Days like today are a reminder why I do the work I do. Why I put in the hours to do my part to improve our healthcare system.
So a few weeks ago I had a mammogram and ultrasound. At that time, the radiologist made an off-hand remark that I would need to go for an MRI and that my family doctor would follow up with me.
A week went by and I hadn't heard anything. Then another week. Finally last Friday I called to check on the follow up care. At first, reception said I didn't need to come in, "unless you want to have an appointment". I said that I had gone for a mammogram and thought I needed to follow up on the results, especially since the symptoms haven't subsided. Then reception said, "Oh, we're still waiting for your MRI results to come in". Well, that was interesting. Because I hadn't had an MRI! When I mentioned that again reception said, "Nope, you don't have to come in. Unless you want to." So I made an appointment for the next week.
I had my appointment today and had almost the exact same conversation with the doctor. First she asked if I'd had a call to come in, and seemed surprised that I was just following up on my own. Then she said, "Oh your MRI isn't back yet". So - again! - I had to explain that I hadn't been scheduled for one.
This is where it got interesting. Apparently the radiologist recommended that I not only have an MRI but that it be sent as an "urgent" referral. (Yes, that freaks me out more than a little.) From the clinic's EMR, it appears that a referral was sent. But no one knows what happened to it after that. They tried calling the MRI clinic to see if I was scheduled but couldn't get an answer. So I have to call back on Tuesday to see what they've found out.
So this is what I've taken from this experience:
If the radiologist hadn't mentioned the need for an MRI, I wouldn't have pressed the issue.
If I hadn't pressed the issue, there's a good chance no one would have noticed that I didn't get the MRI.
And apparently, it's urgent!
So, I'm glad that I persisted. I'm scared about what I might find. And I'm frustrated our system is so precarious. It is truly terrifying how easy it is to fall through the cracks.
So a few weeks ago I had a mammogram and ultrasound. At that time, the radiologist made an off-hand remark that I would need to go for an MRI and that my family doctor would follow up with me.
A week went by and I hadn't heard anything. Then another week. Finally last Friday I called to check on the follow up care. At first, reception said I didn't need to come in, "unless you want to have an appointment". I said that I had gone for a mammogram and thought I needed to follow up on the results, especially since the symptoms haven't subsided. Then reception said, "Oh, we're still waiting for your MRI results to come in". Well, that was interesting. Because I hadn't had an MRI! When I mentioned that again reception said, "Nope, you don't have to come in. Unless you want to." So I made an appointment for the next week.
I had my appointment today and had almost the exact same conversation with the doctor. First she asked if I'd had a call to come in, and seemed surprised that I was just following up on my own. Then she said, "Oh your MRI isn't back yet". So - again! - I had to explain that I hadn't been scheduled for one.
This is where it got interesting. Apparently the radiologist recommended that I not only have an MRI but that it be sent as an "urgent" referral. (Yes, that freaks me out more than a little.) From the clinic's EMR, it appears that a referral was sent. But no one knows what happened to it after that. They tried calling the MRI clinic to see if I was scheduled but couldn't get an answer. So I have to call back on Tuesday to see what they've found out.
So this is what I've taken from this experience:
If the radiologist hadn't mentioned the need for an MRI, I wouldn't have pressed the issue.
If I hadn't pressed the issue, there's a good chance no one would have noticed that I didn't get the MRI.
And apparently, it's urgent!
So, I'm glad that I persisted. I'm scared about what I might find. And I'm frustrated our system is so precarious. It is truly terrifying how easy it is to fall through the cracks.