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Communication Paper

HCS/490 Health Care Consumer: Trends and Marketing

Communication is define as the act of using words, signs, sounds and writing to relate a

message from person to person. In healthcare communication is a cornerstone where everything

else develops from whether it be from patient provider relationship to an emergency treatment to

a patient. With advances in technology the way we communicate has change to a more
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technological aspect in this date in age. Communication between a patient and his or her provider

has also change to make that communication easier as well as open on both sender and received.

In this paper we will focus on the communication benefits in the use of e-mail from both

provider and patient.

It is not a surprise to see that technology has taken over all aspects of communication and

with the lifestyle pastes of the population as well as it needs communication can sometimes be

lost or strained. Just a few years back more and more providers have become open to the digital

communication between themselves, other providers and patients. This openness to the digital

communication has created an avenue to establish positive yet solid provider relationships and

lines of communication. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs a digital

communication modalities can be describe as a text message video message, and email based

communication between providers and patients[CITATION Joh10 \l 1033 ]. With a digital way of

communicating patients can experience great benefits, in the world we live in most of the

population is not nearly everyone has access to e-mails whether it be thru the use of a computer,

tablet, or phone. Email communication with providers has open a new gate of communication for

patients, as they are able to communicate with their physicians by relaying their questions

without having the inconvenience of having to leave their jobs to go to the providers office.

Some patients find this way to be convenient as they have other important things going on than

wait for a provider, other may just need to ask a question that they may had forgotten at a

previous encounter, and with the benefit of email communication with the provider they are able

to do so.

The convenience of the use of email communication between provider and patient

extended both ways it allows providers to focus on patients with real emergencies and reply via
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email to patients that may just need test results or ever a simple question about a past

encounter[ CITATION EdR11 \l 1033 ] . One of the main things with the use of email communication

is that the value of the relationship between a patient and a provider is there the confidentiality

between the relationship is no bridge as the provider is the only one that can see the email and

the question or request that the patient may be asking for. According to the US National Library

of Medicine National Institute of Health the communication between patient and provider emails

has had an 82.2 % positive impact on the communication in healthcare as it covers a wide range

of needs for the patients such as ; prescription renewals, health questions, referrals, billing

questions etc [ CITATION Dav04 \l 1033 ]. Unlike any other communication methods the email

communication between provider and patient is unique and simple as it provides the liberty for

the patient to be able to express him or herself to the provider in their own way, making this a

more relax method for some people. Sometimes when a patient goes to a providers office they

may have a lot of questions in their mind but when the provider final happened to be in the room

the questions fade this is something call the white coat syndrome patients get frighten or

intimidated by the healthcare professional, by having the option to communicate via email

patients are able to communicate their questions without feeling timid about the atmosphere.

With the development of technology we have seen in the medial and social networking

that all communication extensor from either an email or a text message, for previous generation

and new generations this has become an adaptable filed. Most of the older generation is still

somewhat apprehensive about the use of technology, but for the most part the ones that have

embrace it see the potential that comes with it. For the younger generation this is the primary

method of communication know to them therefore this is what is been embrace. As the

population changes and develops along with technology we find more and more patients opting
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to use webmail as a form of communication with their provider. This mode of communication is

been advertise more and more by providers and facilities alike as it provided a more cost

efficient as well as time efficient approach to the way health care has revolutionize its self with

the use of technology.

In conclusion the more technology develops the more and more we are subject to part

take in this development. As some patients have experience change although different is not

always bad, but a good source to utilize what has been develop in a more effective way from

time efficiency to ecumenical efficiency. Providers like patients benefit from the use of email

communication to ensure more and more patients are meeting their health care needs. The digital

age has evolutionist the way things are done and in healthcare this is no different, and therefore,

this changes must be embrace.

References
Fortney, J. (2010, May). VA health care in the Digital Age. Retrieved from Department of
Veterans Affairs Healthcare Systems:
http://www.hsrd.research.va.gov/publications/forum/oct10/oct10-4.cfm
Rabinowitz, E. (2011, August 01). Benefits of Communication with Patients Via Email.
Retrieved from MEtroWest Physician Services:
http://www.metrowestphysicians.com/learning-center/news/benefits-communicating-
patients-email
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Stern, D. (2004, July). Content Analysis of E-mail Communication between Patients and Their
Providers: Patients Get the Message. Retrieved from NCBI:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC436072/