Oncologists May Lose $7.7 Million from Patient Portal Messages

Oncologists are facing significant financial and workload challenges due to the increasing volume of secure patient-physician portal messages. A study presented at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting analyzed over 330,000 messages sent to 132 oncologists over a year, revealing that each oncologist responds to an average of 19 messages daily—including weekends. 

The study found that while all messages currently go to oncologists, only 27% require their expertise, and 24% would have traditionally been billable visits. This inefficiency has resulted in an estimated $7.7 million in lost billing opportunities. Researchers suggest implementing a triage system to distribute messages more efficiently among nurses, medical assistants, and primary care providers based on complexity. As oncology practices have varying budgets and workflows, the approach to secure messaging may need to be tailored accordingly.