topic Re: Another medical mistake in Community Chat

Another medical mistake

Shorty2U — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:41:27 GMT

I don't have much confidence in the medical field these days. From all the stories we hear about (Joan for one) and things I have personally been through w my dad before he died. And my son in laws mother who died @ 40 on the hospitals clock (long story, heart problems).

Now my best friends husband.

He had numerous tests late last week (including heart tests and xrays) due to him feeling tired and short of breath.

Well NO ONE called with the results.

They waited out the week end thinking someone will call Monday, or no news is good news.

Well....Monday he got SO bad that just walking 2 steps left him breathless.

My friend immediately took him to the ER.

After testing at the hospital they said his lungs were barely functioning, and he has congestive heart failure! The hospital sent for his tests from last week AND they stated this showed up on his recent tests a week ago but as I said no one called to tell him!

Thank GOD she got him to the ER and he is now doing a bit better since he is hospitalized and on oxygen and receiving treatment.

I felt so bad last night when my friend called me. She was choked up while telling me this. They have been married a long time and are inseparable.

I pray he will be ok and I told her I would tell those heart Dr.'s off. Because she told me "as of last night" NO heart Dr.'s were in to see him. Id have them paged and they would get a piece of my mind (but I didn't say anymore other than Id tell them off, after she said they weren't in yet because I was just trying to be "here" for her and let her vent and offered my prayers).

He could have died due to them not bothering to get him medical attention sooner after all those test results.

Re: Another medical mistake

scotttie — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:42:58 GMT

Always call yourself to check on test results. I'll never forget the time no less than THREE doctors were sent a lab report on my dd. Nobody read it. It showed a significant abnormality.

Re: Another medical mistake

brii — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:45:50 GMT

Never wait for them to call and don't assume no news is good news.

You have to be pro-active and call them.

Re: Another medical mistake

dooBdoo — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:48:22 GMT

On 11/12/2014 brii said:
Never wait for them to call and don't assume no news is good news.

You have to be pro-active and call them.

I agree, brii. Shorty, I'm so sorry about your experiences with your family, and now this with your friend. But it does emphasize the fact that we can never be a passive patient. The medical community is comprised of fallible human beings and they do make mistakes, but they also do so much good -- and the good news seldom makes headlines.

Re: Another medical mistake

CouponQueen — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:56:08 GMT

You have to be proactive and advocate for yourself.

You can't wait around for them to call you and review test results..especially if you are not feeling well, had three tests and thought you "would wait out the week.."

I would of phoned within 24-hours....lots of patients, lots of test, lots of faxes to review..

Often times MD's make rounds in the middle of the night or early morning when you don't think they have been there they have. I have encountered that myself.

Also, often the Hospitals staff with Hospitalists who do the care and follow up with the MD's.

Somebody is writing the orders for his treatment and you need a MD to do that.

Thankfully he is receiving treatment and he is responding to it..and hopefully in the future they realize you "don't wait out the week.." for somebody to call you with test results. Call them! Proactive and advocate..best advice for anybody.

Re: Another medical mistake

CouponQueen — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:57:19 GMT

On 11/12/2014 baddest_dog said:
I just went through this myself. Had mammo and bone density 4 weeks ago. Kept callinbg for results over and over. Finally an MA called me and said the doctor wants you to make follow up appointments. I asked for the results and she said she couldn't tell me. I called the patient ombudsman and complained. An office manager called me back and made up some kind of story that my results went to another doctor. I pressed her saying if that were true, why didn't that doctor ask someone to look into this and find out who should get the results. Crickets.

I went around the block with her saying to mail me the results so I can decide with who I want to follow up. Another bit of nonsense why she couldn't do that. I called the CEO of the hospital to complain that I could not get one person to give me results, no answer there. I called the AMA about this practice since they never return my calls.

I am out of options. We are going to get snow for the next week and I hate to drive 20 miles to get them but I will have to. This is the new healthcare. This is the crummy plan I had to choose through the ACA as I could not afford the "affordable" ones. People are going to die because they cannot get treatments started in a timely manner.

Sorry for the rant, but your post came up just as I was dealing with this office again.

Your local Dept of Health...JCAHO all agencies you can report issues to..They should have phone numbers listed on their website. It is mandatory they be posted someplace.

Re: Another medical mistake

qualitygal — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:00:11 GMT

I too have learned, plan to do a follow-up. Go ahead and call. I always used to hear "the squeaky wheel gets oiled" so go for it. Call and follow-up. It does work.

Re: Another medical mistake

dooBdoo — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:07:18 GMT

On 11/12/2014 CouponQueen said:
On 11/12/2014 baddest_dog said:
I just went through this myself. Had mammo and bone density 4 weeks ago. Kept callinbg for results over and over. Finally an MA called me and said the doctor wants you to make follow up appointments. I asked for the results and she said she couldn't tell me. I called the patient ombudsman and complained. An office manager called me back and made up some kind of story that my results went to another doctor. I pressed her saying if that were true, why didn't that doctor ask someone to look into this and find out who should get the results. Crickets.

I went around the block with her saying to mail me the results so I can decide with who I want to follow up. Another bit of nonsense why she couldn't do that. I called the CEO of the hospital to complain that I could not get one person to give me results, no answer there. I called the AMA about this practice since they never return my calls.

I am out of options. We are going to get snow for the next week and I hate to drive 20 miles to get them but I will have to. This is the new healthcare. This is the crummy plan I had to choose through the ACA as I could not afford the "affordable" ones. People are going to die because they cannot get treatments started in a timely manner.

Sorry for the rant, but your post came up just as I was dealing with this office <em>again.</em>

Your local Dept of Health...JCAHO all agencies you can report issues to..They should have phone numbers listed on their website. It is mandatory they be posted someplace.

Agree with you, Coupon Queen. I would add: I'm sorry you're going through this, baddest_dog. This sort of story is extremely frustrating for the people involved, but it's nothing new. I've known of similar problems for a couple of decades, unfortunately.

Re: Another medical mistake

scotttie — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:22:48 GMT

On 11/12/2014 baddest_dog said:
I just went through this myself. Had mammo and bone density 4 weeks ago. Kept callinbg for results over and over. Finally an MA called me and said the doctor wants you to make follow up appointments. I asked for the results and she said she couldn't tell me. I called the patient ombudsman and complained. An office manager called me back and made up some kind of story that my results went to another doctor. I pressed her saying if that were true, why didn't that doctor ask someone to look into this and find out who should get the results. Crickets.

I went around the block with her saying to mail me the results so I can decide with who I want to follow up. Another bit of nonsense why she couldn't do that. I called the CEO of the hospital to complain that I could not get one person to give me results, no answer there. I called the AMA about this practice since they never return my calls.

I am out of options. We are going to get snow for the next week and I hate to drive 20 miles to get them but I will have to. This is the new healthcare. This is the crummy plan I had to choose through the ACA as I could not afford the "affordable" ones. People are going to die because they cannot get treatments started in a timely manner.

Sorry for the rant, but your post came up just as I was dealing with this office again.

I'm sorry this is happening to you What a runaround.

Re: Another medical mistake

scotttie — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:29:32 GMT

On 11/12/2014 baddest_dog said:
I am extra mad because as I've posted here before I spent more than 25 years working in hospitals. I did it all. Called in scripts, made appointments, gave out results, yelled at doctors when their patients kept calling and the doctor refused to call them back. I know how it works and unfortunately most places have replaced nurses with MA's who have no qualifications to discuss health issues, yet the doctors don't talk on the phone and the only answer seems to be to make an appointment to go in person, which could take weeks to get in.

BTW, this hospital has electronic medical records and a version of that for patients. They can put results in the chart you access. I was told by the office manager the MA does not know how to use it so all she did was enter a diagnosis of osteoarthritis in my chart. I said osteoarthritis is not the same thing as osteoporosis by any stretch and a dexa checks for osteoporosis. And since I have had 2 previous dexa scans I want to compare the numbers so I can see if there is any change since 2006 or it is the same. I have enough medical knowledge to interpret tests myself and decide if I need or want treatment. Too bad nowadays they hire people who have so many limitations in their roles you wonder how they run a practice at all.

Absolutely ridiculous. I thought with the Patients' Rights legislation now that you could get access to all of your records. It is totally frustrating when dealing with people who don't know as much as you do about your own condition. Keep trying. Maybe if you hound them enough they will give it to you. Also, I like to FAX things. FAX to the doctor. Send a registered letter to the DOCTOR perhaps?

Re: Another medical mistake

dooBdoo — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:33:15 GMT

On 11/12/2014 baddest_dog said:
I am extra mad because as I've posted here before I spent more than 25 years working in hospitals. I did it all. Called in scripts, made appointments, gave out results, yelled at doctors when their patients kept calling and the doctor refused to call them back. I know how it works and unfortunately most places have replaced nurses with MA's who have no qualifications to discuss health issues, yet the doctors don't talk on the phone and the only answer seems to be to make an appointment to go in person, which could take weeks to get in.

BTW, this hospital has electronic medical records and a version of that for patients. They can put results in the chart you access. I was told by the office manager the MA does not know how to use it so all she did was enter a diagnosis of osteoarthritis in my chart. I said osteoarthritis is not the same thing as osteoporosis by any stretch and a dexa checks for osteoporosis. And since I have had 2 previous dexa scans I want to compare the numbers so I can see if there is any change since 2006 or it is the same. I have enough medical knowledge to interpret tests myself and decide if I need or want treatment. Too bad nowadays they hire people who have so many limitations in their roles you wonder how they run a practice at all.

If I remember correctly from another thread (many weeks ago) you and I have something in common -- working in developing an EMR/EHR. It's a mixed bag for sure, as are some of the hiring practices. I wish you well with this, bd.

Re: Another medical mistake

scotttie — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:34:03 GMT

On 11/12/2014 baddest_dog said:
thanks Scottie, I will have to go in person and make a STINK.

Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

Re: Another medical mistake

redtabby — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:39:05 GMT

baddest dog, you said the MA told you that the doctor wanted a follow up. I do not understand why you did not schedule it. Twenty miles is not all that far, I used to commute 90 miles round trip to work everyday. The doctor will then give you the results. I have never had a doctor refuse to give me a hardcopy of test results when I ask in person. I even have images of all my mamograms.

Re: Another medical mistake

lovescats — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:40:46 GMT

As hard as this is for your friend and her husband to go thru this I think there has to be something missing. Did your friend's husband have any clue there was anything wrong with his lungs? I think a lot times people do not want to know the results because they already know what they are going to be.

Re: Another medical mistake

CatsyCline — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:49:34 GMT

i would have made the follow-up appointment. if the results are benign i receive a letter. my pcp and obgyn has an independant off-site lab do the tests and do not give the detailed results directly so i need to pick up the results in person and my ins is aca too.

Re: Another medical mistake

ROMARY — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 19:57:59 GMT

Anyone have any problems with professionals not paying attention to side effects re: some meds? Not with me, but with a few friends. Seems as though (to me, anyway) they just won't 'accept' complaints as legitimate, (even when stated on the meds info). Are they being 'forced' to prescribe certain meds, no matter what? This is a topic of conversation many, many times, and I really don't have an answer to give them.

Re: Another medical mistake

ROMARY — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 20:00:15 GMT

They used to (maybe still do) mail computer LAB results a couple or so days later. All electronic, all they do is 'push a button'. Takes a second, or maybe it's even automatic. . . . . EDITED to state "LAB results". Sorry for not specifying 'LAB'.

Re: Another medical mistake

chrystaltree — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 20:01:54 GMT

.....the lesson to be learned from this story is don't ever sit and wait around for a doctor's office to call you with the results of tests. Most people don't do that anymore. My doc always tells me when the results should be in and she always says that if no one calls with the results, I should call and speak with her or with the nurse practioner. And.....I always have to call for the results because no one ever calls me back. That's just the way it goes in medicine today. Someone spoke about poorly trained personnel in doctor's offices. Well, she hit that nail right on the head! Those young women you see sitting at the front desk aren't like the receptionists, medical secretaries and office nurses from years ago. They can appointments and call insurance companies but they have no medical training, so they can't call patients with test results. And the clinicians often get bogged down with non medical issues. Like arguing with insurance companies and writing letters of medical necessity and filling out school forms and filling out Social Security disability forms and a host of other tasks. Things fall through the cracks. We have to be more proactive and vigilant about our own healthcare.

Re: Another medical mistake

chrystaltree — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 20:06:35 GMT

On 11/12/2014 ROMARY said:
They used to (maybe still do) mail computer results a couple or so days later. All electronic, all they do is 'push a button'. Takes a second, or maybe it's even automatic.

I can only speak for the docs I see. Yes, they do send printouts but not within days. I usually get the printouts weeks after my appointment. Long after I have already called and got the results. It's not a matter of someone just "pushing a button" and mailing the report off. A clinician has to review the reports first to verify accuracy and verify that the report actually belongs to that patient....after that happens, office staff mail it off. That's where the delays happen, waiting for a clinician to review the reports.

Re: Another medical mistake

NoelSeven — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 20:09:00 GMT

Why didn't your friend call?

Mistakes are made all the time, in every profession. When it comes to your health or the health of a loved one, you have to be proactive.

For sure, I don't understand why your friend sat around so long, watching her husband's health deteriorate while she did nothing.