Physician communication via Internet-enabled technology: A systematic review

The use of Internet-enabled technology (information and communication technology such as smartphone applications) may enrich information exchange among providers and, consequently, improve health care delivery. The purpose of this systematic review was to gain a greater understanding of the role that Internet-enabled technology plays in enhancing communication among physicians. Studies were identified through a search in three electronic platforms: the Association for Computing Machinery Digital Library, ProQuest, and Web of Science. The search identified 5140 articles; of these, 21 met all inclusion criteria. In general, physicians were satisfied with Internet-enabled technology, but consensus was lacking regarding whether Internet-enabled technology improved efficiency or made a difference to clinical decision-making. Internet-enabled technology can play an important role in enhancing communication among physicians, but the extent of that benefit is influenced by (1) the impact of Internet-enabled technology on existing work practices, (2) the availability of adequate resources, and (3) the nature of institutional elements, such as privacy legislation.

[1]  Andrew S. Dunn,et al.  Physician–Physician Communication: What’s the Hang-up? , 2009, Journal of General Internal Medicine.

[2]  Rebecca Prentice,et al.  Double vision: An exploration of radiologists’ and general practitioners’ views on using picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) , 2010, Health Informatics J..

[3]  S. French,et al.  Superficial heat or cold for low back pain. , 2004, The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.

[4]  Charles W Callahan,et al.  Effectiveness of an Internet-based store-and-forward telemedicine system for pediatric subspecialty consultation. , 2005, Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine.

[5]  Richard A Lewis,et al.  Picture archiving and communication systems: a multicentre survey of users experience and satisfaction. , 2010, European journal of radiology.

[6]  Stephanie Kuhlmann,et al.  TXT@WORK: pediatric hospitalists and text messaging. , 2014, Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association.

[7]  E. J. Adam,et al.  Picture archiving and communication systems lead to sustained improvements in reporting times and productivity: results of a 5-year audit. , 2008, Clinical radiology.

[8]  Vicknes Waran,et al.  Video clip transfer of radiological images using a mobile telephone in emergency neurosurgical consultations (3G Multi-Media Messaging Service) , 2012, British journal of neurosurgery.

[9]  D. Moher,et al.  Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA Statement , 2009, BMJ : British Medical Journal.

[10]  A. O'Malley,et al.  Interspecialty Communication Supported by Health Information Technology Associated with Lower Hospitalization Rates for Ambulatory Care–Sensitive Conditions , 2015, The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

[11]  G. Bergus,et al.  Email teleconsultations: well formulated clinical referrals reduce the need for clinic consultation , 2006, Journal of telemedicine and telecare.

[12]  David Tannenbaum,et al.  Closing the circle of care: implementation of a web-based communication tool to improve emergency department discharge communication with family physicians. , 2015, CJEM.

[13]  Scott Reeves,et al.  An Evaluation of the Use of Smartphones to Communicate Between Clinicians: A Mixed-Methods Study , 2011, Journal of medical Internet research.

[14]  Cristine Kao,et al.  Traditional text-only versus multimedia-enhanced radiology reporting: referring physicians' perceptions of value. , 2015, Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR.

[15]  G. Mulvale,et al.  A scoping review of evaluated interventions addressing developmental transitions for youth with mental health disorders. , 2016, Child: care, health and development.

[16]  David W. Bates,et al.  Design and implementation of an automated email notification system for results of tests pending at discharge , 2012, J. Am. Medical Informatics Assoc..

[17]  Timothy Baldwin,et al.  Detecting modification of biomedical events using a deep parsing approach , 2012, BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making.

[18]  A. Detsky,et al.  Physician communication in the 21st century: to talk or to text? , 2011, JAMA.

[19]  D. Blumenthal,et al.  The benefits of health information technology: a review of the recent literature shows predominantly positive results. , 2011, Health affairs.

[20]  Varsha G. Vimalananda,et al.  Electronic consultations (e-consults) to improve access to specialty care: A systematic review and narrative synthesis , 2015, Journal of telemedicine and telecare.

[21]  Emily Law,et al.  Psychological therapies (remotely delivered) for the management of chronic and recurrent pain in children and adolescents. , 2015, The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.

[22]  Daniel M. Stein,et al.  Provider-to-provider electronic communication in the era of meaningful use: a review of the evidence. , 2013, Journal of hospital medicine.

[23]  M. Santana,et al.  Physicians’ experience adopting the electronic transfer of care communication tool: barriers and opportunities , 2015, Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare.

[24]  P. Shekelle,et al.  Systematic Review: Impact of Health Information Technology on Quality, Efficiency, and Costs of Medical Care , 2006, Annals of Internal Medicine.

[25]  C. Crowther,et al.  Acupuncture or acupressure for pain management in labour. , 2011, The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.

[26]  K. Mussatto,et al.  Digital imaging, archiving, and structured reporting in pediatric echocardiography: impact on laboratory efficiency and physician communication. , 2008, Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography.

[27]  Ivan Ng,et al.  Multimedia Messaging Service teleradiology in the provision of emergency neurosurgery services. , 2007, Surgical neurology.

[28]  Michal Filip,et al.  Medical consultations and the sharing of medical images involving spinal injury over mobile phone networks. , 2012, The American journal of emergency medicine.

[29]  Rathachai Kaewlai,et al.  Important imaging finding e-mail alert system: experience after 3 years of implementation. , 2009, Radiology.

[30]  Robert C. Wu,et al.  Effects of clinical communication interventions in hospitals: A systematic review of information and communication technology adoptions for improved communication between clinicians , 2012, Int. J. Medical Informatics.

[31]  J. Ulmer,et al.  In emergency departments, radiologists' access to EHRs may influence interpretations and medical management. , 2014, Health affairs.

[32]  Michael M. Abecassis,et al.  The use of technology for urgent clinician to clinician communications: A systematic review of the literature , 2015, Int. J. Medical Informatics.

[33]  David W. Bates,et al.  Clinical decision support systems could be modified to reduce 'alert fatigue' while still minimizing the risk of litigation. , 2011, Health affairs.

[34]  Shuang Wang,et al.  Differentially private genome data dissemination through top-down specialization , 2014, BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making.

[35]  M. Leonard,et al.  The human factor: the critical importance of effective teamwork and communication in providing safe care , 2004, Quality and Safety in Health Care.