Community Chat

[BellaPaprika]

On 3/18/2014 focksie said:

On 3/18/2014 BlueCollarBabe said:

Focksie, listen to me. I am in the medical field and I do not believe that you have to endure another painful arduous biopsy. The imaging center will have the actual biopsy films, slides, whatever. Have your doctor or you yourself go there and explain what happened. Show them the erroneous report. Have them recheck that the results are indeed of your biopsied tissue. Those would be clearly labeled with your name, medical #, etc..

You are right in being concerned and you want there to be no doubt that the report is yours but it should not have to involve a redo.

Thank you. I feel a little better, but what if my biopsied tissue in the specimen jar or on the slide is labeled with my name and the incorrect date of birth?

Cross that bridge when and if you come to it. All medical facilities here always ask you your name and date of birth to make certain they have the right patient so I suspect that will be the case where you are also. But start with having your doctor or you yourself contacting the imaging center.

[chrystaltree]

It's NOT a medical error. It was an identity error. It looks like they corrected your date of birth in their system but they could NOT correct the report. Only the person who dictated that the orginal report can correct that. They should have (and perhaps they did) contacted the doc who wrote the report and asked him to revise it with your correct age. Perhaps they did and that person saw no need to do a revision because the date of birth was irrelevant and had no medical significance. For identification and billing reasons, getting them to correct your date of birth was necessary and it was smart of you to do that. But it's obvious that the incorrect dob had no clinical significance.

[depglass]

Listen to bluecollarbabe. Your doctor will know if these are your results. Trust him.

[NoelSeven]

focksie -

You've had good advice, I just want to wish you well

[focksie]

On 3/18/2014 chrystaltree said:

It's NOT a medical error. It was an identity error. It looks like they corrected your date of birth in their system but they could NOT correct the report. Only the person who dictated that the orginal report can correct that. They should have (and perhaps they did) contacted the doc who wrote the report and asked him to revise it with your correct age. Perhaps they did and that person saw no need to do a revision because the date of birth was irrelevant and had no medical significance. For identification and billing reasons, getting them to correct your date of birth was necessary and it was smart of you to do that. But it's obvious that the incorrect dob had no clinical significance.

This is what I am basically assuming.

The fact that in January I went for my initial thyroid ultrasound at a hospital. It identified four nodules, their size and location. Then I went to an ENT doc in February, who identified the same four nodules, same size and location on an ultrasound he performed. Then in March, I went for the biopsies. At the imaging center, they did an ultrasound and biopsied the same four nodules, same size and location. Report contained the incorrect date of birth.

Even so, I still think I will meet with the doctor.

[focksie]

On 3/18/2014 NoelSeven said:

focksie -

You've had good advice, I just want to wish you well

Thanks NoelSeven and thank you to everyone else for your input!

[LilacTree]

This conversation upsets me. This is not a small thing, IMO.

[RainyDayGal]

This reminds me of when I had to schedule a test. So I called and the person answering the phone said, "You just HAD this done a couple of months ago." I said no I did not. Come to find out, there was someone else out there with my same name (odd, because it's not THAT common).

I went to my regular doctor after that, was taken back to the room. The doctor came in, then had to step out so I glanced at my chart. Yes, it was my name, but it was not MY chart. It was someone else's.

I pointed that out to them, and the incident with trying to schedule the test. They said when I come to the office to remind them when I check in that there were two of us with the same name. Ever since then they have asked 2 and 3 times for name and date of birth. And now I've noticed that everyone that sees you, even if it's the same visit, asks for name and date of birth before doing anything.

So, yes, I would make sure everything is correct and updated.

[occasionalrain]

Focksei, I can't offer any advice but can sympathize with you. The report you got should have made your day but instead you have this concern. For what it's worth, I like the advice that Blue gave you; I'd do what she recommended.

[123SuzyQ123]

I moved to a different part of the country about 2 years ago. I have been shocked at the differences in medical facilities/doctor's offices/drugstores, etc. out here. When you walk in, they ask your birth date before they ask your name!! You walk up to the Receptionist and she says "date of birth, please" then she asks my name!! Same at the drugstore!! That was a surprise to me. I wish they had a 3rd checkpoint as well, because there is also another patient at the same doctor's office with a name quite a bit like mine, just one letter different!

OP, I agree that you should get everything re-checked at their expense. You have a legitimate complaint, IMO.