Physical health (27)
- Medical history: Compiling your medical family tree
- Hand washing: Do's and don'ts
- Skin care: 5 tips for healthy skin
- see all in Physical health
Mental health (11)
- Self-esteem: Boost your self-image with these 5 steps
- Self-esteem check: Too low, too high or just right?
- Resilience: Build skills to endure hardship
- see all in Mental health
Healthy relationships (7)
- Sex therapy: Is it an option for you?
- Domestic violence against men: Know the signs, seek help
- Domestic violence against women: Recognize patterns, seek help
- see all in Healthy relationships
Healthy at work (11)
- Office exercise: How to burn calories at work
- Office stretches: How-to video collection
- Sick leave: Smooth the transition back to work
- see all in Healthy at work
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
continued:
Doctor-patient communication: How to connect with your doctor online
Understanding e-mail guidelines
If you and your doctor communicate through e-mail, remember these general guidelines:
- Some topics aren't appropriate for e-mail. Don't e-mail your doctor about urgent health issues, such as chest pain.
- Keep it short. Don't e-mail your doctor lengthy, intimate details about your health.
- Keep it secure. Don't e-mail your doctor from a public or work computer, where messages may not remain confidential.
Navigating virtual visits
During a virtual visit, a doctor dispenses medical advice without face-to-face interaction. Typically, you'll log in to a patient portal and answer questions about your condition. In some instances — such as with a rash — you may want to provide a photo. In turn, the doctor will review the information and your medical history. He or she may provide self-care advice, links to educational materials or other information. In some cases, the doctor may submit a prescription to your pharmacy or include details from the virtual visit in your electronic medical records.
Virtual visits are often most effective between patients and doctors who have an established relationship. In addition, any doctor you consult for a virtual visit must be licensed to practice medicine in the state in which you live.
Keep in mind that you may be charged for your virtual visit. Insurance companies are increasingly covering virtual visits, however, since they're generally less expensive than face-to-face visits.
The bottom line
If you're interested in communicating with your doctor online or trying a virtual visit, talk to your doctor or check out his or her Web site.
Previous page(2 of 2)
- Leong SL, et al. Enhancing doctor-patient communication using email: A pilot study. The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice. 2005;18:180.
- Kassirer JP. Patients, physicians, and the internet. Health Affairs. 2000;19:115.
- Hobbs J, et al. Opportunities to enhance patient and physician e-mail contact. International Journal of Medical Informatics. 2003;70:1.
- Lewers DT. Guidelines for patient-physician electronic mail. American Medical Association. http://www.ama-assn.org/meetings/public/annual00/reports/bot/bot2a00.rtf. Accessed Jan. 16, 2009.
- Bauchner H, et al. "You've got mail": Issues in communicating with patients and their families by e-mail. Pediatrics. 2002;109:954.
- Whitten P, et al. Physician patient e-visit programs: Implementation and appropriateness. Disease Management and Health Outcomes. 2007;15:207.
- Rosen P, et al. Patient-physician e-mail: An opportunity to transform pediatric health care delivery. Pediatrics. 2007;120:701.
- Eads M. Virtual office visits: A reachable and reimbursable innovation. Family Practice Management. 2001;14:20.
- Robeznieks A. Don't LOL at virtual visits. Modern Healthcare. 2007;37:1.
- Adamson SC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 4, 2009.
- Bachman JW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 3, 2009.
