The American Medical Association has adopted a set of guidelines for making e-mail a more effective means of communication between doctors and patients, while staying mindful of privacy issues and possible technical glitches. Given the widespread use of e-mail, the AMA said it is "a viable avenue for patient communication," and cited many studies that show it is beneficial to patients. The group said e-mail has the potential to streamline "routine" health matters. The AMA acknowledged the need to protect patient privacy by requiring doctors to tell patients whether anyone besides the intended recipient will read the message or see it during processing. Password-protected screen savers should be used for workstations in the office, hospital and at home, the AMA said. Although doctors should maintain a mailing list of their patients, the AMA said doctors should never send group e-mails where other recipients are listed. Additionally, doctors should not share patients' e-mail addresses with marketers or family members. Thanks to CNN. J Med Internet Res, 1/02 The Wall Street Journal, 7/03 Patient Information Websites Studied: Breast Ca Info Medscape Instant Poll, 12/04 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.