Rise in Patient Portal Messages Adds to Clinician Burden

An analysis of billions of healthcare encounters from 2020 to 2025 indicates a substantial 153% increase in patient-initiated messages through online portals. This surge suggests that asynchronous communication is expanding, rather than merely shifting, the overall workload for clinicians. The findings underscore the necessity for healthcare systems to address messaging volume in their staffing, scheduling, and reimbursement strategies to mitigate clinician strain.