Secure patient-physician e-mail messaging improves the effectiveness of care for patients with diabetes and hypertension, according to new research by Kaiser Permanente. The study, published in the July issue of Health Affairs, shows that health information technology improves quality of care scores.
The study observed 35,423 patients with diabetes, hypertension, or both, in Kaiser Permanente's Southern California region, finding that use of secure patient-physician messaging in any two-month period was associated with statistically significant improvements in HEDIS (Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set) care measurements. Results included 2.0 percentage-points to 6.5 percentage- points improvements in glycemic, cholesterol and blood pressure screening and control.
"Putting patients and their data at the center of care allows Kaiser Permanente to improve health care quality, access and cost," said George Halvorson, chairman and CEO, Kaiser Permanente. "This data proves that health IT can be a fundamental component of accomplishing those three critical goals."
More than 556,000 secure patient-physician e-mail threads, containing more than 630,000 messages, were logged throughout the study. Patients initiated 85 percent of those threads, which shows that health IT is empowering patients to better manage their health care. Kaiser Permanente's secure e-mail tool, called "E-mail my doctor," is one of the most popular features of the My Health Manager (www.kp.org/myhealthmanager) comprehensive personal health record. My Health Manager, used by more than 3 million Kaiser Permanente members, provides patients with secure and timely access to lab test results, medication information and refill capabilities, summaries of their health conditions, appointment scheduling, and other important health information with just the click of a mouse.
Kaiser Permanente previously found that 75 percent of all patient-physician e-mail encounters addressed ongoing medical problems or care plans. The leading reasons patients contact physicians are to discuss changes in a health condition, lab test results, a new condition, drug dosage adjustments, or the need for a new prescription. Other research (Dr. Yi Yvonne Zhou et al, American Journal of Managed Care, 2007) found that patients who use secure e-mail were 7 percent to 10 percent less likely to schedule an office visit, and 14 percent less likely to contact their physician by phone compared to those not using online services.