Inbox Messages Are Increasingly Becoming A Nightmare For Physicians

Healthcare Inbox Messages Are Increasingly Becoming A Nightmare For Physicians By Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, M.D., J.D.,

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Sai writes about healthcare, innovation and technology.Follow Author Jun 29, 2026, 09:00pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Summary Patient portals, intended to streamline care, have become a significant administrative burden for physicians, creating a "portal paradox." Doctors now spend uncompensated hours responding to messages, blurring work-life boundaries and contributing to high burnout rates, as evidenced by studies showing a doubling of online messages and increased EHR time. While portals offer a vital communication channel for patients facing long appointment wait times, the cognitive load on physicians is immense. The current system risks patient dissatisfaction if complex issues aren't addressed by doctors, and further physician disenfranchisement is unsustainable. Policymakers and technologists must find solutions to ease this burden without compromising patient care.

While patient portals were promised to ease workflows, they have added significantly to clinician workloads.gettyThe advent of patient portals and inbox messaging was promised to help improve patient care and foster convenience for both the doctor and the patient. With just a few quick taps on their mobile apps or through a patient portal online, a patient can quickly get in touch with their physician’s office and leave a message or send a query. However, this concept has evolved over the years into a much larger administrative crisis, where patients feel dissatisfied with the responses they often get and doctors have to spend hours of time after work to keep up with and respond to messages.