A Patient Guide to Email Communication 
If you would like to communicate with us using email, you must agree to these guidelines and sign our email consent form in person in our office (so we can confirm your identity). We will provide you with each of our email addresses when you sign up.
Why use email to communicate with us?
Email has a number of advantages over other types of communication. It’s fast, convenient, and efficient. Email also works well for many of the questions, requests or messages you may have for our practice, such as prescription refill requests, appointment scheduling, and non-urgent medical questions.
BY SENDING US AN EMAIL OR REPLYING TO AN EMAIL FROM US YOU INDICATE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO THE GUIDELINES BELOW
What should I know about non-secure email communication?
The most important thing you should know is that we can’t guarantee the confidentiality of non-secure email exchanges. While the security of email is comparable to other types of communication (such as phone calls), there are some special issues with email: If your email address is through your employer, your employer may own all emails sent to that address. If your email address is a family address, other family members may see your messages. If you use an internet service provider, there is a small risk that messages may be intercepted by others including hackers.
Some of the other things to remember regarding email include the following:
- Email can be immediately broadcast worldwide and received by many intended and unintended recipients
- Email senders can easily misaddress an email
- Email is easier to falsify than handwritten or signed documents
- Backup copies of email may exist even after the sender or recipient has deleted his or her copy
- Employers and on-line services have a right to archive and inspect emails transmitted through their systems
- Email can be intercepted, altered, forwarded, or used without authorization or detection
- Email can be used to introduce system computer viruses
- Email can be used as evidence in court
Other Considerations
You should also know that email you send to your doctor may be read by others in our practice. Like phone calls, emails may be screened by office staff before being routed to the appropriate person for a response. Please be aware: A copy of your email may be placed unedited in your medical record.
Salem Family Medicine is not responsible for technical difficulties or network infractions beyond the computer and software systems we operate.
What types of communication are appropriate for email?
The following types of requests or messages are appropriate for email:
- Prescription refill requests
- Appointment scheduling
- Non-urgent medical advice
- Non-urgent medical follow-up (including some types of test results)
- Non-urgent medical correspondence
- Billing/insurance questions
What types of communication are not appropriate for email?
While many subjects are appropriate for email communication, it is ultimately you and your doctor’s decision which information is appropriate for you.
The following subjects are NEVER appropriate for email:
- Any urgent medical problem or emergency
- Mental health issues
- Drug and alcohol problems
- HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases
- Work-related injuries and disability
Please keep in mind that although email can be a very effective tool, it is not a substitute for a physical exam by your doctor. Please call the office if you feel you need to see your doctor.
How do I communicate with my doctor or other team members via email?
Secure – Each of our team members uses open source PGP (enigmail.mozdev.org) in Mozilla Thunderbird. If you would like to communicate with us by encrypted email using this free solution, simply email us your public key.
Non-Secure - You may also use non-secure regular email. All Salem Family Medicine team members have individual email addresses for your convenience. We will provide you with a list of our email addresses when you sign up.
Many email addresses do not clearly identify the sender. Please make sure your full name is present in either the body of the message or the subject line. Additionally, if you have a common name please include your date of birth to avoid misidentification. Include a phone number where you can be reached.
You can expect a response to your email question or message by the end of the next business day. You should not expect to receive a response on weekends or holidays or any other time the office may be closed. Please call us if you have not received a response to your email within three days.
How do I find additional information about patient-doctor email?
You may ask any Salem Family Medicine team member for additional information.