spicysashimi Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 Hey everybody, I had a PET scan yesterday, Thursday. My doctor's appointment is not until Monday, but I want the results sooner. I called the place and they told me it is their "policy" to withhold the report for a week before sending it to you (your doctor can get it immediately). This is borderline outrageous. That is my body. How dare they withhold the report. I've already been told I am going to die, you think the presence of a few new tumors is going to send me over the top! And to assume that I'm not emotionally stable enough to comprehend potentially bad news is frankly, patronizing. What's up with this? aaron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasey Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 I feel for you, Aaron. Fortunately at NIH I get my results the day after all scans. Here at home, we (husband and I) started to say something like this at check-in time.........what time can I return to pick up the scan and report. We've gotten it every time. I'd keep at it! Once the tech told me I could get it from my doc. I said that I understood that, BUT I am entitled to it too. Got it! Hoping for a good report......will keep you in my thoughts. KAsey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ztweb Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 Aaron, I am so sorry to read this. Urgh...You must be so frustrated. Keep at em! Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spicysashimi Posted March 30, 2007 Author Share Posted March 30, 2007 According to the New York State Department of Health, this is completely consistent with NY law. They only have to provide the information to my primary doctor. I can only get the information from him. Outrageous. Oh yeah, I called my doctor's office, apparently I have to wait until Monday. I'm writing Spitzer on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mary colleen Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 Aaron, I won't be very eloquent here: it's crap, and it ticks me off. You hang in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don M Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 Wow. I had no idea that NY had such a law as that. In my state, the provider is required to give me any and all medical information whenever I want, including hand written notes. When I have my scans done, they fax me the report when it is ready to my home pc. I get the cd in the mail a few days later. You may be able to get your doctor to tell the imaging place to cc a copy to you in the future. Maybe you could find another imaging center. I like to know what the news is ahead of time so that I can adjust to it if need be and think of questions to ask. To have to wait and have a report dumped on you when you get face time with the doc is just stupid. What a stupid law. I hope you got good results Aaron. Don M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shineladysue Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 Aaron, I can totally relate to your frustration. I'm older than you are and I remember the time when nurses wouldn't even tell you what your temp or bp reading was .. It all had to be reported by the doc. You get the feeling your body belongs to the doc and not to yourself... I fully understand. We can't blame the techs ... I'm not sure where the blame lies , but knowing that ultimately the info goes to the doc, I would put the pressure on there. You bring up a very good point. Prayers for you... thank God , no one can stop me from praying yet.. Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzie Q Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 My mom always got around it by going to the film room and requesting her films and reports the next day so she could hand carry them to her next onc appt. The problem with that is, sometimes the reports are ambiguous, and they may need further explanation. Sometimes, she would call the onc office and talk to her favorite nurse, and if the report was ok, the nurse would tell her. If there was bad change, she would tell mom she had to wait for her doctor appt. That, at least, alleviated my mom's anxiety over the wait, even if she had no details of the disease progression. At least she was prepared for what her onc visit would bring. The films and reports are often (in some stated) considered the property of the imaging establishment. You (or your insurance company) paid for a SERVICE. The copies are accessible to you, but not always immediately, and soemtimes there is a fee for the copies. It may be paternalistic, but it is generally better for the doctor to give the results to the patient at a time when it can all be explained and a plan of action can be discussed. I personally know of a patient that had an imaging study, and when the radiologist told her that she would need further testing to assess a mass found, she took her own life, believing she had cancer, though it had not yet been proven to be so. The radiologist had no knowledge of her extreme anxiety disorder, but her primary doctor did, and certainly would have had a much different discussion with her on the matter. I am not pointing a finger of blame here, just trying to illustrate that certail people are not equipped to discern what that information means, and make assumptions based on ignorance. It's funny, but it does seems every specialty of medicine protects the patient charts from the patient like they are top secret, EXCEPT for the oncology specialty! I've found them to be very open with their patient's access to reports, and many will, on request, automatically send copies of all labs and other test results to the patient after the doctor has signed off that he/she has reviewed the results and has followed up with notification (ie, called the patient with results or intend to discuss them at the next appt). ~Karen PS Aaron, I hope you receive a good report! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missyk Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 It seems the consensus is: WHAT???? And I agree!! It is completely unacceptable to not have access to your own medical record immediately!! I'm furious for you! I hope that when you can pry the report from someone ( ) that it's good news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyr Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 Hi Aaron, can't add to what's already been said. It's Your Body, Your $$$ & Your Scan. Best wishes for a good report. Good Luck & God Bless wendy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley (MLC) Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 Hi Aaron, this won't help for now, but talk to your Dr. and make sure that he clears it with the center so that in the future all test results are sent to you, if you desire them. My husband trained in NY and is a Physician here in Nevada and he tells me that the patients are allowed to have their test results sent directly to them (you may be charged if copies are necessary). Also, you usually can't get results the same day as they have to be read and dictated, but after that there shouldn't be a problem. I went through this the other day with my mom. She lives in NY and had a CT done (Tuesday) I made sure that she filled out a form requesting results be faxed to my husband here at the house and we received them the next day. I'm sure that you are more than capable of reading your results....I wouldn't want my mom to read hers, but I also didn't want her to have to wait a week to receive the results from the Dr. Anyway, I hope things go better with future test results for you. It's unbelieveable that they are doing this to you. Shelley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbara5452 Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 Aaron, I work for a Dr. all he has to do is write on the order "Give patient results" and I too would be angry, Its your body and you should have the right to know what is going on ASAP. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fillise Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 AAron--AARRGGHH! My mom had scans yesterday too for intense back pain and we won't know anything until Thursday. She is in NC and I am driving up on Wed. so that I can go with her. The waiting sucks. I sympathize with you!--Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick C Posted April 2, 2007 Share Posted April 2, 2007 That's just plain odd!!! I can understand your frustrations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maryanne Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 I think you may have heard something by now. Please let us know your results. OOPS. I just read in a different post that it progessed. I am so sorry. I hope the next step proves to be better news. Maryanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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