Email Communication with Patients

Doctors of BC supports the use of email as a communication tool between physicians and patients for issues directly related to the provision of patient care or for transmitting information for administrative, educational, or health promotional purposes.

Physicians who choose to use email to communicate with their patients should consult the Canadian Medical Association's guidelines for online communication with patients to establish a protocol that describes how such communications will be incorporated into their practice.

• The protocol should address privacy and security, legal issues, and appropriateness of use.
• The protocol should be reviewed with both staff and patients.

The Doctors of BC calls upon the provincial government to support public funding of email communication for clinical use between physicians and their patients. Such support should not exclude the possibility of privately-funded email communication where appropriate.

For more information, including background, analysis and references, please see the full policy statement.