Communication University of Phoenix Hcs/490

As technology continues to advance several modes of communication have been developed that are now being used by consumers and health care providers to improve their connection and accessibility. Patients generally used the phone or a walk-in visit as the best options for talking directly to their physician. Although e-mail has been around for over a decade, health care providers are now commonly using it to communicate with their patients and vice versa. The internet provides quick and easy access to numerous types of information, and now can improve the level of quality patient-physician care outside of the office.

One main benefit of using e-mail for patient and health care provider communication is easy access to important information, such as follow-up care and medication clarification. For example, after a patient has received treatment for a wound or had a procedure done, the physician can e-mail them detailed instructions on how to care for the wound, how to take the medication, and who to contact for further care, such as a specialist (American Medical Association, 2011). This can be helpful to a patient because they will have all of the information sent to them directly and will not have to worry about copying down the information or losing it. Pre-operative and post-operative directions are especially important for a patient to receive, and e-mail makes it very easy for the provider to send to the patient in plenty of time for preparation. Any questions regarding the information can also be asked and a direct answer will be returned from the health care provider.