I want my information sent directly to me. As I said in that other discussion, if it's bad news then I want the opportunity to get over the shock and to do some research so I'm prepared for that call from my doctor; otherwise, I'd be reeling from the bad news delivered via that telephone call and the doctor would 100% be controlling the conversation, possibly rushing me to procedures I may not want or understand. When my ability to research my condition is delayed, it's more time for my condition to worsen before I decide on a course of treatment. I recently saw a nephrologist who had a battery of tests run on me. The results were posted to my portal account on December 7. The doctor has yet to call me to explain them, and the doctor has yet to post any analysis or notes on my portal...I am 100% on my own. I have a follow-up appointment with him the 27th of this month. I guess he would have called if action were needed on my part, but that's a heck of a thing for the patient to assume. I made that appointment with the nephrologist based in part on my reading the results from an earlier test on the LabCorp Portal. The soonest available appointment was over a month away. Had I not had access to that data, I would have had to wait weeks for my urologist appointment to discuss the LabCorp data so I'd know that I needed to start the process to see the kidney guy. That is unacceptable to me, but is S.O.P. with many doctors. If doctors want 100% control (and that's really what this is all about), they need to do a better job than this and demonstrate their new & improved way of being for a period of time...then we can talk. If patients want to delegate control of data flow to their doctors, it would be an easy Portal programming change to make (as that linked article inferred.) Or they can Resist the Click.
I was reading more about this and found that surveys are showing that one of the greatest stressors for physicians right now is the overwhelming number of messages from patients on portals. I know I messaged all my doctors, PA's, etc. a LOT when I was in active treatment. It is to the point where some hospitals are considering instituting patient fees for portal messages. (Actually surprising that they haven't already.) So that may be one reason why medical personnel are pushing for a change. One physician said that sometimes tests and scans show unexpected, bad results completely unrelated to the condition being tested for. Before speaking with the patient he wants to reach out to specialists, organize, and have a plan in place. I can certainly understand that perspective. But I'd still vote for keeping immediate access.
That does seem unacceptable. However as you said, perhaps the doctor doesn't see any cause for alarm and is waiting till your next appointment to discuss. Send him a portal message and ask, haha.
I think it is a good thing but there needs to be someone reviewing and adding notes so patients don't panic at things like MRI results and Cancer scans. The notes would translate into patient terms. Terms on MRIs like atypical would be explained and also a warning not to assume anything before talking to your doctor. I taught myself how to read all the medical terminology and even read the MRI results that they gave me on a CD. Then when the portals came about and I read my notes on things like cancer, I wasn't as alarmed as I might have been if I didn't understand what they were saying before the biopsy results were in. Looking back, I should have been more scared because the sneaky grime reaper was attempting to high-five me. It is like reading monographs for drugs prescribed. Read all the side effects of laxatives and it will scare the poo right out of you before you even take it.
My take is that if it is information about me, regardless of whether it is medical, financial, social, legal, whatever, I want immediate access to all of it. This “information” to a large extent defines me to the rest of the world in terms of employment, insurance, the legal system, healthcare, etc. I need to be able to see it whenever I want and as soon as I want.
I've sent 20 messages to my urology practice since September. That's 5 per month. Nearly all of them were caused by their fault. -A bunch of messages were to tell them I spent another night at the ER because they were not fixing my health issues, so they needed to retrieve my ER records, get them in their files, and tell my doctor to do his job. -A bunch of other messages were routine questions regarding the catheter. The questions were pretty standard, and could have been addressed had they given patients basic information (or a place to find the information) rather than shove us out the door with no idea what this thing is, how to care for it, and what common problems might arise. As it is, they shove this object up inside of you, strap a bag to your leg, then kick you out the door. Once you get home and the trauma wears off, you realize that you have no idea how to manage the thing or what to expect. -A few messages were appointment requests. -All of my portal questions were fielded by nursing staff. Doctors ain't reading these things unless they got forwarded by a nurse. Over the years, I have yet to send a single portal message to any doctor other than the urologist, including my GP. I tell you one reason they don't like these portal messages...they accurately document communication. This is one reason I've sent my urologist portal messages rather than make angry phone calls...to document the crises, to document my concerns, and to document their responses. If they decided to take action on the "problem" with portal message volume, they'll get another message from me stating that once I found a competent doctor in their practice, the number of messages I sent dropped to zero. I wonder if people who send "too many" messages are doing so on minor issues they would never have picked up the phone to ask. I can tell you that the urology practice I've been going to have a number of people on staff who seem angry when a patient appears and disrupts their day, so I would not expect them to look at the nature of portal messages and find fault with their own [fixable] lack of basic communication that's a big causal issue.
I called 2-3 weeks ago and asked if there was going to be a formal write up (my current urologist was surprised that there was none), and I've yet to receive a call back. The guy's receptionist ain't the sharpest scalpel in the O.R., so that complicates matters.
I remember when I read my first biopsy report online; it was terrifying. In particular, the cancer found in my lymph node was described as "metastatic" which usually means Stage 4 (end stage). When I posted on the breast cancer forum, the other Veterans of Cancer Wars told me that a local occurrence is NOT the same as a true metastasis, which is when the cancer moves out of "local" and into distant locations (brain, bones, liver, etc.) In that case, the patient is Stage 4. Breast cancer is not terminal unless it spreads. To have true metastatic breast cancer (MBC), the patient is Stage 4 and considered terminal. But a local metastasis (lymph node, chest wall, etc.) is not. So having access to the report can cause a lot of anxiety. As far as having notes added to the results, that sounds like a good idea but since the results are lab data it is posted to the portal at the same time it is sent to the doctor. So by the time the doctor has reviewed it, many times the patient has already seen the report. My portal cautions that I am CHOOSING to read results, possibly before the Dr has had a chance to read them. It would be nice if the radiologists could flag certain reports recommending additional review (initial findings, potential progression, and the like).
The kickback from Doctors is possibly due to not being able to charge SSI for unnecessary testing. I know my heart clinic was clipping SSI especially on my visits. There is nothing wrong with my heart other than the usual blood pressure level that everyone over 50 does have. I never went to the clinic to find out anything other than was it my heart causing me to have a breathing issue with just a slight use of my upper body. From the very get go they started charging for unnecessary testing. I already had stress test before I went to this clinic. It began to be a cash cow trying to give me appointments that only stuffed their pockets and made it inconvenient for me. I have 0 blockages at 74. My problem is in my spine and neck area where nerve damage is calling the shots. I can't think of any reason they would want to keep test results from the patient, now the government is another story.
I am sure that the problem is that practices are being overwhelmed by messages about results that haven't yet been reviewed. The folks here in this discussion are thoughtful and are educated or have educated themselves on the issues being addressed. The internet makes this easy. Not all, or even most, of the patients are so inclined. They expect their doctors to tell them what the results mean and will call the offices until they get answers. I doubt anyone responding on this thread will go into a physicians office demanding a drug they saw on TV, but it happens all the time. Just remember that most of you are smarter and better informed than much of the general public.
Not sure what you mean by "kickback from doctors?" At any rate, there is a law in effect for the past year or so that guarantees immediate access to test results. Do you have an online portal such as MyChart?
I know that in my experience, phone calls and portal messages are screened by the office staff even if addressed directly to the doctor. They are able to handle minor inquiries/concerns without wasting the physician's time on minutia. Just imagine the nightmare of waiting on an appointment because the doctor has to email some whiner.
No, I gave up on that clinic. The Dr was a real a--hole, every time I ask a question he got upset. The clinic's fist stress and other tests he say's you have a 75 percent blockage. I went and had the test and when they supposedly got to the spot there was a blockage there was nothing. He changed his diagnosis to 45 percent and said they did not do anything. It all sounds pretty strange to me, especially since I had already had two stress test and ultra sounding, all that with in 6 years so I doubt a blockage just appeared overnight. No one in my family has ever had heart problems or heart attacks, even the cigar smokers.
By kickback I was talking about the Doctors trying to stop the immediate release of information. SSI is very strict in billing and the clinics try to keep a patient coming back for as many visits as possible to continue billing. I say this because each time I went for an appointment I learned absolutely nothing about what I had gone to them for from the very beginning. The final straw was when the jerk started getting all bowed up when ask a simple question. I was trying for 10 years to get a 2nd hernia repair and had surgery scheduled but they wanted me to go get a clearance from the heart doctor. Only because I had written down all my medical history, to protect me, but it was used by the jerk to make more money and they continued to try and do the same until I finally got enough of it.
Oh, OK. I think of kickback as receiving money or other consideration, like getting money from pharmaceutical companies for writing prescriptions. I agree about unnecessary appointments. The last PCP I had would force me to schedule an office visit to "review" my annual blood work results (and to push statins). I actually changed doctors because of that. To my way of thinking it was a money grab.