[E-mail communication in general practice]. / E-mail-kommunikation i almen praksis.

INTRODUCTION: Our aim was to examine how e-mail communication in general practice affects the doctor/patient relationship and doctors' workload. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Registration was done of e-mail activity in three Danish GP surgeries over a period of 12 months and focus group interviews with patients and doctors. RESULTS: The practices received 191 e-mails per 1,000 patients per year. The male/female ratio was 0.9 to 1. The average patient age was 47.2 years; the oldest user was 88 years old. Qualitative data were categorized under various headings, such as need, expectations, usability, workload, patient service, the communication part of professionalism, worries and barriers against use. DISCUSSION: E-mail is a requested and useful communication form between doctors and patients in general practice. But it requires guidance and structured communication. It works best when the doctor and patient know each other. It is being used less than might be expected. The barriers from patients' point of view are lack of knowledge of and access to computers, lack of awareness of the possibility of contacting the physician by e-mail and the absence of a personal invitation for use by the personal physician. It is a matter of concern that patients apparently don't read the recommendations concerning proper use of e-mail communication, even though they are clearly described on the Web site and patients have to click "has been read" to be able to continue.