Monday, November 22, 2004
Doctors should return test results faster
"In many ways, uncertainty is the worst disease in the world . . . the not-knowing can be worse than knowing the worst."
How true. Sheer volume of paperwork sometimes causes delay. As a primary care physician, I receive every single lab and X-ray test for my patients, whether they were ordered by me or not. This can number to over 100 per day, in addition to seeing patients every 15 minutes. I try to send out result letters the same day I receive them. Urgent abnormals necessitate a phone call from my office. Highly anxious tests, like mammogram results, I like to send out a redundant result letter even if the hospital sends out one, just to ensure the patient receives the result.
One word of advice - never assume that "no news is good news". Always make sure that a patient has the "negative" or "normal" result in hand. There are cases where abnormal results may not be communicated, because one physician assumes another is going to do it. If a patient doesn't receive a result within a week (or sooner) of a test, proactive calling of the office is encouraged for follow-up.
"In many ways, uncertainty is the worst disease in the world . . . the not-knowing can be worse than knowing the worst."
How true. Sheer volume of paperwork sometimes causes delay. As a primary care physician, I receive every single lab and X-ray test for my patients, whether they were ordered by me or not. This can number to over 100 per day, in addition to seeing patients every 15 minutes. I try to send out result letters the same day I receive them. Urgent abnormals necessitate a phone call from my office. Highly anxious tests, like mammogram results, I like to send out a redundant result letter even if the hospital sends out one, just to ensure the patient receives the result.
One word of advice - never assume that "no news is good news". Always make sure that a patient has the "negative" or "normal" result in hand. There are cases where abnormal results may not be communicated, because one physician assumes another is going to do it. If a patient doesn't receive a result within a week (or sooner) of a test, proactive calling of the office is encouraged for follow-up.
Posted by Kevin |
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Comments:
I think the best advise any physician can give his patients about test results is for them to take responsibility to call and check on results if they hear nothing from the their office.
People should never assume that "no news is always good news." I learned this lesson the hard way. I saw a Dr. for an annual test and when I didn't receive a call from them after 4 weeks of waiting I finally called them. "I almost didn't"...Is probably the most important quote of my experience. but, since I had been symptomatic for things that could have had several results I was anxious to hear first hand that nothing was wrong....The receptionist tried to assure me that after 4 weeks, if anything would have shown up I would have certainly been notified by them. She was not going to check my records. I finally asked her "please just humor me and get my results and tell me what they say" What they said was that I needed alot more testing and biopsies done. I had stage 2A cervical cancer with angiolymphatic invasion. I ended up having 3 surgeries and radiation...it may be physicians responsibilities to inform patients of these results but patients should never assume they will. In my case, the results simply got misplaced. my Dr. couldn't have been beter about it once they were located and I was in his office having biopsies the next day.
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People should never assume that "no news is always good news." I learned this lesson the hard way. I saw a Dr. for an annual test and when I didn't receive a call from them after 4 weeks of waiting I finally called them. "I almost didn't"...Is probably the most important quote of my experience. but, since I had been symptomatic for things that could have had several results I was anxious to hear first hand that nothing was wrong....The receptionist tried to assure me that after 4 weeks, if anything would have shown up I would have certainly been notified by them. She was not going to check my records. I finally asked her "please just humor me and get my results and tell me what they say" What they said was that I needed alot more testing and biopsies done. I had stage 2A cervical cancer with angiolymphatic invasion. I ended up having 3 surgeries and radiation...it may be physicians responsibilities to inform patients of these results but patients should never assume they will. In my case, the results simply got misplaced. my Dr. couldn't have been beter about it once they were located and I was in his office having biopsies the next day.
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