will patient receives test report

Studies show that patients do not always receive the medical test results they should be getting. Healthcare provider often fail to provide them, even when they turn up problematic results. Patients need to step up.

Full Answer

Should you send test results to your family doctor?

Frank Martino, president of the Ontario College of Family Physicians, suggested patients remind the specialists that test results should be sent to the family doctor, providing the address if necessary right at the appointment time.

Do you have to explain test results to your healthcare provider?

Even if the news is "good," it may be important for the healthcare provider to explain what the results do and don't mean. That's especially true if you're going through the diagnostic process or it's a follow-up for a treated condition. Getting test results may prompt new questions, which you can ask at this appointment.

What should the patient be informed about clinical test results?

The patient (or surrogate decision maker if the patient lacks decision-making capacity) is informed about when he or she can reasonably expect to learn the results of clinical tests and how those results will be conveyed. The patient/surrogate is instructed what to do if he or she does not receive results in the expected time frame.

Are you getting the medical test results you should be getting?

Studies show that patients do not always receive the medical test results they should be getting. Physicians often fail to provide them, even when they turn up problematic results. That means we need to step up. Yes—we patients need to stay on top of our providers until we get the answers we need.

Can a nurse tell a patient their test results?

Although there are no “laws” (other than HIPPA regulations related to confidentiality) about something like this, it is understood that the primary care provider, physician or advanced practice nurse, (whoever ordered the tests) should see the results first — they usually sign off on them to indicate he or she saw the ...

Do doctors call you with test results?

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.

How do you receive pathology results?

The pathologist sends a pathology report to the doctor within 10 days after the biopsy or surgery is performed. Pathology reports are written in technical medical language. Patients may want to ask their doctors to give them a copy of the pathology report and to explain the report to them.

Why do doctors withhold 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.

How long until doctor calls about test results?

Many test results are available within 24 hours, and some are even available within several hours. A small number of test results may not be available for a few days. Your health care team is eager to provide test results to you as soon as they are available.

Can I demand tests from my doctor?

Physicians are not obligated to offer testing or treatments that are not medically indicated—even if patients demand them [8]. Often physicians must determine what is medically indicated by weighing the risks and benefits associated with fulfilling the patient's request.

Why do pathology reports take so long?

Often, there are technical reasons for delays in reporting results. For instance, certain types of body tissues take longer to process than others. Bone and other hard tissues that contain a lot of calcium need special handling.

How do doctors give biopsy results?

After your health care provider obtains a tissue sample, it's sent to a laboratory for analysis. The sample may be chemically treated or frozen and sliced into very thin sections. The sections are placed on glass slides, stained to enhance contrast and studied under a microscope.

Do doctors call with negative biopsy results?

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.

Can doctors receptionist give out test results?

The receptionists are only able to give limited information about test results, depending on what the doctor will have noted when they were received. If the doctor has commented that they are normal, the receptionist can tell you this.

Are doctors allowed to withhold information from patients?

Except in emergency situations in which a patient is incapable of making an informed decision, withholding information without the patient's knowledge or consent is ethically unacceptable.

What are my rights to get my medical records?

Patients do not own their medical records and are not entitled to keep the originals but under the Data Protection Act 1998, they do have the right to view their records and have copies of them.

How long does it take for a lab to provide a report?

Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, laboratories will be required to provide patients with their completed test reports within 30 days of a request, but they will not be required to explain the results to patients.

How many states have not allowed direct access to CLIA labs?

Thus, in the 26 states that lacked laws authorizing direct disclosure of test reports to patients, and in the 13 states that expressly prohibited such access, patients did not have direct access to their completed test reports through CLIA laboratories. The final rule removes unintended barriers for patients to their own health information.

How long does it take for a lab to be HIPAA compliant?

HIPAA-covered laboratories will have 180 days from the effective date of the final rule to come into compliance. This policy maintains strong protections ...

Can a CLIA lab provide a patient's personal representative?

The CLIA regulations now allow CLIA-certified laboratories to provide the patient, his or her personal representatives, and/or a person designated by the patient, as applicable, with copies of completed test reports upon the patient’s or personal representative’s request. In addition, the above-described exception to an individual’s right ...

Who is responsible for HIPAA privacy?

The final rule is being issued jointly by three agencies within HHS: the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which is generally responsible for regulatory laboratory oversight under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA); the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which provides scientific and technical advice to CMS related to CLIA; and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which is responsible for administering the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

Can a lab release a completed test report?

Prior to this final rule, under CLIA regulations, a laboratory could only release completed test reports directly to a patient only if: (1) the ordering provider expressly authorized the laboratory to do so at the time the test was ordered; or (2) state law expressly allowed for it.

Does HIPAA restrict access to test reports?

In addition, the above-described exception to an individual’s right of access in the HIPAA Privacy Rule is now removed, and contrary state laws that limit individuals’ access to completed test reports are preempted by the rule. The CLIA regulations do not change the role of providers in ordering tests and explaining test reports to patients.

Abstract

Introduction: The general public's preferences for modes of communication (other than in-person communication) for medical test results were investigated. We hypothesized that patients would prefer a variety of methods to receive common tests results (blood cholesterol and colonoscopy) compared with genetics test results.

Methods

A cross-sectional sample survey was conducted. The Georgetown University Institutional Review Board approved this study, and all participants gave implied informed consent.

Results

A total of 409 participants responded to the survey, of whom 255 were women. Regarding surveys, 324 were completed through SurveyMonkey and 85 were completed on Article through local intercept surveying. The average age of participants was 37 years old, with the majority (88%) being white.

Discussion

This study was conducted to determine whether patients have a preference in the method of delivery of specific test results. Regardless of the type of test, we found that the majority of participants were not comfortable with delivery via fax.

How long does it take to get a medical test results?

When you have a medical test, no matter what kind of test it is, ask how soon the results will be ready. You may be told 10 minutes, two days, or even a week. It’s not that you are trying to hurry anyone; you are only managing your expectations. Ask how you will be notified of the results.

How long does it take for lab results to be available?

A rule has been enacted by the federal government, which requires labs to provide test results to patients who request them. The labs have up to 30 days to supply the results to patients, which they may do either electronically or on paper. 2  The law took effect in October 2014.

How to tell if you will not hear from a phone call?

They should tell you they will call you. From there, pin down when you can expect the phone call. 1  You should expect to hear from them by the end of the day on which the results will be available. If you are told that you will not hear unless there is a problem, reply that that’s not good enough.

What to say when you are told you will not hear unless there is a problem?

If you are told that you will not hear unless there is a problem, reply that that’s not good enough. You would like notification no matter what the results are, positive, negative, normal, or abnormal.

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.

Can you get results directly from a lab?

Each lab will use its policies for making the request, so ask your lab what their protocol is, then follow it, if you want to get your results directly from them.

Can doctors provide results?

Physicians often fail to provide them, even when they turn up problematic results. Patients need to step up. Yes—patients need to stay on top of their providers until they get the answers they need. You can even get our results directly from the lab where the test was done, if necessary.

When to get tested for a new doctor?

In some cases, they want you to get tested a week or two before an appointment. Or you may be tested during or after your appointment and get the results later.

What to do if your test results are not necessary?

If a healthcare provider asks you to schedule an appointment to go over test results and it doesn't seem necessary, ask why. Keep an open mind and remember they're meant to be a partner in your care. Just because a result is normal doesn't mean that the visit is unwarranted.

Why is it important to hear about a diagnosis?

Hearing about a diagnosis in person will give you the opportunity to talk with your healthcare provider about what it means for your life. It can also help you avoid the confusion of understanding positive and negative test results on your own, especially when there are multiple factors that might contribute to your risk of a disease.

Why is it important to do follow ups for chronic illness?

With chronic illness, follow-ups are often necessary to monitor the illness or see if a treatment is working.

What does a follow up lab tell you?

Follow-up labs can tell you whether your strategies are working. Meeting in-person to go over results helps you both see what's happening and figure out why. It's also an opportunity to discuss starting treatment.

Why do doctors meet in person?

By meeting in person, your doctor is better able to identify the factors that may be contributing to the undesirable results, including lifestyle, infection , or drug interactions. In some cases, drug treatment can be delayed or even avoided.

What happens if you test too early?

If you tested too early during the so-called window period, which is the time between when someone contracts HIV and when a test can accurately detect it, you could be infected without enough antibodies in your blood to trigger a positive result. 1 .

What happens if you point out a missing test result?

If, as you point out, the test results go missing, you have no way of knowing and may assume [wrongly] that there was a negative finding and all was well. It is for that reason, it is important to ensure that the loop has been closed on every test result.

What is the responsibility of a hospital, laboratory, radiology facility, and specialists?

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of hospitals, laboratories, radiology facilities and specialists to ensure that family physicians receive results and information pertaining to their patients in a timely manner , she said.

Is it important to close the loop on a knee test?

In those cases, even though the test has not found anything, it’s vital for the physician to close the loop. “It’s extremely important to communicate with your patient,” said Dr. Martino. “If there’s a particular test with a particular complaint, such as knee pain, then we go back to the blackboard, and come up with a plan for diagnosis.”.

Can a negative test be communicated?

However, not every negative result – a test that has normal findings – needs to be communicated. There are, however, exceptions to that rule: the test ordered was due to a screening test, a suspected cancer, a biopsy, a bad diagnosis such as diabetes or anemia or a condition where symptoms have persisted, suggesting the need for more and different medical investigations to help aid in a diagnosis. In those cases, even though the test has not found anything, it’s vital for the physician to close the loop.

Can you forward results to family physician?

In addition, patients can request the specialist’s office, hospital or laboratory to forward the results to their family physician prior to their appointment. Ideally, this should not be necessary, points out Dr. Charles, who said efforts are underway at her hospital to improve accountability for timely communication of information to family physicians.

Can you follow up on missing test results?

I, too, am particularly concerned about your missing test results and for that reason I would suggest you contact your family physician to follow up. That may also be a good time to discuss how you are able to learn of test results with abnormal findings. I would also follow the advice of Dr. Charles and to call ahead of your appointment to ensure test results have been received and to request the specialist, hospital or laboratory fax or send these results to your family doctor.

Can a family doctor know what tests were done?

As the family physician has no way of knowing what tests were done by the specialist unless this was communicated to them, Dr. Charles suggested patients call their family physician before their appointment to ensure test results have been received.

Why Would My Doctor Withhold Test Results from Me?

This is because test results are used to determine whether further treatment is necessary.

How to ensure that you are informed of your medical results?

Another way you can ensure that you remained informed of your medical test results is to make notes on your calendar of when medical test results should be released and communicated. If you have not heard from your doctor on that date, follow up and make sure that they are up to date on your treatment.

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.

Can you file a medical malpractice lawsuit?

Additionally , you may be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit if your injury is particularly serious. You will have to prove in court that you received actual injuries as a result of the doctor’s failure to communicate test results. Also, you will need to prove that the failure to communicate test results is directly traceable to your doctor.

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.

Can you forget to tell a patient about a test?

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 the general physician or from a general surgeon to a specialized surgeon.

Do I Need a Lawyer if My Doctor Failed to Tell Me My Test Results?

An attorney can help specify your course of action if you have been injured as a result of your doctor’s errors. Also, a lawyer can recommend alternative legal actions that might be appropriate for your claim.

What is carrier screening?

Carrier screening is a type of genetic testing that lets you

Does GeneGuide affect your health?

GeneGuide™ does not affect your health. That’s because

Can you get tested if you are both carriers?

may want to get tested. If you are both carriers, you can