Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Erm, that's a very unique "test result"...

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Erm, that's a very unique "test result"...

    I get a letter in the mail the other day from my GP clinic saying that I had some tests done recently and the GP mentioned in the letter wanted to discuss them with me. I was VERY confused, since the last two times I'd gone to the GP clinic did not involve any pathology tests being done at all. (the last time I'd had blood drawn in fact was shortly after I started my job at the hospital so they could check to see if I was immune to measles, mumps, German measles and chickenpox - thankfully I still am)

    So, I give it a day or two, then go in and visit the GP clinic. When I get to the reception counter, I handed over my Medicare card to them and explained I'd had a letter and was very confused as to what tests she wanted to talk to me about. Receptionist was also confused and said she'd go and talk to the GP in question. She does, then comes back and apologises profusely on behalf of said GP.

    Basically, one of the conditions for anyone being able to get subsidised psychologist and psychiatrist visits on Medicare is that they need to have a care plan from their GP and you need to get this renewed on an annual basis by visiting said GP. I am on one for my ADHD and anxiety issues.

    In this case, it had come up to that time for me to renew my care plan, but the practice didn't have a letter template which stated this. Rather than create one, they instead opted to use the "you have test results to discuss" template and sent that out instead.

    I did give feedback that maybe they need to create a template for that purpose, got my appointment booked and went on my merry way. Luckily I could actually empathise on this one, because I could just as easily see how this could have frightened someone badly. (and it actually did freak me out a bit as well)

  • #2
    And no one thought to take the initiative to create a new template? I do it all the time!
    My son thinks I'm Lucifer Morningstar. I'm not sure he's wrong.

    Comment


    • #3
      Quoth YamiNoHime View Post
      And no one thought to take the initiative to create a new template? I do it all the time!
      The last uppity peasant had their piles treated with this surgical tool: Click image for larger version

Name:	34960_No 254 Reamer_72dpi.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	11.0 KB
ID:	2030798
      I am not an a**hole. I am a hemorrhoid. I irritate a**holes!
      Procrastination: Forward planning to insure there is something to do tomorrow.
      Derails threads faster than a pocket nuke.

      Comment


      • #4
        My doctor has the "I'll call you with the results no matter what" policy. Freaks you out when you are suspectable to tumors and it was a brain MRI. Thankfully the results are what we knew already.. I have a brain.

        Comment


        • #5
          Quoth Sandman View Post
          My doctor has the "I'll call you with the results no matter what" policy. Freaks you out when you are suspectable to tumors and it was a brain MRI. Thankfully the results are what we knew already.. I have a brain.
          The clinic I go to now, the one I used to go to (only stopped because I moved) and the one I used to see back home all had a policy that they would only contact you if there was a reason to discuss the result.

          Comment


          • #6
            The doctor I work for, anytime he does tests or sends a patient for tests, schedules an appointment for a visit. This way he can show them any results and discuss anything that shows up, good, bad, or indifferent.
            My son thinks I'm Lucifer Morningstar. I'm not sure he's wrong.

            Comment


            • #7
              I often get contacted by my GP to discuss test results they've received from the hospital... when I'm an in-patient at the time and have not only already learned the results, but started treatment! (I really should fill in the blanks sometime, I don't post work stories anymore because I've not worked for two years now...)
              This was one of those times where my mouth says "have a nice day" but my brain says "go step on a Lego". - RegisterAce
              I can't make something magically appear to fulfill all your hopes and dreams. Believe me, if I could I'd be the first person I'd help. - Trixie

              Comment


              • #8
                Quoth YamiNoHime View Post
                And no one thought to take the initiative to create a new template? I do it all the time!
                To be fair on this particular clinic, they get a large number of patients who don't have English as their first language, so my guess is that it didn't happen often enough to warrant a template to begin with or they did have a template, found that a lot of their patients would still ignore the letter (or misinterpret "care plan" as something else) and figured that saying "test results" would get their attention.

                While I was freaking out at the time, looking back now, I can kind of understand how it might've happened and don't blame the clinic too much. I'm due to go back there tomorrow for that followup visit, so I'll raise it with her.

                Comment


                • #9
                  I found my most recent test results on the patient portal. I was on it for something else and I happened to see the message. My results were normal so I went on about my life. But then I got a voicemail from the nurse at my doctor's office stating something about test results and that freaked me out a little bit. I thought they'd found something bad. It turns out she was just letting me know that the results had been released to the online.
                  "Is it hot in here to you? It's very warm, isn't it?"--Nero, probably

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Followup: saw the actual GP the other day. Poor GP did apologise for the confusion, but also explained that they couldn't get too specific on their letters for various privacy reasons (and since the care plan in question is primarily for psychiatric reasons, I can understand where they're coming from), so "test results" was their go-to.

                    Got my care plan all sorted and suggested some wording that's still vague but makes things clearer.

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X