found out i have cancer on patient portal

What can I do in the patient portal?

Once you are in your patient portal, you can click the links to perform basic tasks. You can also communicate with your provider's office in the message center. If you have a child under age 18 years, you may be given access to your child's patient portal, too. Providers can also get in touch with you through the portal.

How do patients engage with patient portals to review abnormal results?

However, little is known about how patients engage with portals to review abnormal results and which strategies could facilitate that interaction in order to ensure safe follow-up on abnormalities. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore patients’ experiences related to abnormal test result notifications through patient portals.

What is the most surprising thing about a cancer diagnosis?

Sometimes the most surprising thing about a cancer diagnosis is how the patient handles it. They may show unbelievable strength you never knew they had, or be more vulnerable than you knew.

Do I have to go to the hospital for cancer diagnosis?

Hospital visits are not mandatory cancer diagnosis "etiquette," if there is such a thing. Many people have a deep aversion to hospitals, and if you identify with this, know that there are many other ways you can show how much you care. If you don’t have a problem with hospitals, there are a few things you should consider before making a visit:

What happens after finding out you have cancer?

meet with a mental health therapist, if you need help coping with your diagnosis or treatment. consider joining a cancer support group. focus on hobbies and activities that bring you joy. eat healthy foods, stay as active as you can and make time for enough sleep.

Do doctors tell you if they suspect cancer over the phone?

Of the 437 patients who completed the survey, 54% were told their diagnosis in-person in the physician's office, 18% by phone, and 28% in the hospital. Forty-four percent of patients reported discussions of 10 minutes or fewer, 53% reported discussions lasting longer than 10 minutes, and 5% could not remember.

Will biopsy results show up on MyChart?

Pathology and genetic testing results are visible in MyChart 14 days after they're finalized, allowing your care provider time to review the results beforehand, as required by California law. Because we release most results to you immediately, you may see them before your health care provider does.

What type of information can be found on a patient portal?

A patient portal is a website for your personal health care. The online tool helps you to keep track of your health care provider visits, test results, billing, prescriptions, and so on. You can also e-mail your provider questions through the portal. Many providers now offer patient portals.

How do doctors break the news of cancer?

Drs. Baile and Buckman advise physicians to first ask a patient what he or she knows about the situation; then deliver the news in small chunks and simple language; and then acknowledge the strong emotions that follow. They caution doctors not to interrupt, rather they should make eye contact, and repeat key points.

What symptoms did you notice before being diagnosed with cancer?

Fatigue or extreme tiredness that doesn't get better with rest. Skin changes such as a lump that bleeds or turns scaly, a new mole or a change in a mole, a sore that does not heal, or a yellowish color to the skin or eyes (jaundice).

What does flag a mean on MyChart?

abnormalFlags: for paper results The mark may be an asterisk, or an "H" for high or "L" for low or "A" for abnormal. In this printout, normal results are indicated with an "N". Results outside the range of normal have an "A".

What does comment mean on my chart?

If you see a comment in the result that reads "See Link," this is a test that is currently not available to view in MyChart.

What does standard range mean on lab results?

A reference range may also be called "normal values." You may see something like this on your results: "normal: 77-99mg/dL" (milligrams per deciliter). Reference ranges are based on the normal test results of a large group of healthy people. The range helps show what a typical normal result looks like.

What are the disadvantages of patient portals?

Even though they should improve communication, there are also disadvantages to patient portals....Table of ContentsGetting Patients to Opt-In.Security Concerns.User Confusion.Alienation and Health Disparities.Extra Work for the Provider.Conclusion.

Why do patient portals fail?

Conversely, most portals greet patients with inadequate functionality, confusing formatting, and hard to understand health data. Patients often lose interest in these portals, unsure of how to take advantage of any of their promised offerings.

Why do patients not use patient portals?

About seven in 10 individuals cited their preference to speak with their health care provider directly as a reason for not using their patient portal within the past year. About one-quarter of individuals who did not view their patient portal within the past year reported concerns about privacy and security..

What is myCTCA patient portal?

What is the myCTCA patient portal? For many patients, a cancer diagnosis often brings with it a wave of stress and emotions. It also comes with questions, paperwork, appointments, prescriptions and medical bills.

What is CTCA portal?

The myCTCA portal is designed to allow patients to exchange health information and medical records securely.

What is the number to call for CTCA?

If you have technical issues with your my CTCA portal, call the help line 24/7 at 1-800-234-0482. This number is for technical issues only and not for medical-related questions. If you need emergency medical assistance, dial 911.

Can you speak directly to a member of your care team?

You can still reach out and speak directly with members of your care team, who will be happy to address concerns and answer questions. The portal, however, provides another option for you to communicate with your clinical team. Learn more about the Mother Standard ® of care.

Why do cancer patients use portals?

What is the impact of portals for patients at cancer centers? Researchers from a university cancer center in Texas found that the three most common reasons patients used the portal were to view test results, to respond to messages from clinic staff, and to request medical advice.

What is a patient portal?

A patient portal is a website or mobile app through which patients can securely access online parts of their medical records. Often, the portal is a component of the electronic health record used at that hospital/health system, and it may include lab reports, imaging (x-ray) studies, pathology reports, medication lists, and in some cases, doctors’ and hospital notes. In addition, a portal may allow patients to send secure messages to their medical team, request/cancel appointments, refill prescriptions, and pay bills online. Some portals allow doctors to conduct “virtual visits” with their patients online for simple, straightforward conditions like respiratory infections and back pain, although this is not common yet at cancer centers. Patients usually access the portal via their desktop computer and/or smartphone or tablet using a unique user name-password combination.

What is portal used for?

Limit your interactions. Portals are best used for short, straightforward questions and messages. Extended back-and-forth exchanges between patients and medical staff are not always effective, as meanings and nuances can be lost online.

How to keep medical records confidential?

Your medical records are deeply personal and should be kept confidential at all times. Don’t share your password with others, and be sure to choose a password that is secure. For example, don’t use the same password for all online sites or use a password easy to guess like a pet’s name.

Do portals have lab results?

Remember portals are limited in content. Portals usually contain lab test results and imaging reports, but doctor’s notes are rarely included. However, patients have a right to receive copies of all of their medical records, including their visit notes, but this request may have to go through the medical records department.

Can you get lab results from a lab?

Department of Health and Human Services put into effect a new rule that allowed patients to receive their results directly from the laboratory performing the testing. Previously, some states prohibited direct access for patients, requiring a doctor to deliver the results. While many patient advocates welcomed this change, some doctors’ groups expressed concern that this could lead to confusion and increased anxiety if patients received abnormal results but did not know what to do with the information.

Can you send urgent messages on a portal?

However, this is not always easy to coordinate. Never send urgent messages. Messages with an urgent medical need (for example, a fever for someone receiving chemotherapy) should NEVER be sent through the portal; call the office instead. Limit your interactions.

What are the benefits of a patient portal?

What are the benefits and features of patient portals? 1 Online new patient registration reduces printing and mailing paper forms 2 Oncology specific care management tools improves patient side effect tracking 3 Automated delivery of diagnosis specific patient education materials results in better informed patients 4 Secure messaging with patients for e-visits and appointment reminders reduces missed calls and visits 5 Communication tools for patients helps them organize support from friends and family 6 Social network for patients connects them with other cancer survivors for additional support 7 Services such as online bill pay, prescription refill requests and appointment scheduling results in more efficient use of staff time 8 Patient access to health information including lab results, tests and medical history reduces staff time spent copying and mailing patient records 9 Spanish language version of new patient registration expands potential patient base

What is a personal health record?

A personal health record (PHR) can be a paper, electronic or web based record of an individual’s health data that is compiled and maintained by the individual. The paper-based format is typically a file folder or binder with copies of printed lab reports, tests and personal health history forms. An electronic version contains ...

Can a patient portal be integrated with an EHR?

Some patient portals are tethered to specific EHR systems, while others are more flexible and can be integrated with multiple internal clinic systems including practice management, EHR and labs.

Why do patients use patient portal?

All respondents indicated that they use their patient portal to review test results. Many of the patients and caregivers dealing with chronic conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, and kidney disease, indicated that they also used their portal to manage and keep track of their medical information. Some of these respondents additionally kept paper records of test results and imaging reports, medication lists, and some kept digital copies of their imaging. There were various reasons; either this information was not made available in the portal or the portal was not up-to-date.

What is patient portal and abnormal test results?

The patient portal and abnormal test results: An exploratory study of patient experiences

What are the concerns of patients receiving abnormal test results through the portal?

Concerns ranged from patient anxiety and confusion to self-harm.

Why are patient portals important?

Many health care institutions are implementing patient portals that allow patients to track and maintain their personal health information, mostly in response to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act requirements. Test results review is an area of high interest to patients and provides an opportunity to foster their involvement in preventing abnormal test results from being overlooked, a common patient safety concern. However, little is known about how patients engage with portals to review abnormal results and which strategies could facilitate that interaction in order to ensure safe follow-up on abnormalities. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore patients’ experiences related to abnormal test result notifications through patient portals. The authors conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 13 participants, patients and primary caregivers, between February 2014 and October 2014. Using content analysis, the authors explored patient experiences accessing abnormal test results through their portals. Respondents strongly favored access to all types of abnormal test results, but they raised several concerns including need for more timely notification and not being able to interpret the exact relevance of the result. Respondents’ personal experiences with physicians, test result notification, and the portal heavily influenced respondents’ notification preferences. Patient experiences with portals could be improved by development of strategies to help patients understand and manage the information received. These findings suggest important considerations for health professionals and institutions aiming to better engage patients in follow-up of their test results.

Can abnormal test results be released prior to verbal contact?

There was one exception. One respondent indicated that most abnormal test results should not be released prior to verbal contact.

Did one respondent use the portal to manage health information?

There was one exception. One respondent, who considered herself to be healthy, did not use the portal to manage health information.

Should abnormal test results be available on the portal?

Overall, the majority of respondents felt that abnormal test results should be available to review on the portal. However, seven of the respondents felt that some abnormal results, those with high emotional impact or ‘sensitivity’, should be communicated verbally prior to being released on the portal. Some examples of sensitive tests given were life-threatening illnesses, any diagnosis that cannot be treated or cured, cancer diagnosis, and genetic testing.

How were you informed you have cancer?

I ask this question as I found out that I had cancer when I opened a letter from the hospital while drinking my morning coffee. The news took some digesting and I was unable to tell anyone 'till my partner got home from work.

How were you informed you have cancer?

I saw my GP on the Monday and he faxed a referral through to the breast clinic. I was asked to attend the clinic on the Wednesday and was told by the consultant/surgeon on that day that he was 99% sure I had breast cancer and took a biopsy for confirmation. He phoned me on the Friday with the news that he was now 100% sure. x

How were you informed you have cancer?

I was told by the consultant at the hospital after a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy - quite conventionally. The only thing was,I was extremely calm because I already knew, and as unbelievable as this sounds, my dog 'told' me. She had been nudging my breast with her nose and sniffing to the point I had to put her in her cage to get some peace.

How were you informed you have cancer?

After hysteroscopy and scans I went back to the hospital for results. The nurse was coming into the waiting room to call patients in but when it came to my turn the consultant, a lovely, kind man, came out and took me in. He and a specialist nurse told me and spoke to me answering all my questions for about half an hour.

How were you informed you have cancer?

After my GP referral to the colorectal consultant, I was given a physical examination and at that initial appointment, the consultant told me that he was fairly certain I had bowel Cancer. He fast-tracked me for scans and tests and then confirmed the diagnosis in his outpatients clinic a few weeks later.

How were you informed you have cancer?

Your hospital broke all the rules in informing you by letter. My guess is that this was down to human error and that you should complain to help stop it happening again.

How were you informed you have cancer?

Hi very sorry to hear about your news. I was told two weeks ago that I have brest cancer. I don't want to read any books about it. As I keep hoping it's all a dream and I will wake up. I feel so tired

What is the most surprising thing about cancer?

Sometimes the most surprising thing about a cancer diagnosis is how the patient handles it . 1  They may show unbelievable strength you never knew they had , or be more vulnerable than you knew.

What to avoid saying to a patient?

Avoid saying things that minimize what the patient is going through such as “Don’t worry,” “Everything is going to be OK” or “Cheer up.”

Does Verywell Health use peer reviewed sources?

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Do you need a blood transfusion for cancer?

Most patients with blood cancer will need a blood transfusion at some point during their treatment. Learn more about whether or not becoming a bone marrow donor would be right for you. Learn more about leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma, or the other diagnosis given to your loved one.

Is it a medical necessity to visit a hospital for cancer?

Hospital visits are not mandatory cancer diagnosis "etiquette," if there is such a thing. Many people have a deep aversion to hospitals, and if you identify with this, know that there are many other ways you can show how much you care.

Can you get cancer if you are not sick?

People with these types of cancers often have a weakened immune system at the time of their diagnosis, and exposure to a virus or bacteria can lead to a very serious illness. Even if you aren’t sick, make sure you wash your hands very thoroughly when you enter the hospital room and when you leave.

Can you stay away from blood cancer?

Blood cancer patients in particular experience a great deal of fatigue, which is made worse by a recent diagnosis. If they want you to stay longer, then stay longer, but make sure you don’t tire them out. Stay away if you are not feeling well .

How to access a patient portal?

With a patient portal: 1 You can access your secure personal health information and be in touch with your provider's office 24 hours a day. You do not need to wait for office hours or returned phone calls to have basic issues resolved. 2 You can access all of your personal health information from all of your providers in one place. If you have a team of providers, or see specialists regularly, they can all post results and reminders in a portal. Providers can see what other treatments and advice you are getting. This can lead to better care and better management of your medicines. 3 E-mail reminders and alerts help you to remember things like annual checkups and flu shots.

What are the benefits of a patient portal?

Expand Section. With a patient portal: You can access your secure personal health information and be in touch with your provider's office 24 hours a day . You do not need to wait for office hours or returned phone calls to have basic issues resolved. You can access all of your personal health information from all ...

How much does an e-visit cost?

For minor issues, such as a small wound or rash, you can get diagnosis and treatment options online. This saves you a trip to the provider's office. E-visits cost around $30.

How old do you have to be to get access to your child's portal?

If you have a child under age 18 years, you may be given access to your child's patient portal, too.

Can you access all of your health information?

You can access all of your personal health information from all of your providers in one place. If you have a team of providers, or see specialists regularly, they can all post results and reminders in a portal. Providers can see what other treatments and advice you are getting. This can lead to better care and better management of your medicines.