There are several options for contacting our doctors instead of just picking up the phone and calling.
Many offices now offer a messaging system, but how you write that message matters.
A new study from Columbia University looked at more than 3.5 million patient portal messages.
Researchers say if you address your message directly to your doctor and keep it cordial and positive, you are likely to get a quicker response.
And interestingly enough, while doctors often ask you to keep the messages short, researchers say more lengthy messages, those with 100 words or more, actually get more attention.
The study was just published in JAMA Network Open.