When it Comes to Follow Up, Take the Lead

Have you ever had blood work done with your doctor? He takes your blood and then asks you to call back a few days later for the results. If you have, then I have an important question for you.

Do you make that call or do you assume the doctor’s office will call you if there’s a problem?

If you’re like a lot of people, you mean to make the call, but you don’t worry too much about it. After all, if there’s a problem, it’s a sure thing that your doctor will call you. But new research shows that isn’t true.

A study published in Archives of Internal Medicine found that it’s commonplace for doctor’s offices to overlook follow up calls. This happens routinely even if there’s something problematic in your test results. The researchers estimate that 1 in 14 tests don’t receive any follow up, regardless if the test is normal or not.

This is alarming if you think about it. In so many diseases early treatment can make a big difference to the end result. Early treatment can mean a better quality of life and a longer life. To get early treatment, though, you have to know there’s a problem.

Based on this study, I hope you realize that you need to be proactive about your test results. It’s up to you to follow up. If you’re having tests done, before you even leave the doctor’s office write a reminder in your calendar to follow up regarding test results. If you don’t carry a calendar with you, set an alarm on your cell phone to remind you to call the doctor for your results. If you don’t have a cell phone, ask the doctor if you can call use the phone. Then call your home voice mail and leave a reminder for yourself.

The best way not to forget something important is to create a reminder for it right when you’re thinking about it. Your test results are very important, so take a moment to make sure you’ll remember to call and find out what they are.

Stay well,
Danny Wallace