Best Practices in Patient Communication - Patient Access to Reports

[Colon King]

Hi folks - I'm wondering what the global best practices in terms of patient access their medical info.

Here in Canada - by way of example - if a patient gets a biopsy done, the patient can't get direct access to the results from e.g. the pathology department. the results have to be sent to the ordering physician, and then that doc has to authorize any results to be released to the patient. Basically the doctors don't want the patient to see the results without a doctor present.

Is this the world standard? How easy is it to access your results where you live? are there Medical Information Gatekeepers who have the only key to release your info to you??

[teri3]

I live in Ohio and I've had access through Mychart an internet link through the hospital. I've know what my scans and biopsies were before I've seen the doctor. I don't believe it's a full report but it gives you the important stuff.
Teri

[DarknessEmbraced]

Colon King,


I live in Atlantic Canada and run into the same issue. My family doctor gets copies of all of my reports for labs, results, etc.. I insisted on a copy from my pathology report following surgery. My GI surgeon didn't understand why I wanted a copy. When I saw the GI surgeon before surgery I never saw the pathology report from the colonoscopy biopsies nor any pictures of my colonoscopy or scans. My endocrinologist will show me lab results, ultrasound images on her computer or on printouts but they won't print out copies. They say my family doctor has them. My family doctor will show me results but won't print them out. There is no online portal to check out anything. My doctors don't have nurses. Central scheduling at the hospital sends out printouts of my appointments for scans, labs, etc.. Very rarely do I get to schedule my own scans. All referrals come from my family doctor. They don't fax them or email them but instead send them in the regular mail which can take two weeks or more. I can't make appointments with specialists on my own. I have to wait for the referral to come in and for the specialist to call me.

[nkoske]

Similar here at Stanford in the Bay Area. Docs have to see the report and release it before patients can put eyes on it via MyChart. Some doc may feel comfortable releasing unremarkable reports right away, but if they're bad I think more often than not they will hold them till a follow-up. They tend to not want to tell you bad news over the phone.

Luckily my first onc and I got on great, he always called me in the evening after my scans and went over them with me. He has since left, but still has access to my records and now we're pretty good friends so I will be texting him this evening letting him know I had scans this morning and he will pull the reports down for me.

[jhocno197]

Here (GA, US) depends on the facility. At my husband's main doctor/hospital, reports are available online anywhere from 24-72 hours later. At another facility, things were only released online for us to see 7 days after the doctor had them.

[Utwo]

Different Toronto hospitals have different approaches.
Sunnybrook is on MyChart. I was able to access results of my blood tests within a day. Access to imaging reports (CT scan, X-Ray) is delayed by two weeks. I suspect that histology reports are also available with the same delay.
St. Mike doesn't provide online access to patient's information. You need to complete tedious paperwork to receive copies of your tests.
However in both hospitals I was 100% successfull when I asked in person to print copies. My family doctor also printed copies for me.

[CRguy]

Hi folks - I'm wondering what the global best practices in terms of patient access their medical info.........
How easy is it to access your results where you live?.......
are there Medical Information Gatekeepers who have the only key to release your info to you??......

Hey my colorectal Canadian friend, I have parsed your question as I am also in the Great White North
... albeit in LotusLand and generic Canuck provisos would apply ....
BUTT......
When any sample is taken, some designated person of interest must pass muster on the results before they are released to anyone.
This is usually in the lab itself as a supervisor or ranking tech.

THEN ... the designated results are forwarded to the medical person of interest who ordered the tests on the samples, for review :

.... if that is your own Doc then they pass thru that office where you can often get the results ASAP ( see below )

... if that is a specialist ordained to conduct said tests, it goes to that office and the specialist needs to "sign off" on the reports before they are given to the patient. your own Doc may get / have the results but might be unable to release the preliminary copy until the specialist has signed off on the final copy.

if it is a "routine" testing ... they are often released to patients "as is", as in online portals etc. ( blood panel testing, CEA, etc. )
Hope that is all perfectly clear now Just so you understand there will ALWAYS be some incarnation of a M.I.G. between you are YOUR information BUTT ........ Bottom line ( is there any other kind on a CRC forum ??? )

the information in all reports is yours and you have a right to get that information and by extension, a "copy" of the information in due course and in a timely fashion..... "due course" and "timely" being the operative phrases methinks.

as evidenced how obnoxious I can really be :
I actually have print or disc copies of my entire 9+ years of EVERY medical record, scan, surgery, biopsy and lab test from ALL parties I have ever dealt with (time frame has been 24 hrs. to about 12 days depending upon "gatekeeper" )

= ColoRectal Hoarders Anonymous 'R Us

Cheers and Harmony All
CR

[Canada777]

I'm in Canada as well. Ontario to be specific. Although we don't get online access to anything we do request copies of testing completed. We have been able to get CD copies of CT scans and copies of reports as well. I think a lot of the time you need to take initiative yourself and ask for copies.They are you records. You have a right to them. I also think its easier if you ask right away after something is done...then they don't send you to "medical records" and try to make you pay to get copies later down the road. Our oncologist knows we want our own copies so he brings us a copy when there's a new report on his end.

[Colon King]

Very interesting to hear the different strategies and approaches! Thanks for sharing.