Patterns and Implications of Electronic Messaging Use in Clinical Communication: Insights from a Single-Center Survey.

Authors

Basil George Verghese, Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program, Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, NYFollow
Rupinder Buttar, Hospitalist, Rochester Regional Hospitalist Group, Rochester, NYFollow
Prakash Upreti, Hospitalist, Rochester Regional Hospitalist Group, Rochester, NYFollow
Kaiwen Zhu, Clinical Informatics Fellow, Rochester Regional Health System, Rochester, NYFollow
Tamer Salhab Altamimi, Clinical Informatics Fellow, Rochester Regional Health System, Rochester, NYFollow

Author Credentials

• Basil George Verghese, MD, FACP, FHM - Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program, Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, NY.
• Rupinder Buttar, MD - Hospitalist, Rochester Regional Hospitalist Group, Rochester, NY.
• Prakash Upreti, MD - Hospitalist, Rochester Regional Hospitalist Group, Rochester, NY.
• Kaiwen Zhu, MD - Clinical Informatics Fellow, Rochester Regional Health System, Rochester, NY.
• Tamer Salhab Altamimi, MD - Clinical Informatics Fellow, Rochester Regional Health System, Rochester, NY.

Author ORCID Identifier

Basil George Verghese https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6837-2896

Abstract

Background: Efficient communication in healthcare is critical, significantly impacting patient outcomes. Electronic messaging tools, like Epic Secure Chat, are increasingly integrated into healthcare settings to enhance interactions among professionals. However, the practical implications of these tools on workflow and care quality are underexplored.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive cross-sectional survey involving 309 healthcare professionals, including hospitalist physicians, advanced practice providers (APPs), and internal medicine residents, to evaluate Epic Secure Chat's usage patterns, satisfaction levels, and communication preferences.

Results: The survey yielded insightful data from 156 complete responses, revealing a notable issue with misdirected messages: 64.1% of hospitalists, 52.6% of residents, and 64.7% of APPs reported experiencing this problem, highlighting a significant challenge in the platform's current usage that could impact patient care communication's timeliness and accuracy. While Epic Secure Chat was the preferred medium for routine updates and interdisciplinary communications, it was less favored for urgent matters. In scenarios involving unstable patients, the majority preferred the immediacy of cell phone calls, indicating that Secure Chat might not yet meet all urgent communication needs in clinical settings. Despite its benefits, the overall satisfaction with Secure Chat was low across all professional roles, pinpointing a critical area for user experience and functionality enhancement.

Conclusions: Our findings underscore the necessity for targeted training and protocol development to improve electronic messaging usage in healthcare settings. Addressing these gaps can enhance communication efficiency, improve patient care quality, and align with the broader objective of optimizing healthcare communication systems.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Recommended Citation

Verghese B, Buttar R, Upreti P, Zhu K, Salhab Altamimi T. Patterns and Implications of Electronic Messaging Use in Clinical Communication: Insights from a Single-Center Survey.. Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery. 2025; 5(3):63-69. doi: 10.53785/2769-2779.1292.