Patient-Physician Messaging by Race, Ethnicity, Insurance Type, and Preferred Language.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Asynchronous patient-portal messaging has emerged as a central component of patient-physician communication, yet disparities in response patterns remain underexplored.

Objective

To examine variations in asynchronous messaging responses in primary care by race and ethnicity, insurance type, and primary language.

Design, setting, and participants

This cross-sectional study of messaging data included 795 170 adult patients receiving primary care at Mass General Brigham in 2021, 341 836 of whom sent an asynchronous patient portal message. Data were analyzed from April 17, 2023, to July 29, 2025.

Exposures

Race and ethnicity, insurance status, and preferred language.

Main outcomes and measures

Receipt of a response within 1 or 3 business days and t

SUBMITTER: Rotenstein LS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12505178 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature