Table 4.
A comparison of attitudes towards receiving the family physician's cell phone number or email address.
| Variable | Cell phone number | Email address | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| How do you feel about getting your physician's cell phone number or email address? [N (%)] | |||
| Very interested | 114 (95.0) | 106 (88.3) | 0.035 |
| Would not object | 5 (4.2) | 5 (4.2) | |
| Not interested | 1 (0.8) | 9 (7.5) | |
| Do you agree with the following statements regarding getting your physician's cell phone number or email address? (scale of 1 to 5) | |||
| It could improve the relationship between us: | |||
| Mean ± SD | 4.57 ± 0.71 | 4.58 ± 0.71 | 0.913 |
| Range | 2–5 | 2–5 | |
| It could improve my sense of security even if I do not use it: | |||
| Mean ± SD | 4.58 ± 0.71 | 4.58 ± 0.71 | 0.913 |
| Range | 2–5 | 2–5 | |
| Calls and email are effective means of communication that could solve my problems: | |||
| Agree | 4.37 ± 0.71 | 4.34 ± 0.72 | 0.745 |
| Do not agree | 2–5 | 2–5 | |
| Calls and email can cut down on the number of clinic visits: | |||
| Mean ± SD | 4.33 ± 0.73 | 4.34 ± 0.72 | 0.915 |
| Range | 2–5 | 2–5 | |
| Calls and email can reduce the number of emergency room visits: | |||
| Mean ± SD | 4.33 ± 0.74 | 4.32 ± 0.75 | 0.917 |
| Range | 2–5 | 2–5 | |
| At what times would you call or email the physician? [N (%)] | |||
| I do not intend to call or send an email | 2 (2) | 9 (8) | <0.0001 |
| Only at appointed hours | 49 (41) | 7 (6) | |
| Only during daytime hours (except Saturdays and holidays) | 54 (45) | 50 (42) | |
| At all hours including nights, Saturdays, and holidays | 15 (13) | 54 (45) | |
| Under which circumstance would you call or email your physician? [N (%)] | |||
| I do not intend to call or contact by email | 1 (1) | 9 (8) | <0.0001 |
| Only in unusual circumstances | 73 (61) | 38 (32) | |
| For any question | 46 (38) | 73 (61) | |
| The physician should not be called or sent an email because it could interfere with their privacy when they are not working (scale of 1 to 5): | |||
| Mean ± SD | 4.03 ± 0.98 | 3.41 ± 1.36 | 0.0001 |
| Range | 1–5 | 1–5 | |
| The physician should not be called or sent an email because medical errors can occur if a physical examination is not performed (scale of 1 to 5): | |||
| Mean ± SD | 3.73 ± 1.03 | 3.81 ± 0.96 | 0.876 |
| Range | 1–5 | 2–5 | |
| The physician should not be called or sent an email because there is a risk of miscommunication (scale of to 5). | |||
| Mean ± SD | 3.98 ± 0.97 | 3.20 ± 1.47 | <0.0001 |
| Range | 1–5 | 1–5 | |
| The physician should not be called or sent an email because it can interfere with their clinic work (scale of 1 to 5): | |||
| Mean ± SD | 3.20 ± 1.46 | 3.20 ± 1.47 | 1.000 |
| Range | 1–5 | 1–5 | |
| The family physician cannot help because I am pregnant: (scale of 1 to 5) | |||
| Mean ± SD | 1.98 ± 0.68 | 2.06 ± 0.74 | 0.384 |
| Range | 1–4 | 1–5 | |
| I see no reason why I should not get the physician's personal cell phone number or email address (scale of 1 to 5): | |||
| Mean ± SD | 3.73 ± 1.05 | 4.39 ± 0.93 | <0.0001 |
| Range | 1–5 | 1–5 | |
| Have you asked for your physician's cell phone number or email address in the past? [N (%)] | |||
| Yes | 29 (24) | 20 (17) | 0.149 |
| Do you have your physician's cell phone number or email address? [N (%)] | |||
| Yes | 50 (42) | 46 (38) | 0.598 |
| Have you contacted your physician by cell phone or email since you became pregnant? [N (%)] | |||
| Yes | 26 (22) | 23 (19) | 0.631 |