There are many ways to e-mail the physician or
contact the doctor via the internet.
The new government privacy regulations (HIPAA) necessitate the physician
responding by encrypted e-mail
or a secure webpage like you use with a credit card purchase.
Setting this up and maintaining it is expensive so there is a $5 charge which
must be paid before any e-mail can be answered.
There is no charge if you are just trying the system(s) out or testing it.
If you are just testing let the subject in your message be just test and we'll
have the spam filters route the message for
automatic disposal. There are hundreds of ways that you can use the
internet to send the office
a message. Below I have listed some of the best options.
Dr. Atwood
| Internet Communication with a Physician | ||
| website centered | ||
| 1 | sponsor-- Medem |
www.adultmedicine.yourmd.com
fully setup to charge free for AMA members |
| 2 |
sponsor-- Salu.net
|
www.adultmed.salu.net free more control on site design than Medem you are on your own with regards to charging, notification of new mail or if answer checked (to close 4/04) |
| www.mdhub.com | webpage to fax only-- no setup for patient--free | |
| 3 |
www.mydoconline.com www.goodwell.com |
|
| 4 | www.healthyemail.org |
uses
http://www.zixcorp.com perhaps ideal for browser to browser e-mail https://messages.healthyemail.org to use takes up to 15 meg attachments |
| 5 |
submit form and PGP with
encryption on your website server
then submission sent to your personal e-mail for decrypting & reading
(pgpformmail.cgi script) (no registration, your notice pre-send, receive at your e-mail software) |
|
| standalone program | ||
| 6 | CuteFTP Pro | excellent for dropping off files at a website |
| 7 | DropChute | excellent for large files |
| file encryption send as attachments | ||
| 8 | FineCrypt | encrypt files or directories, self extracting |
| 9 | Kryptel | encrypted Zip, needs software both ends |
| 10 | SilverKey | no software needed for receiver |
| email centered | ||
| 11 | ZipLip.com |
ideal for sending and replies & can time out takes attachments |
| 12 | MailShell.com |
ideal for sending, no attachments can time-out the message |
| 13 | SecExMail | as low as $4 / year |
| 14 | Hushmail.com | required keys |
| 15 | PGP | free & $50 versions, keys, may be hard to configure |
key links
AMA guidelines
overview of philosophy of physician-patient-e-mail-
written by a physician
Guidelines for
security
(from MEDEM)
Electronic
Patient Centered Communication Resource Center--
summary from a physician tech leader