RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Patient Preferences and Physician Practices for Laboratory Test Results Notification
JF The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
JO J Am Board Fam Med
FD American Board of Family Medicine
SP 670
OP 676
DO 10.3122/jabfm.2009.06.090078
VO 22
IS 6
A1 Gil C. Grimes
A1 Michael D. Reis
A1 Gokul Budati
A1 Manisha Gupta
A1 Samuel N. Forjuoh
YR 2009
UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/22/6/670.abstract
AB Introduction: This study assessed patient preferences and physician practices for laboratory test results notification in ambulatory care.Methods: Patients aged 18 years or older (n = 728) who were scheduled to see their primary care physician at 5 clinics were offered the opportunity to participate in an anonymous survey during their clinic visit. Their primary care physicians were also invited to participate in a separate online survey. Questions on both surveys included the current method of laboratory test results notification and satisfaction with the method.Results: The majority of patients reported satisfaction with the current method of notification of normal results—the US mail—which was also the preferred method for notification of normal test results by both patients and physicians. Direct phone contact by the physician was the preferred method for notification of abnormal results by both patients (64%) and physicians (41%). Patients’ preferred method of notification of normal results significantly agreed with the current method (P < .0001), whereas that of abnormal results did not (P = .52).Conclusions: Our findings indicate that patients and physicians both prefer the US mail for notification of normal laboratory test results and a direct phone call by the physician for notification of abnormal results.