Table 3.
Patients* Preferences for Mode of Communication with Providers About Selected Issues
| Issue† | Telephone | Visit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cholesterol results | 70.0 | 32.5 | 11.5 |
| Normal Pap or PSA test result | 63.4 | 27.9 | 14.6 |
| Prescription renewals | 54.7 | 47.4 | 6.4 |
| Questions re sore throat | 48.2 | 38.8 | 22.0 |
| Canceling a visit | 43.4 | 65.4 | 0.0 |
| Questions re back pain | 40.1 | 31.7 | 34.0 |
| Scheduling an appointment | 38.8 | 68.8 | 3.1 |
| Side effects of a new medication | 32.3 | 60.2 | 17.5 |
| Questions re breast /testicular pain | 21.2 | 24.9 | 55.4 |
| Abnormal Pap or PSA test result | 17.6 | 26.8 | 58.4 |
| Prolonged sadness or anxiety | 17.4 | 20.7 | 64.3 |
| STD test results | 15.5 | 33.5 | 54.5 |
*
For respondents who reported having regular access to e-mail (at least several times per week), N = 490.
†
Percent of patients who endorsed each mode of communication for each item. Percentages may not sum to 100% as patients could endorse more than one mode per item.
PSA, prostate-specific antigen.