Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Those of you who regularly deal with medical administration...
...on behalf of a loved one for whom you care, or, perhaps, even yourself, will appreciate the following playlet:
A True Story
It happened today, just about an hour ago.
The standing monthly prescription we have at the local lab for Mom's CBCs was written 6/14/04 and specifically said that a copy was to be "given" to the patient's daughter, Gail Rae Hudson. We've been getting blood draws off this prescription since then. The draw taken last Friday, 1/21/05, was on this prescription.
When we left the lab I saw, on the counter, the order, with distribution information, bolded and highlighted in yellow, as follows: Fax copy to PCP [faxing info]; copy to Gail Rae Hudson, pt daughter. The last conversation I had with the receptionist ["I am here to help you" (and she truly is the only one there who helps)] was as follows:
"Should we mail your copy?"
"Yes. That'll be fine. I'll see the results Monday, anyway."
So, today is Wednesday, I've seen the results at the doctor's office and I refused a copy at our Mesa PCP because I knew one would be waiting for me in the mail when we arrived home, as always happens.
I was wrong. No report.
I called the lab. First, I was transferred to billing. When the billing clerk finally understood that, as I told her, she probably couldn't help me, she takes a phone number and promised a call back from "the proper department".
I didn't expect a call back and made a mental note to recall around 1500. But, blessed cynic that I am, I received a call back in less than an hour.
The call was from a lab employee who patiently (pun not intended but probably appropriate) explained to me that the prescription reads as follows (his interpretive version): "'pt daughter to receive copy of results 6/14/04'. This prescription only authorizes you to copies of the lab results for that date's draw."
I couldn't believe my ears. I was almost laughing, helplessly. "No, no," I said in what I hoped was a helpful, patient (pun not intended but probably appropriate) tone, "that's the date of the prescription, the date the prescription was written by the doctor!"
There is a moment of silence. One of us might be praying.
"M'am, according to this prescription and current Federal HIPPA regulations governing the dispersal of medical information..."
"No, but, you see, you always send me these lab reports, so I can make decisions regarding whether to take her to see her doctor in Mesa, every month, you always mail them, the last time was in September..."
"According to this, as written, m'am, you are only allowed copies of the results from the blood draw of 6/14/04."
I quickly researched my computer. "There was no such draw."
I heard a familiar, receptionisty voice behind him.
"...hold on..."
Two moments of silence.
"Yes. Yes m'am. I see. Yes, so she's right. So, you're right. Do you want to pick up that copy or have it mailed?"
I had a sinking sense of deja vu but I answered, "mail it please?"
I allowed him to determine that my mother and I live at the same address, same phone number, and I shuddered because I was thinking I'll have to go through this again on the fresh prescription.
I'm thinking I'm going to publish the comparison I did, probably over at the Mom's Tests & Meds site, of her BUN and Creatinine readings since I've been collecting her medical records. There has been a trend, as I recall, toward high BUN and Creatinine levels, although all I could ever get any doctor to say was, "Her kidney functions are good."
To which I would respond, "So, she just, you know," delivered at a comic slant, "'runs high'?"
Yes. What the hell does that mean?!? Well, now I know what it means. Although her kidneys are functioning well, they are in chronic failure.
"A pleasant way to die."
Later.
A True Story
It happened today, just about an hour ago.
The standing monthly prescription we have at the local lab for Mom's CBCs was written 6/14/04 and specifically said that a copy was to be "given" to the patient's daughter, Gail Rae Hudson. We've been getting blood draws off this prescription since then. The draw taken last Friday, 1/21/05, was on this prescription.
When we left the lab I saw, on the counter, the order, with distribution information, bolded and highlighted in yellow, as follows: Fax copy to PCP [faxing info]; copy to Gail Rae Hudson, pt daughter. The last conversation I had with the receptionist ["I am here to help you" (and she truly is the only one there who helps)] was as follows:
"Should we mail your copy?"
"Yes. That'll be fine. I'll see the results Monday, anyway."
So, today is Wednesday, I've seen the results at the doctor's office and I refused a copy at our Mesa PCP because I knew one would be waiting for me in the mail when we arrived home, as always happens.
I was wrong. No report.
I called the lab. First, I was transferred to billing. When the billing clerk finally understood that, as I told her, she probably couldn't help me, she takes a phone number and promised a call back from "the proper department".
I didn't expect a call back and made a mental note to recall around 1500. But, blessed cynic that I am, I received a call back in less than an hour.
The call was from a lab employee who patiently (pun not intended but probably appropriate) explained to me that the prescription reads as follows (his interpretive version): "'pt daughter to receive copy of results 6/14/04'. This prescription only authorizes you to copies of the lab results for that date's draw."
I couldn't believe my ears. I was almost laughing, helplessly. "No, no," I said in what I hoped was a helpful, patient (pun not intended but probably appropriate) tone, "that's the date of the prescription, the date the prescription was written by the doctor!"
There is a moment of silence. One of us might be praying.
"M'am, according to this prescription and current Federal HIPPA regulations governing the dispersal of medical information..."
"No, but, you see, you always send me these lab reports, so I can make decisions regarding whether to take her to see her doctor in Mesa, every month, you always mail them, the last time was in September..."
"According to this, as written, m'am, you are only allowed copies of the results from the blood draw of 6/14/04."
I quickly researched my computer. "There was no such draw."
I heard a familiar, receptionisty voice behind him.
"...hold on..."
Two moments of silence.
"Yes. Yes m'am. I see. Yes, so she's right. So, you're right. Do you want to pick up that copy or have it mailed?"
I had a sinking sense of deja vu but I answered, "mail it please?"
I allowed him to determine that my mother and I live at the same address, same phone number, and I shuddered because I was thinking I'll have to go through this again on the fresh prescription.
I'm thinking I'm going to publish the comparison I did, probably over at the Mom's Tests & Meds site, of her BUN and Creatinine readings since I've been collecting her medical records. There has been a trend, as I recall, toward high BUN and Creatinine levels, although all I could ever get any doctor to say was, "Her kidney functions are good."
To which I would respond, "So, she just, you know," delivered at a comic slant, "'runs high'?"
Yes. What the hell does that mean?!? Well, now I know what it means. Although her kidneys are functioning well, they are in chronic failure.
"A pleasant way to die."
Later.
