Eight ways to go "e" without launching a Web service.
With more than 100 million Americans on the Internet, the physician-patient relationship is evolving. The Net brings with it unlimited potential for communication and information dissemination, but these benefits do come with some side effects. No everything on the Net is reliable or credible, but many patients don't understand that. For this reason and others, physicians must involve themselves with online communication and e-commerce. There are many realistic and practical ways for physicians to do this, and not all of them involve building a Web site. Sending patients clinical information in a cost-effective manner, improving receivables management, and decreasing the volume of phone calls are just some of the many ways the Net can enhance your practice. Think of the Net as just another business tool--not a replacement for physician-patient relationships. Like the telephone before it, the Net affords improved communication, patient education, and relationship-building with patients.