Here’s how patients want to be involved with their healthcare

It is extremely important for patients to know they can fully trust their healthcare providers, especially when it comes to handling their private health information. We surveyed hundreds of patients who use Brightsquid Secure-Mail with their providers to learn their perspectives on privacy and how Secure-Mail can best be used to fully engage them in their care.

Patients recognize the importance of providers protecting their information 

• Over 85% of patients said privacy is very important and that healthcare providers protect their privacy. 
• 74% of patients aren't comfortable sharing personal health information or communicating about treatment through traditional email services such as Gmail or Outlook.

Patient perspectives on email vs. Secure-Mail:

• 50% of respondents know email is not a safe way to share private information and their data can be used to steal their identity. 
• Almost 80% of patients said they’d like to communicate with multiple members of their healthcare team using Secure-Mail.
• More than half of patients want to connect with three or more providers using Secure-Mail.

Healthcare professionals beyond family doctor that patients want to connect with through secure email: 

• Dentist (60%)
• Pharmacist (56%)
• Specialist (48%)
• Optometrist (43%)
• Physio (38%)
• Chiropractor (35%)

Here’s why patients want to use Secure-Mail to communicate with their healthcare professionals: 

• To get lab results (69%)
• For appointment scheduling or reminders (47%)
• To obtain or retain healthcare records or plan (46%) 
• Prescription renewals (44%)

In addition, 42% of patients say they don't leave appointments with all the information they need, highlighting the importance of secure channels of communication for followup.  

Patients want to be more involved in their healthcare 

72% of patients believe it is very important that they be included in communications about their care between healthcare providers. Brightsquid allows for better two-way communication with patients and builds stronger patient and provider relationships. Patients say they feel more empowered using Brightsquid Secure-Mail because they are more active in their healthcare. In an interview, one patient expressed they wouldn’t use any other platform to communicate because of the risks and will deny healthcare provider that tries.