PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Physicians have traditionally called patients back at lunch or after hours, answering their questions or calling in prescriptions at no charge. With the development of patient portals, many patients now text physicians with questions or concerns — and electronic conversations can be lengthy.
Many physicians now work for health systems, and the larger organizations view these conversations as a potential money-making opportunity. Some systems, like Johns Hopkins and Cleveland Clinic, are already charging insurance companies or patients themselves for the advice.
A 2023 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association examined the changes and its impact on patient care. The study found there is an association between a decrease in patient portal messaging and the knowledge that they may be billed.
It is part of the changing landscape impacted by the computerization of medicine.
Get more medical reports from Dr. Brian McDonough.
KYW Newsradio's Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.
