Page 21 - APP Collaboration - Assessing the Risk (Part Two)
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SVMIC Advanced Practice Provider Collaboration: Assessing the Risk
Even something as simple as reminding the patient that “No
news is no news” and handing them a reminder card to call
the office if test results have not been communicated within a
defined time period helps to close the loop. The patient should
be notified of all test results, not just abnormal results or results
requiring action. The staff should be trained on a critical results
protocol to alert the ordering physician and notify the patient
accordingly. Tracking procedures should be simple, organized,
and followed by everyone in the practice. Staff should be trained
and accountable for accurately maintaining the system. It should
be understood by everyone that once the tracked tests or
reports are received, they must be handled appropriately.
A provider has a legal obligation to know of results for any
tests that were ordered. If it was important enough to order, it’s
important enough to track to ensure you receive the results.
Your system should notify you if the tests do not return. Once
the tests are received, all test results should be reviewed by
the ordering provider. Documentation of your review should
include your name, time, and date. Occasionally, we encounter
situations where a physician falls behind in reviewing test
results in a timely fashion. Often, the physician tells us that he
or she has reviewed those but just did not sign them because
it involved extra steps or clicks in the EHR. An unintended
consequence of not knowing the EHR well can result in critical
results getting buried in the midst of test results already
addressed. Be aware of how your EHR works so that you can
review, sign, and notify the patient of the results in a timely
fashion. Always document patient notification and what follow-
up action was taken.
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