This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Costello, R. Articles by Moots, R. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Costello, R. Articles by Moots, R. J.

The Use of Electronic Mail in Biomedical Communication

University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.

Correspondence and reprints: Richard Costello, MD, MRCPI, Department of Medicine, University of Liverpool, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool L9 7AL, United Kingdom; e-mail: rcostell{at}liv.ac.uk

Received for publication: 06/17/99; accepted for publication: 07/27/99.

Objectives: To determine whether there are statistically significant differences in the content of electronic mail (e-mail) and conventional mail sent to authors of papers published in medical journals.

Design: Prospective study by postal questionnaire. Over two one-month periods, corresponding authors of papers published in medical journals were asked to record details of the correspondence prompted by their publications.

Measurements: Conventional and e-mail correspondence received. Reprint requests. Content of correspondence. Quality of correspondence.

Results: Eighty-two of 96 authors replied. Fifty received e-mail (mean, 5.7 ± 8.8 e-mails per author) and 72 received conventional mail (15.5 ± 32.8 letters per author) (p << 0.05). Seventy percent of e-mails and only 53% of correspondence sent by conventional mail (p << 0.05) referred to the content of the paper.

Conclusions: Publication in general medical journals stimulates more conventional than electronic mail. However, the content of e-mail may be of greater scientific relevance. Electronic mail can be encouraged without fear of diminishing the quality of the communications received.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. N. Sarkar and J. Starren Desiderata for Personal Electronic Communication in Clinical Systems J. Am. Med. Inform. Assoc., May 1, 2002; 9(3): 209 - 216. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]