Page 26 - 2022 Risk Basics - Systems

SVMIC Risk Basics: Systems

do not use the portal should be

notified of normal test results
through another mechanism. It

is not acceptable, from a risk or
customer service perspective,

to advise patients that the only
method of normal test notification

available will be through the
portal.

Electronic notification systems

may be employed by some
practices to share normal results of laboratory tests with patients.

Although there are a variety of systems available, many employ the use
of a confidential patient identifier that the patient enters when calling a

designated phone number. The patient identifier then provides the patient
with a patient-specific message, which indicates that the test result was

normal or, if abnormal, the physician has requested that the patient call
the office for the test results.

Any patient with a significantly abnormal result, sensitive information,
or a result requiring immediate action should be personally notified,

and those results should not be posted to the portal prior to patient
notification. In addition, if the abnormal results include potentially serious

or unanticipated consequences, the results should be given to the patient
by the physician rather than a staff member. The notification of the

patient should be documented in the medical record.

As with follow-up for non-adherent patients, the amount of follow-up
required to communicate test results is not clearly defined. However,

there is an expectation that, because the physician has the superior
medical knowledge, he/she therefore owes a duty to the patient to

thoroughly explain the results of the tests and the impact on the

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