in Denmark but patchy in the UK. The 2014 UK general practice contract mandates online repeat prescription and appointment booking services.3 However, more extensive use of email is not obligatory despite it being endorsed by the Royal College of General Practitioners and the UK Department of Health.4 5

Those opposed to using email services in primary care often cite increased workload, concerns about patient safety and security, lack of proximity to the patient, and the effect on communication as the main barriers.1 I shared these concerns when I worked in a surgery that implemented email services during my training. However, I saw that with thoughtful planning email can benefit both patients and doctors.