Medical Test Results

[Zee09]

Sometimes I think that those people that call you from a doctors office enjoy stressing you out and purposely delay giving you the test results.

@bbhero. always has good insight on this. I had several calls about tests this week and if I was a doctor there would be a protocol for doing this and I would have only an experienced
employee do these.

Got a call about 45 minutes ago about a very serious test. They told me who they were and confirmed my name. Then they went on to the drag out this long winded spiel and paused several times before giving me the results... Nobody drags something as important out like this.

If you are lucky and are about to get great test results I would think it should go down like this..

Mr Smith this is so and so from the doctors office. Verify you as being the one who got the tests quickly.
We have great news as your tests were all normal. Quick and simple..

Now bad news-results is a different story.

 

[Shel_B]

Sorry to hear about your stress. Can you get your test results online? I get an email when the results are ready, click a link that takes me to the results, and Bob's your uncle. I get to see graphs and charts comparing current to past results, whether the results are within normal range or not, etc.

 

[ecotourist]

Problem is it hardly ever stops with the test result. Why was the test done? So if my heart's okay then why am I still having ....?

And the test result has to be put in some context. Does it prove anything, or is it merely suggestive. Does the test require confirmation? Are more tests required, etc.

It's like the garage calling up and saying we checked the wiring harness and it's okay. (Your car still doesn't run properly but we're not going into that).

 

[Zee09]

Sorry to hear about your stress. Can you get your test results online? I get an email when the results are ready, click a link that takes me to the results, and Bob's your uncle. I get to see graphs and charts comparing current to past results, whether the results are within normal range or not, etc.

Yes I do but I usually get a call before they update it online.
This office calls individually per test so any good luck may turn quickly...you know...lol

 

[64bawagon]

Good staff requires training and good pay, Doctors run businesses, they arent holding MENSA meeting in the lunchroom.

 

[Zee09]

Good staff requires training and good pay, Doctors run businesses, they arent holding MENSA meeting in the lunchroom.

Yup...
This doctor I do not like.
He is a bit manic and asks you questions but never waits for the answer even if it is just yes or no...

And often highly inappropriate...
But right now I don't have many choices due to insurance.

I am finding the PA's are far better at dealing with the public.

 

[jeepman3071]

There are a lot of problems with our health industry, the main problem being priority is focused on profits for insurance companies over actual health. We have a family friend who is a surgeon in Miami. Years of schooling and experience yet he says there is always someone on the phone from an insurance company reading from a book telling him what is best practice. My mother had breast cancer a few years ago, she had a routine scan and they said they wanted to clarify something they saw in the results, should take "a couple days". 3 weeks and no call. She calls and nobody seems to have any clue what is going on, as it had to go through several "processes" due to insurance (which she has good State employee insurance). Finally she gets ahold of her doctor, who basically had to hunt down the results while she was on the phone with her, and read them right there since she hadn't seen them yet... "oh yeah... it appears there are some cancerous cells". My mom is lucky, and she made it through and is in remission, but I think most of that is due to early diagnosis, and her being very persistent about being in the know.

 

[Zee09]

There are a lot of problems with our health industry, the main problem being priority is focused on profits for insurance companies over actual health. We have a family friend who is a surgeon in Miami. Years of schooling and experience yet he says there is always someone on the phone from an insurance company reading from a book telling him what is best practice. My mother had breast cancer a few years ago, she had a routine scan and they said they wanted to clarify something they saw in the results, should take "a couple days". 3 weeks and no call. She calls and nobody seems to have any clue what is going on, as it had to go through several "processes" due to insurance (which she has good State employee insurance). Finally she gets ahold of her doctor, who basically had to hunt down the results while she was on the phone with her, and read them right there since she hadn't seen them yet... "oh yeah... it appears there are some cancerous cells". My mom is lucky, and she made it through and is in remission, but I think most of that is due to early diagnosis, and her being very persistent about being in the know.

That is not cool.
I frequently have to call doctors like you mentioned. Weeks go by after the tests and they don't even call you or read the reports.

The time wasted could be a life and death issue...

 

[Leo99]

Yes, they stress you out. I had a scan because nodule I had was labeled and suspicious for neoplasia from a previous scan. I had to take a radioactive isotope. They did the scan, whispered among themselves, made a phone call, and then asked me if I had time for another scan. If not, I'd have to come back and get another dose of isotopes. I had time and who wants to wait. The brochure outside the scan room bragged about accurately the scan could pinpoint the size and location of my cancer tumors. It was a Friday and they said they'd have the results by Monday. Friday at 4:55pm my Dr office called. I missed the call but they left a message. "We have your results. Give us a call." I called back at 4:56 but they had a message that they were gone for the day and would be back on Monday. So, the whole weekend was stress and worry. Monday morning at 9:05 I called them and they said, "oh, everything was fine." Why couldn't they just say that on the message that they left on Friday.

 

[DriveHard]

No way can that work...

You get a call, you get one of two "scripts" one is short and happy, and the other is long and sad. If they were to do it this way, you would already set up your results within the first few seconds. The results must be administered in an equal way so that it is fair no matter the outcome.

 

[Zee09]

Yes, they stress you out. I had a scan because nodule I had was labeled and suspicious for neoplasia from a previous scan. I had to take a radioactive isotope. They did the scan, whispered among themselves, made a phone call, and then asked me if I had time for another scan. If not, I'd have to come back and get another dose of isotopes. I had time and who wants to wait. The brochure outside the scan room bragged about accurately the scan could pinpoint the size and location of my cancer tumors. It was a Friday and they said they'd have the results by Monday. Friday at 4:55pm my Dr office called. I missed the call but they left a message. "We have your results. Give us a call." I called back at 4:56 but they had a message that they were gone for the day and would be back on Monday. So, the whole weekend was stress and worry. Monday morning at 9:05 I called them and they said, "oh, everything was fine." Why couldn't they just say that on the message that they left on Friday.

Wow....that was horrible...
So sorry!

 

[JimPghPA]

I had one test that showed that I am in a category for a higher risk of a serious problem. So, they ordered an additional test to see if that serious problem existed. While the odds were vastly in my favor that the serious problem would not be there, I still had to wait for the second test results. I told them that it was like someone is playing Russian Roulette and I am the one sitting in the chair with the gun pointed at my head.

The second test results came back that everything is OK.

But after going through that I fully realize where the OP is coming from.

 

[Job]

Yes, they stress you out. I had a scan because nodule I had was labeled and suspicious for neoplasia from a previous scan. I had to take a radioactive isotope. They did the scan, whispered among themselves, made a phone call, and then asked me if I had time for another scan. If not, I'd have to come back and get another dose of isotopes. I had time and who wants to wait. The brochure outside the scan room bragged about accurately the scan could pinpoint the size and location of my cancer tumors. It was a Friday and they said they'd have the results by Monday. Friday at 4:55pm my Dr office called. I missed the call but they left a message. "We have your results. Give us a call." I called back at 4:56 but they had a message that they were gone for the day and would be back on Monday. So, the whole weekend was stress and worry. Monday morning at 9:05 I called them and they said, "oh, everything was fine." Why couldn't they just say that on the message that they left on Friday.

They have to tell only a verified you the results. Unfortunately there are people just waiting to sue doctors for anything they can. I think you should tell the doctor you called back before 5 and the office was closed. Doctors don’t like unprofessional staff. If the office is open till 5, it has to be open till 5.

 

[Leo99]

I had one test that showed that I am in a category for a higher risk of a serious problem. So, they ordered an additional test to see if that serious problem existed. While the odds were vastly in my favor that the serious problem would not be there, I still had to wait for the second test results. I told them that it was like someone is playing Russian Roulette and I am the one sitting in the chair with the gun pointed at my head.

The second test results came back that everything is OK.

But after going through that I fully realize where the OP is coming from.

From a mathematical you bring up a great topic. Seems like a combination of probability and legal precedent determines what tests are allowed and which are not. There three things at work.

1. Doctor. Doctors and associated health care providers make more money when they recommend tests and procedures and operations. It's up to their ethics. Some are more conservative and do less and some do more to be on the safe side and some do more so they make more money. As a patient, it's hard for me to say no when your doctor wants to do a test.
2. Insurance. They don't want to pay for unnecessary tests. Costs them money. Ultimately, the costs are passed in the way of higher premiums. On one hand you can villainize the insurance companies for their oversight and delaying doctors but on the other hand, they are keeping premiums lower than they would be without their scrutiny. Lots of ethical dilemmas. Does insurance need to spend a million dollars for an operation to keep someone alive an extra month or two? Do you really need that expensive test because there is a 0.01% chance you have cancer? My doctor wants me to have another colonoscopy in a year. He said, "Don't worry. I'll make sure insurance covers it."
3. Legal system. If Jim's doctor above did not recommend the additional test and Jim came down a serious problem, there could be a malpractice lawsuit. Seems like a lot of doctors recommend additional tests just to cover themselves legally.

 

[andreigbs]

We should remember that half of ALL doctors graduated in the bottom half of their class. That's why finding a good doctor at a good practice/health system is so difficult. Once you do, stick with him/her.

And I'm all for online test results notification and explanation, with a phone call as an alternative way for further in-depth info. But this takes time and most docs don't spend the time if they're not getting reimbursed for it. This is the nature of the beast, with reimbursement policies being what they are.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Why couldn't they just say that on the message that they left on Friday.

Perhaps they need to confirm that you received the message as in their notes indicate that they actually spoke with the patient?

 

[ekrampitzjr]

We have a family friend who is a surgeon in Miami. Years of schooling and experience yet he says there is always someone on the phone from an insurance company reading from a book telling him what is best practice.

How is this not practicing medicine without a license, which is a felony in some places? Guaranteed the insurance clown on the phone isn't an MD.

 

[Leo99]

Perhaps they need to confirm that you received the message as in their notes indicate that they actually spoke with the patient?

I accompanied my wife to a gynecologist appointment when we first got married. The doctor asks my wife, "What did the surgeon say?" My wife looks puzzled and looks at me then the doctor and asks, "What surgeon?" The doctors says, "Oh, my notes here say that we called you let you know that recent mammogram showed some abnormalities and you should follow up with a breast surgeon." They never called her. She had to get a biopsy done but, luckily, it was nothing to worry about.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

I accompanied my wife to a gynecologist appointment when we first got married. The doctor asks my wife, "What did the surgeon say?" My wife looks puzzled and looks at me then the doctor and asks, "What surgeon?" The doctors says, "Oh, my notes here say that we called you let you know that recent mammogram showed some abnormalities and you should follow up with a breast surgeon." They never called her. She had to get a biopsy done but, luckily, it was nothing to worry about.

Yikes and this is a perfect example of why having a record of talking to the patient is important because it's a lot easier for staff to blow it off and just say "oh I left a message" or that the patient never got the message.

 

[ecotourist]

Doctors and associated health care providers make more money when they recommend tests and procedures and operations. It's up to their ethics. Some are more conservative and do less and some do more to be on the safe side and some do more so they make more money. As a patient, it's hard for me to say no when your doctor wants to do a test.

That's just not true. I never made a cent from a recommended test or referral. I did make money if I performed a procedure myself or assisted in a procedure. But remember the surgery would be performed during my office hours and I would likely lose money being there. I liked to
be at my patient's surgery so I'd have first hand knowledge of what was found - or not found.

The hospital I worked at kept a close look out for unnecessary procedures. Do you seriously think removing a cancerous breast lump or a segment of colon containing cancer is ever unnecessary? How about delivering a baby. If we ignore it, it would just go away, right? What about an apparent skin cancer - should we just leave it alone?

I do know of surgeons who were called on the carpet because of loose surgical indications. One was literally fired from the practice he had just joined. The other chose to leave town. Word gets around and referrals dry up.

I had a surgeon bill for taking a friendly look at a set of x-rays one night in the emergency department. It's good practice to have someone else look at x-rays if you can't see anything abnormal. I never sent him another referral.