doctor did not review lab results but posted on patient portal

Do doctors ever not receive reports from lab results?

Some may never receive a report from the lab, or it may come in but the doctor never sees it and it might get filed away before he does."

Can patient portals revolutionize how we receive lab results?

Patient portals, among other things, have revolutionized how patients receive lab results and other medical information, the researchers from Baylor College of Medicine said.

Do doctors see online lab results?

Although what patients see online and how quickly they see it differs — sometimes even within the same hospital system — most portals contain lab tests, imaging studies, pathology reports and less frequently, doctors’ notes. It is not uncommon for a test result to be posted before the doctor has seen it.

Why won't my doctor let me know my test results?

It could be the doctor had the wrong phone number, or the wrong address. To this day, we tell patients the responsibility is on us to communicate with them." But the backup for patients should always be to call their doctors if they aren't notified of the results of tests, Dunham says.

Do doctors call you if your results are negative?

If a normal or negative test result comes back, the physician can telephone the patient with the “good news,” and patients have the option of canceling the follow-up appointment. Although it is preferable to give bad news face-to-face, there may be times when giving bad news over the phone is unavoidable.

Why has my doctor not called with test results?

And in many cases, doctors may choose not to call patients "because we know that they know we know what's going on, and they trust us, so we don't call unless it's necessary," he says. "We have found when we call patients about lab results, they give us better patient satisfaction scores.

Do doctors have to tell you results?

As the patient, you are entitled to know the results of your medical exams. All medical professionals are held to a high standard of medical care. That standard of care includes informing patients of the outcome of any medical test or examination, such as a colonoscopy or a mammogram.

Can a laboratory result be released electronically?

The results shall be disclosed in plain language and in oral or written form, except the results may be disclosed in electronic form if requested by the patient and if deemed most appropriate by the health care professional who requested the test.

Is no news good news after blood work?

“No news is good news” is what most patients assume when they're waiting to receive test results. But “no news” actually meant “bad news” for one out of 14 patients with troubling labs, according to a study published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Can doctors lie about blood test?

A doctor's lie is different than a typical lie. A lie is an intentionally false statement, but it can differ from patient to patient. Any lie that causes harm to the patient, masks the doctor's mistakes, covers up medical errors, or disguises fraud, however, is illegal.

Will doctors call if your results are good?

Do healthcare providers call you if test results show bad news? They may. If results are concerning, they may call you or have a receptionist call to schedule an appointment. 4 A healthcare provider may also call to assure you everything is okay or discuss any needed follow-up tests.

Do doctors ever withhold information from patients?

“The therapeutic privilege permits physicians to tailor (and even withhold) information when, but only when, its disclosure would so upset a patient that he or she could not rationally engage in a conversation about therapeutic options and consequences”.

What blood tests take the longest to get results?

The following Blood tests will take longer:Diabetes blood test (Hba1c) – 1 week.Rheumatoid Arthritis blood test – 1 week.Coeliac blood test (endomyssial antibody) – 2 weeks.Vitamin D blood test – 3 weeks.

What is an electronic lab order?

Electronic lab ordering from an EHR can consolidate past orders and results in your patient's chart. Without having to search through paper charts or switch between different lab systems, you can quickly view which orders haven't been completed to help track patient adherence.

What can delay blood test results?

Your results may be delayed if the sample is inadequate (not enough blood), contaminated, or if the blood cells were destroyed for some reason before reaching the lab.

How long does it take to get blood work results?

Blood test results can take several minutes to several weeks, depending on the test. It is common to wait a day or two for most results to come back. A person should talk to their doctor or lab about what to expect regarding their test results.

Why do doctors not disclose test results?

A doctor might fail to disclose test results for several reasons. For one, they may simply forget to tell the patient about the test results. More often, test results can be lost or confused along the chain of communication in a hospital . Test results are often relayed between several different people, such as from a nurse to ...

What happens if a doctor fails to disclose results of a medical exam?

If your doctor has failed to disclose the results of your medical exam, you may be entitled to legal relief. You should contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible while the events are still fresh in your recollection. An attorney can help specify your course of action if you have been injured as a result of your doctor’s errors.

Why is it important to keep medical records?

These records and receipts may be useful in reminding yourself and others what tests have been performed on you and what test results you are currently entitled to receiving.

Do you have to know the results of a medical exam?

As the patient, you are entitled to know the results of your medical exams. All medical professionals are held to a high standard of medical care, and that standard of care includes informing the patient of the outcome of any medical test or examination, such as a colonoscopy or a mammogram, that is performed on them. Your doctor should also inform you of the purpose of the medical exam, and also of any dangers or side effects that might result from the exam.

When do clinicians need to add lab results to patient portal notes?

December 13, 2017 - Clinicians need to add lab result interpretations to patient portal notes when patients access their own lab results , according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. This will help patients better understand their health data and reduce patient stress when accessing labs.

What percentage of patients understand lab results?

Although 78 percent of patients self-reported that they understood their lab results, most of them (61 percent) said this was because of a visual cue such as color highlighting or bold text. Only 16 percent said they understood results because of clinician guidance.

Is a patient portal enough?

Simply offering better patient data access and a patient portal is no longer enough. Healthcare organizations need to assume their own responsibilities and offer valuable information to patients via the portal. A lack of a standard for doing so may be keeping providers from adding lab result details to portal messages, the researchers said.

How many patients use portals?

Lab tests (with few exceptions) are now released directly to patients. Studies estimate that between 15 and 30 percent of patients use portals. The push for portals has been fueled by several factors: the widespread embrace of technology, incentive payments to medical practices and hospitals that were part of 2009 federal legislation ...

What did Laura Devitt do when she had her two kids?

As she herded her two young sons into bed one evening late last December, Laura Devitt flipped through her phone to check on the routine blood tests that had been performed as part of her annual physical. She logged onto the patient portal link on her electronic medical record, scanned the results and felt her stomach clench with fear.

Does portal use increase anxiety?

These scientists found that in addition to engaging patients, portal use may increase anxiety and lead to more doctor visits. Among patients with low health literacy and numerical skills, confusion about the meaning of results is common.

Did Maria Esparza have cancer?

Two weeks after Esparaza left the hospital and a week after the report appeared on her portal, one of her doctors confirmed that she didn’t have cancer after all. “It was really traumatic and the one time I wish I hadn’t had access,” said Esparza, an advocate for the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship.

Failure to Inform Patients of Lab Test Results Is Common

Casalino, lead author of the study, and colleagues reviewed the medical records of 5,434 randomly selected patients between the ages of 50 and 69 in 23 primary care practices.

No News Isn't Always Good News

"Most [practices] did not have explicit rules for notifying patients of results, the researchers write.

Electronic Records No Help

Co-author Daniel Dunham, MD, of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, says switching to electronic records systems won't solve the problem.

Getting Your Test Results: Advice for Patients

Atlanta internist Sandra Fryhofer, MD, past president of the 120,000-member American College of Physicians, tells WebMD that "the results of this study are quite concerning. This is a systems problem that must be resolved." It's too easy for "something to fall through the cracks," she says.

Consequences of Not Receiving Lab Test Results

The study authors write that diagnostic errors are the most frequent cause of malpractice claims in the U.S., and that testing-related mistakes can lead to serious problems.