I can understand your frustration, but I actually like this new method! Remember when doctor's offices would just send a postcard if your lab test came back normal? (at least, for pap smears). This took ages, and I always wondered if the postcard would get lost in the mail.
I don't mind having to call in to receive my test results, as I would prefer nurses spend time with patients in-person, rather than spending countless hours a day making mindless phone calls to patients with normal test results. If the test results are abnormal, however, then a personal phone call is imperative.
Would you prefer to receive the results via email? At one university with electronic medical records (EMR), the students were sent an email to their regular email, saying they had an email message waiting for them. They had to log in to the EMR site, enter their SSN, and read the secure message (exactly like your phone call version!). The students seemed to like this, as it was safe and convenient-- they could review the message on their own time (and not have to wait until the doctor's office is open).
What are other's thoughts about the automation of test results, either via the phone or email?
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I can understand your frustration, but I actually like this new method! Remember when doctor's offices would just send a postcard if your lab test came back normal? (at least, for pap smears). This took ages, and I always wondered if the postcard would get lost in the mail.
I don't mind having to call in to receive my test results, as I would prefer nurses spend time with patients in-person, rather than spending countless hours a day making mindless phone calls to patients with normal test results. If the test results are abnormal, however, then a personal phone call is imperative.
Would you prefer to receive the results via email? At one university with electronic medical records (EMR), the students were sent an email to their regular email, saying they had an email message waiting for them. They had to log in to the EMR site, enter their SSN, and read the secure message (exactly like your phone call version!). The students seemed to like this, as it was safe and convenient-- they could review the message on their own time (and not have to wait until the doctor's office is open).
What are other's thoughts about the automation of test results, either via the phone or email?
December 7, 2008 - 7:25amThis Comment
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