North Raleigh Gastroenterology would like to communicate with your doctors, other healthcare providers (such as nurses), and administrative services by electronic mail (email).
Risks of Email
● Email may be instantly sent worldwide and be received by many intended and unintended recipients.
● Those who get email can pass on messages to anyone without the original sender’s permission or knowledge.
● Users can easily misaddress an email.
● Backup copies of email may exist even after the sender or the recipient has erased their copy. All emails will be kept in your medical record. This means that all people who have access to the medical record will be able to see the emails.
● You should not use your employer’s email system to send or receive private medical information. If you choose to send or receive an email from your workplace, there is a chance your employer could read the message.
● Email messages may not be answered on the same business day. We will make an effort to read and respond to email as soon as possible, but we cannot guarantee that any email message will be answered within any set period of time. Never use email in an urgent situation or in an emergency.
● Your message should be short. If you feel your message is too long for an email, you may wish to call our office or schedule
● Please write the topic of your email in the subject line.
● Please write your name and patient identification number, if known, in the message.
● It is the policy of North Raleigh Gastroenterology to make all email messages sent or received that are about medical treatment a part of your medical record.
● We will make every effort to protect the privacy of email information. Due to the possibility of technical problems, we cannot guarantee the security of all emails. Your use of email is an acknowledgement of this insecurity and your acceptance of the risk.
● North Raleigh Gastroenterology may forward email messages as needed for diagnosis, treatment, and reimbursement. North Raleigh Gastroenterology will not pass on the email to others without your prior consent.
● Because some medical information is sensitive and the privacy of email is not guaranteed, you should not use email for communications about sensitive information. Some examples are protected diagnoses (such as mental health conditions or substance abuse problems), information about HIV/AIDS, and workers’ compensation injuries.
● You may withdraw consent to the use of email at any time by email or written communication with North Raleigh Gastroenterology.
● Do not send financial information, credit card numbers, checking account numbers, or any similar information to North Raleigh Gastroenterology by email. We will not ask you for this information by email. Any email supposedly from North Raleigh Gastroenterology asking for credit card or checking account information is fraudulent. Please let us know if you receive such an email.
● It is your duty to protect your password or other means of access to email sent or received from North Raleigh Gastroenterology. North Raleigh Gastroenterology is not responsible for breaches of confidentiality caused by the patient.