Re: Doctor's fail to inform patients about abnormal test results in one of every 14 tests

MI wrote:


On 6/24/09 11:41 AM, in article h1ts02$vcn$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Michelle
C." <michelle_of_the_desert@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Peppermint Patootie wrote:
In article <C666E527.3EDAB%quilchenapark@xxxxxxx>,
MI <quilchenapark@xxxxxxx> wrote:
On 6/23/09 3:57 PM, in article h1rmo2$422$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
"Julie Bove" <juliebove@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
62
"MI" <quilchenapark@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:C666A4B6.3ED35%quilchenapark@xxxxxxxxxx
I guess I'm just lucky.
You are.

If my doctor forgets to put my name on the
requisition, I just add it and the tests are mailed to me within the week.
We have a right to have our tests sent to us directly. The only fly in
ointment is when they are done in a hospital. They won't send them to
anyone
but the doctor, so it takes a bit longer to get them.
We have a right to them too but that doesn't mean we will get them. My
Endo. in CA was terrible. Would always say he would mail them and then
never did. If you went in there personally, they would rudely slam the
frosted glass window on you and say you couldn't speak to them without an
appointment. They never answered their phone either. You could leave
message after message on their machine.

The only time I got a prompt call back was when my BG went up over 300.
The
Dr. called me and told me to come in and get some Starlix. I was given 2
cases for free. Too bad it didn't help me at all.


It isn't the doctor who sends them. They come directly from the lab.
Many of us have to deal with MDs or their office staff who gate keep the
info. I've never received a communication from a lab. It always comes
from the clinic where my MD works.

PP
When I worked as a medical technologist, we were expressly forbidden to
give any lab results to a patient without the doctors' permission.
Doctors rarely gave permission. :-(

I never thought that was fair. Part of the problem, however, is the
degree to which patients are educated about their health. It would
never be a problem to give a result to a person here on ASD because
we've taken pains to educate ourselves. However, if a patient is not
well-informed about health issues, and you tell him/her the results,
s/he can often reach an incorrect conclusion. I don't know if that
warrants the secrecy, though.

Best regards,
Michelle C., T2

I may be all wet, but I think someone who doesn't have the knowledge that
people here have, are unlikely to want a copy. They wouldn't understand it
anyway, so they wouldn't bother.

No need for doctor's permission here. I just write my name in the copy space
in the form and it is sent to me. I just have to sign the address on the
form is correct.

Hi Martha,

I suspect that in most cases you are right. However, I've run into people who were facing health problems for the first time in their lives, were scared, and yet hadn't dealt with the problem long enough to be informed about it. These are the ones you don't want to lead in the wrong direction. However, due to our education, most med techs would be able to give enough information to point the patient in the right direction if we were allowed. We may not be able to put the lab reports in the context of the entire problem, but could certainly tell them enough to give them a start.

I'm glad you have access to your medical tests so readily.

Best regards,
Michelle C., T2
.

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