Physicians Frequently Fail To Inform Patients About Abnormal Test Results, Study Finds
New research shows that physicians failed to report clinically significant abnormal test results to patients — or to document that they had informed them — in one out of every 14 cases of abnormal results. In some medical groups, the failure rate is close to zero; in others it is as high as one in four abnormal results.
The study suggests that five simple, common-sense processes are useful for dealing with test results:
1. All test results are routed to the responsible physician
2. The physician signs off on all results;
3. The practice informs patients of all results, normal and abnormal, at least in general terms;
4. The practice documents that the patient has been informed; and
5. Patients are told to call after a certain time interval if they have not been notified.
