Abnormal But Unreported Test Results

Posted by Anthony Lee Jun 26, 2009

A study published in the recent issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine found that abnormal test results are not sent to patients 1 out of 14 times.

For me, this is an interesting finding. It suggests possible miscommunication between patients and some clinics. Some patients might assume that test results, such as cholesterol levels and mammogram findings, are normal if their doctors do not say anything after the clinic visit. Meanwhile, operational issues at clinics may prevent abnormal test results from getting to the patients in a timely manner. Together, these factors can certainly result in the 1/14 rate of nonreporting of abnormal test results.

Of course, it doesn't happen much. From my personal experience in medicine and observations of other doctors in action, nonreporting of abnormal test results is something I don't recall ever witnessing. Still, we can certainly remember this: Even in a new age of medicine with electronic medical records and other exciting technology, human error can still be a potential problem. There still needs to be trust in the doctor-patient relationship. If efforts can be made to ensure this, then problems such as what the recent study found can be minimized.