The Confusion of How and Where to Get Test Results

By Nan Hart

3 min read

I recently needed to get both a cervical MRI and knee x-rays. For better or worse, I asked for the reports so that I could have them for my records and take them with me to any other doctors who are part of my care team.

You may ask, "Why not have the imaging location send them?" Well, I do, but somehow it never seems to get shared amongst themselves in terms of any type of discussion or treatment options.

Too many records systems and confusing language

Additionally, my various health providers all seem to use different labs, patient portals, and imaging locations. I counted how many applications/websites I have on my phone/laptop to gain access to my records and it shocked me. I have over a dozen! Oftentimes, I do not know which physician uses which lab/imaging group, etc., so it just becomes a guessing game until I hit the right one.

I naively thought that the language in the impressions/report summary section would be written in both a way I could comprehend and in a universal language so I could at least compare from 1 year to the next. I was wrong. Each place/radiologist has their own way of "speaking" and no 2 are alike. Even with the reports side by side, they did not correlate in any way that made sense to me.

Treatment advice for RA is unclear or nonexistent

In addition, when the nurse calls me to relay my results, unless it is the most basic information, it is not very useful. This was the case with both my knee and cervical spine images. After 2 minutes of rattling off some medical lingo, I still had no idea if things were better, worse, or the same as the previous images.

I also had to ask what the recommendation was for treatment. Should I get physical therapy? Are we looking at pain management options? Is this inflammatory? Should I be looking at a future joint replacement? Cortisone shots? How about a follow-up visit to discuss these options?

A few things I do now to access test results

So, to counter some of these annoying and frustrating issues, I do a few things differently.

Ask for a copy to be sent directly. When a physician’s office calls to tell me the results, I make sure to ask for a copy to either be sent to me via email or to put it on their portal so I can access it promptly. At least I have it in my possession so if I am seeing another physician, I can bring it along and not have to wait and hope they can access my results.

Create a personal account on lab portals. I found out I could have my own account on any lab or imaging site, aside from the patient portals that my physicians use. So now I have direct access within 24 hours to any and all of my tests and images. I don’t have to wait for them to put results up on their portals — you can just go to the lab website and open your own account with easy access to all of your results. So, if several of your physicians use the same lab, as is often the case, you can see all of the results. This is so much better than having to open each medical practice’s patient portal to obtain test results.

Ask what the results really mean. When they call with my results, I am prepared to ask what these results mean. For example, "Please explain more fully what some of this language means. If you cannot, please ask the physician to call me, or let’s schedule an appointment (a telemedicine visit is fine) to review this."

By doing just a few of these steps, you can end up with a lot less frustration and, equally as important, more meaningful and complete information.

Nan

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The RheumatoidArthritis.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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Effie Koliopoulos Moderator & Contributor
My rheumatologist gives me an after-summary report after each visit, but so do other providers. But I agree, asking for a copy to be sent to have it in your own file at home is important. Too many things are digital these days and it doesn't help when you need to have records for a new doctor or what not. A lot of my doctors work within the same network and can see labs or other reports they have up, which is nice. Thanks for sharing and writing about such an important topic! There are also apps that help organize and delegate all your records.. Chronius app is one of them. -Effie, team member
L rick Phillips Moderator & Contributor
 I have difficulty interpreting data. Different systems in my area use different scales. So for instance blood sugar comes in the standard US method form the docotr and hospital. But the lab reports it as metric. Do equate the two one has to get the conversion scale. I sort of know what is high and low, but the nuance is missed until I get the conversion scale. Or last month the master lab report was changed and it was difficult to compare month to month. I do not mind change, but i hate it for change sake. Which is what I believe happens with my hospital system.
Jo Johnson Moderator & Contributor
I’ve learned to look for the ”Notes” tab, not ”Summary” in My Chart. This gives me the care providers notes, not just a computer generated summary. I can also find others, such as PT notes which is helpful. Also, one of the facilities I use releases a simplified X-ray report to the patient portal right away that’s easier to understand. But later I can find the full official report, sometimes with images, which is great to print to take to another appointment. I do try to get most of my imaging done at the same facility when I can. The Rheum specialty center I go to has their own ultrasound protocol for staging and monitoring RD. They do specific joints and a rating scale that makes disease monitoring clearer. Their scans are also cheaper. I think because they aren’t doing every single joint, just a known set for general monitoring. My doc has added a single joint to that set to check when I have had pain in that specific joint.
beckykay Member
I always carry a paper copy of lab and radiology reports to any appts. Typically the physician is grateful because i can retrieve them more rapidly than the computer. I also take the visit notes to PT or OT assessments. Saves lots of time and keeps all the factors in play. 
1. Lori Foster Community Admin
 That is so smart of you, <inline-mention username="beckykay" user-id="3130844"/>. I am sure your doctors appreciate it. Wishing you the best. - Lori (Team Member)