Patients Often Not Told About Abnormal Test Results

I am sympathize with everyone. It is terrible how doctors treat patients, and seem to want to own our bodied and not tell us what they find. An eye doctor wrote that I have "attenuation of the blood vessels in the back of my eyes." and she never told me about it, or what it is.

No other profession could get away with this! Doctors can get away with murder! Literally! Patients need to join together. and start a national support group for every patient.

I a struggling with a disability in my legs, and I have FOUR different diagnoses from FOUR different neurologists! I need a patiend advocate to help me!

Neurologist #1-Said I have Myasthenia Gravis from low positive AChR test (1.2). Prednisone hurt my stomach.

Neurologist #2-Said I do NOT have Myasthenia Gravis because titer is too LOW, and it is abnormal because of my ASTHMA!

Neurologist #3-Said I could have Lambert Eaton Syndrome and ordered an EMG repetitive nerve studies test.

Neurologist #4-Said EMG was normal and I have neurogenic intermittent claudication due to lumbar spinsl stenosis.

Which neurologist is right? Which neurologist is wrong? Which neurologist should not be practicing medicine?

I am disabled in both legs: I can not climb steps unless I am holding onto the handrail, or I will fall over. I can not squat down and get up. It hurts to stand up. It is difficult to walk one block. I feel ill and sometimes I tremble.

What can I do? Keep struggling every day until I can not walk at all? How will I get to work? I already lost my previuous job, because of my disability!

I know of a hospital that sends form letters to patients, forbidding them to return to the hospital if they file a complaint about their negligant care! I know people who were "banned" from this hospital. I have seen their letters!

The hospital says it gives "world class care," and gets away with this, because there is no law preventing it!

Please read the book "Wall of Silence, The Untold Story of the Medical Mistakes that Kill and Injure Millions of Americans," by Rosemary Gibson and Janardan Prasad Singh.

joanne of OH 11:24PM November 20, 2009

A rheumatologist sent me to an infectious disease doctor, because I have antibodies to bacteria in my blood! But the infectious disease doctor did not care. He lied to me and said he was ordering THREE blood tests for infection. But when I went to the blood draw lab, the nurse brought in a long list of test labels. When I asked her, "How many tests did the doctor order?," she said, "EIGHT!" So, I asked to see the labels, and I wrote down the names of all the tests. So now I know the doctor lied to me and did tests behind my back! (One of the tests was for circulating immune complexes (RAJI). This test has been abnormal in the past! It is very HIGH! And no one will tell me what is causing it? I called the infectious disease department, and asked for my test results, and the doctor refuses to reply! (I think he is angry that I found out he was testing me behind my back!) Is this legal? Can doctors order tests on people without telling them what the test is? Do patients have a right to know what tests are being ordered? Do patients have a LEGAL right to know their test results! What should I do, if he never tells me the results? This doctor is very strange, because he did not know the answer to my questions about "why my bacterial infection did not show up in my previous blood culture test?" And he did not know if I still have the infection! I told him, "I felt better when I was taking the antibotics (1,500mg of antibiotics every day for 14 days!). But now I feel sick again!" How can doctors do things like this? Is the doctor hiding something? I feel very ill. Is the doctor keeping some mistake from me?

Jeanne Coppola of OH 9:03PM November 09, 2009

Many tests were run during my first pregnancy and I assumed that they would call me if there were any problems, but that no news meant everything was normal. One month before my baby's due date, the doctor called and told me that I needed to make an appointment with an endocrinologist ASAP because they had just read the test results that said I had gestational diabetes and that it was crucial for me to get the diabetes under control before the baby was born. The doctor said that a nurse had recently realized that the diabetes test results were not in my file, had requested the lab to send another copy, and they were very worried once they saw the test results (gestational diabetes is normally diagnosed six months into a pregnancy). Mistakes can be made, things can be overlooked. It is important to always ask for your test results.

Sonya of CA 12:10PM June 24, 2009

Unfortunately, there simply isn't enough money paid by Medicaid and Medicare (and some other companies)to allow follow-ups of this sort unless there is a serious problem which requires an office visit. The problem will get mush worse if the government interferes further in our practices !

gjdagis of NY 9:56AM June 23, 2009