A little background info first: I went into my surgeons office about 6 weeks ago because I am having bad complications from a surgery (unrelated to thyroid) I had done in January. While doing my exam, he found that I have a large nodule on my right thyroid, and several small ones on the left side. So about 5 weeks ago, I had an ultrasound done, and then about 2 1/2 weeks ago, I had the large one on the right side aspirated. After he did the aspiration he told me that he feels that it probably won't come back as cancerous. So in his mind, he was all done with the thyroid issue. But I brought up to him that I have been so tired and have been losing a lot of hair, and I am really hot all the time. And so he goes "oh yah I forgot about that, let's check your thyroid levels". So as usual, he never calls me back to let me know anything, even though he said he would. So I have called his office 4 times now, and NO ONE will tell me anything. They have left messages (supposedly) with him to call me. They won't let me talk to a nurse about this, no one! I have gone from being a nice person to them to being a jerk because I am getting jerked around. I have no idea why they won't give me my results. And I am at my wits end with them. So I told them to get my records ready and I am going to come in and get them and find another dr. Well this was last week, and they haven't "had the time" to get my records around for me. So meanwhile here I sit not knowing why they aren't telling me anything. Any ideas on what to do???
Andilyn-I can only comment based on previous experience that I have had. There may be others on this board with other opinions too.
It sound to me like you have a dysfunctional doctor and that his office staff is dysfunctional too. This may sound odd, but in a way it makes sense. The doctors attitude and manner permeates down to the staff.
I think your idea about getting out of that office is a good idea. If you think about it, there is no way you can change the office culture to get the doc and his staff functioning efficiently . It just won't happen. So you are wise to just remove yourself from the situation. Why they won't give over the record just sounds like more dysfunctionality.By law I think they have to give you your records on request.Have you spoken with the office manager?
Last edited by osteoblast; 08-21-2007 at 10:33 AM.
Dito. By law they can not refuse to give you your results. At most they can charge you a copying or handling fee. Demand your records and move on to a better doctor. If the refuse go to the office request to see your lab results and copy them yourself. If this is a specialist get your GP to request a copy of your file for you.. I had an office do this to me. I went in demanded my chart and left. I copied it myself and sent them the chart back.
Sincerely,
MG
__________________
If we learn by our mistakes, I am working on one hell of an education.
First try "nice". I would physically go to the office and not leave until I got the results. I would be polite but firm and insistent. If that gets you nowhere, you can be polite, firm, insistent, and LOUD... especially if there are patients in the waiting room within earshot. The staff may have lost the results, or put them in someone else's file, or even lost the blood sample. Lots of stuff could have happened that they aren't willing to admit.
If that gets you nowhere, find out whether Michigan has a law on the books regarding patients' access to their records. Your health insurance provider should be able to tell you that, or your state attorney general's office, perhaps. If there is such a law on the books, use it as your Big Gun, putting the office on notice that you will file a complaint if they don't cooperate. That should get their attention.
You have paid for those tests. You are entitled to a copy of the results.
In the past, when I've switched doctors, the new office takes care of getting the records. They will just have you sign a release. So, that is another route that you can take
It's a federal law. You have a right to those records. They belong to you. The web site that will give you the most info on it and how to go about filing a complaint is [url]http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/[/url]
Thanks for the info, Helen. I didn't realize that HIPAA covered the right to info; thought it was only about privacy of info. Occasionally the govt gets things right, don't they?
