No way a typical question takes 3 minutes to answer; just by time you read the message, pull up the chart, read the chart, make the call, talk with the patient and then document the outcome of the call back into the chart, you are in it for 15 minutes at least … not to mention the context-switching time you need as you move from one task to the next.
And I disagree that it is ‘common’ in other industries - ever try to get on the phone with an Amazon or Google or Facebook senior level developer to solve a technical problem -without being on a paid support plan? Sure, you might get some low level clerical person or entry level tech support, but you aren’t getting to those senior folks for free.
The estimation wasn't 3 minutes a call, but that each patient would take an average of 3 minutes of time in this communication channel. I imagine most patients wouldn't want to email their doctor every year, and that those that ask too many questions would be directed to appointments. I can think of a handful of times in my life that emailing a doctor/nurse would have been the most efficient use of time. Mostly the questions would revolve around "I'm having these symptoms, should I come in for a visit or should I stay at home."
I've (acting in the role of senior developer) directly addressed support tickets that were generated by user support emails and have even directly communicated with users in phone calls as standard level support. Not at Amazon, Google, or Facebook but in Fortune 500 companies and in B2C.
If you aren't talking to your users, how do you maintain empathy?
DO you actually have any reason to believe doctors spend more than 2 minutes on each message? I know a few doctors quite well and I've seen them go through the messages. They do not spend much time on each one at all.
And I disagree that it is ‘common’ in other industries - ever try to get on the phone with an Amazon or Google or Facebook senior level developer to solve a technical problem -without being on a paid support plan? Sure, you might get some low level clerical person or entry level tech support, but you aren’t getting to those senior folks for free.