Policy
When laboratory, radiology and other tests are
requested by a doctor or nurse:
The practitioner ordering tests is responsible
ultimately for follow-up.
- The practitioner records tests and
investigations ordered for a given patient through a copy of the order
form being automatically saved in the patient’s MedTech Outbox.
- The doctors track the return of results from
tests or investigations when the GP suspects significant pathology. The GP
tracks the completion of the tests,
Investigations
or appointments when the test or investigation is urgent. Tracking is done through
logging a task reminder on the lab form. Nurses will complete this every time
for smears, the doctors will complete this as they deem necessary. The task automatically alerts the doctor
/nurse that the result is still outstanding. For test results still not
completed after 4 weeks a follow up by the investigating doctor is required.
It
must be made clear to patients that they are entitled to be notified of all
test results and that even if they agree to be notified only of abnormal results,
they are welcome to call CFHC and check whether their results have been
received and what they are. These results are also available on Manage My
Health Patient Portal. Patients are
encouraged to sign up for this.
Follow-up
of Results and Reports
- All incoming electronic results are viewed by
the person ordering the investigations or their designated deputy
(annotated by Medtech automatically entering of the viewer’s initials in
the Comments field to identify the name of the person who has sighted the
document and released the results to be filed or forwarded to another
doctor or to a nurse for follow-up action.
- Incoming hardcopy results and letters are
placed in the Doctors physical in-tray for them to comment and/or execute
recalls/tasks in the patient’s electronic file. These records are then scanned
into Medtech and the hard copy marked scanned and filed in the patient’s
physical folder held in the secure documents cupboard.
- CFHC Results Policy is in the Waiting Room for
patients to view.
- If a doctor is away a deputy is to be
appointed by the absent doctor to check results
Follow-up
Action on Results is completed
- If results are either ‘normal’ or ‘no further
action is required’ it is CFHC policy for doctors to tell patients they
will not hear from the practice if no further action is required.
- At the time any test is proposed, patients
have a right to be told by their doctor/nurse why the test is recommended
and when/how they will be informed of results.
- If the patient’s situation requires review
even if the test result is normal – it is CFHC practice to have doctors,
ask the patient to return and make an appointment for review on a day when
the test results currently requested will be available.
- If patients ‘Do Not Attend’ or phones
to ‘cancel’ their review appointment, the CFHC Receptionists need
to ensure the patient’s name remains in the appointment template marked
‘DNA’ for the attending doctors to see. These appointment slots can be
filled by other patients.
- All Patient results and letters are filed into
their respective patient Medtech Inboxes.
- For Casual Patients, attending doctors need to
ensure laboratory and
radiology request forms include a request to automatically copy the
results to the patient’s usual GP (provided the patient consents to this).
However, it is noted that the CFHC GP remains responsible as the ordering
doctors, to act on the results of the casual patient attending CFHC.
- Records of attempted contacts with patients
should be made – the notes should indicate the type of contact, when and
by whom.
- For test results sent to CFHC in error for a
patient not attending this practice, CFHC will return these to the
laboratory or radiologist that sent them with an explanatory note.