Dr. Howard Smith Reports

How Fast Should Your Doctor Report Lab Results?


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Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/mg_dpDydTFc

 

More than 75% of patients expect to be contacted with abnormal test results within 24 hours.  Only 9% of clinicians agreed.  This disturbing non-connect is now reported by surgical investigators at the University of Colorado after surveying 57 patients and 69 clinicians.

 

Some 89.7% of patients and 80.6% of clinicians agree with the premise that patients should be provided access to their health information as guaranteed by the 2016 federal 21st Century Cures Act. One of the law’s provisions that only took effect in 2021 mandating immediate patient access to health information is more controversial.  A 62.7% majority of clinicians feel that releasing the information immediately to patients would be too confusing while 84.2% of patients disagree and want their information NOW.

 

This study shows that patients want and need to know test results as soon as possible, good or bad.  Clinicians need to cut through the growing medical bureaucracy and step up to the plate to provide patients with timely explanations of the results and insight into what comes next.  Technology and telemedicine make that not only possible but mandatory.

 

https://www.americanjournalofsurgery.com/article/S0002-9610(21)00728-5/fulltext#%20

 

#tests #transparency #medicalrecords #bureaucracy

 

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Dr. Howard Smith ReportsBy Howard G. Smith MD, AM