Lab results

[Bucky]

On Sept. 27th, I had some lab work done to check my thyroid after they adjusted my meds.  I never heard anything back from the doctors office in reference to the lab work.

Yesterday, I stop in the doctors office and ask for a copy of the lab.  The gal pulls up my chart on her computer . . . there are no labs for me from Sept. 27.  What??  Yes, there should be . . . I came to this office and had the blood drawn.  This lab was for another doctors office because my primary care doctors office is closer than the Cardiologist office - yet, they are still with the same medical group.  They can pull up each others files on me.

Today, the Cardiologist office calls and tells me to be sure and make an appointment in February for some lab work for my thyroid.  I told her I never received word on my lab work I already had done on Sept. 27th.  She looks at her chart and it says last lab work I had done was in August.  Nope!  I go through the same story again about me getting the labs done on Sept. 27th.  She doesn't have anything on that.     Her office is the one that set the lab appointment up!

I just now got off the phone with the company that processes the labs.  I called them to see if they ever GOT the labs I had done on Sept. 27th.  She puts me on hold, comes back and there is a long pause of silence after she says "um".  Then she says, "your lab results were faxed at 1:17 p.m. TODAY".  (My phone call to the lab place was at 3 p.m.).  Hmmmm . . . . sounds rather fishy to me!  Did they suddenly "find" my lab results after the Cardiologist office called them today too (which the lab person told me), did they create some lab results to appease the Cardiologist office when they called, or did it really take this long for them to get the results?

It's never taken this long before and it's the same lab we always use.  I understand there was a holiday mixed in there from Sept. 27th to today, but it should have been processed long before the holiday ever came along.

Has anyone here ever had their lab work lost?

Bucky - who STILL doesn't know what my lab results are!   

[Skylar]

I think you're right - sounds like the lab let the ball drop on this one. I hope you get your results soon.

[Patze]

Frustrating, and I sure understand that!  Did you have any tests done that were more complicated than the run of the mill ones?  I know that sometimes I get some odd liver or kidney specific blood work that does take a week or two to get (one of the labs I use holds the results up until all the tests are completed).

Good luck and I hope that you get a copy of your results soon!


Patze

[Bucky]

Guess what?  When I got home from work today there's a message on the answering machine from the Cardiologist office.  They want me to schedule some lab work.   

I called them back, explained everything I posted about yesterday and the gal says, "oh, I'll have Janie see if she can find the fax - if she has any problems, we'll call back". 

I expect a phone call tomorrow!      

Bucky

[Meld256]

Bucky,

Good grief...   By the way, have you thought about having some labs lately?   

Sounds like a recent call to my PCP. The usual nurses/assistants who answer the phone are awesome, but they had a lady filling in. 
I called with one question: what is their fax number?  It went like this:
Me: I just need your fax number, please.

Her: What is your name?  (I told her)

Me: I'm a patient of Dr.____and am filling out some paperwork; I just need to know your fax.

Her: Is someone faxing something to us? (No, I explained)

Me: Could I please have the fax so I can complete my paperwork? I'd appreciate it.

Her: Are you faxing something to us? (No, I explained)

Me: I am filing paperwork for assistance with my meds, and I need the fax please.

Her: So they will fax us?  (No, I don't think so, but they might) Will you need to see the doctor?

Me: No, May I please have the number? Thank you. After which she finally gave it to me.  Arrrghh! I've never seen her back there since. 

[hjane0811]

Hi Bucky,

I hope that you have gotten your results and they are good. 

I had a similar problem recently.  I saw my doctor 6 weeks after doing blood work for a specialist.  I mentioned to her that I had not seen the results.  "Really?"  "Let me see". While she is searched on her computer, I said "usually no news is good news when it comes to these things" to which she responded, "with computerized records, don't assume that". (She smiled but was serious).  She eventually found the results through the lab or the hospital, not sure which, but it was obvious to me that this was the first time she had seen the results or even known that the other doctor had ordered the tests. At the end of the visit she ordered more (routine) blood work and made sure that I got a copy by mail the next week. 

What did I learn from this? Never assume your doctor has the results of your tests and don't hesitate to ask for copies for your paper file (so you can show him/her later, just in case). Computerized medical records have given us yet another reason to be proactive about our care and to "trust, but verify".   

Another thing I noted is that there seem to be big box labs doing these tests now, not your local hospital or lab. My insurer only uses these big labs, so you know they are cheaper. Perhaps they are cheaper because they save on customer service?  Just a thought.

Hang in there. Everyone is adjusting to computerized records.  I do think they will be more reliable than faxes, though, they always get lost.

[A66eyroad]

Bucky, can you check with your insurance company to see if the labwork was billed to them? Remember, when in doubt, follow the money!   

[Cheryl]

Still nothing, Bucky???   

[Still in the hunt]

they dont care,,, thre not sick,,

[Bucky]

Well, I'm a bit surprised that I got NO phone call today to schedule some labs.   

I also didn't get a phone call for results of my Sept. labs either.   

A66eyroad - I haven't seen any insurance "benefits" sheet from insurance - which is unusual, as they "normally" process them pretty quickly.  But, I'll be curious to see if one ever shows up for the labs on Sept. 27th.

Bucky

[Reanne]

I called the hospital who did my x-rays last week.  They have been read by the radiologist, but hadn't been faxed to my doctor and they won't fax me the results.  I guess it's a weekend wondering if it's a nerve or heart related causing my left arm to go numb and feel tingling. 

[Still in the hunt]

about the ony good thing about UPMC is a thing called healthtrac,, if blood work is ordered or if a biopsy is taken,, the results usually show up on your record which you can log into and look  at,,if threre not i wait about a week before i call,, usually in ahour there online,, but not always,, if you get blodwork from outside the network but still associated with upmc,, they arent posted and you have to call,,