Matthew Davis spoke to the Detroit Free Press about the increased demand for medically-related electronic communication options in an article called "Patients, physicians turn to e-mail, Skype, texts to stay in touch."
A C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, run by Davis, found that half of the parents polled would find electronic communications (with their child's doctor) helpful, but only 15 percent actually have that option. "The study found a big gap between what parents can currently do and what parents feel would be helpful," Davis told the Detroit Free Press.
Though some doctors are concerned about issues of privacy and liability, many think this is the future of doctor-patient communications. Davis told the Free Press that an email might replace a phone call, but not a visit to the doctor's office. "I think it's inevitable that physicians will move more toward it, if only because society expects and insists on it as the progressively dominant form of communication today," Davis explained.