Patient Portal Messages Have Surged 153% Since COVID, JAMA Study Finds
Patient-authored messages to providers have surged 153% since the COVID-19 pandemic, and a new JAMA study using Epic data finds the increase did not reduce telehealth or in-person visits. The authors conclude that patient messaging functions as an expansion of between-visit care rather than a substitute for it, and that the steady, gradual rise makes the trend likely to persist. Messaging was most common among female patients, patients aged 40 to 64, and those in affluent neighborhoods. The operational cost is significant: the AMA reports inbox overload is now a leading driver of physician burnout, with some physicians spending up to two hours nightly clearing their in-basket, and burnout conservatively costing health systems over $5 billion a year.
Message volume is now a durable capacity problem, not a pandemic spike. Operators who fail to build staffing models, triage workflows, or asynchronous-care reimbursement around the in-basket will keep absorbing the cost as physician burnout, an expense conservatively pegged above $5 billion annually across health systems.
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How much have patient portal messages increased since COVID-19?
Patient-authored messages to providers have surged 153% since the pandemic, according to a JAMA study using Epic data. The increase has held steady rather than tapering off, which the authors say makes the trend likely to persist.
Are patient messages replacing office visits or telehealth?
No. The study found the surge in messaging was not accompanied by a decrease in telehealth or in-person visits. The authors conclude messaging is an expansion of between-visit care, adding to overall demand rather than substituting for existing visit types.
Why is patient messaging volume a burnout risk for physicians?
Inbox overload has become one of the leading drivers of physician burnout, per the AMA, with many physicians spending up to two hours a night clearing their in-basket on personal time. Burnout is conservatively estimated to cost health systems more than $5 billion a year.