I’m very, very much in favor of patients having access to their labs. It’s their data, and they are paying for it.
The one concern I have as a doc is that sometimes the news is bad, or what seems like bad news really isn’t - but needs to be considered in context. This could lead to a lot of undue anxiety for patients. On the other hand, a lot of patients get very anxious when they have to wait for a result.
I guess the best way to handle this is to tell patients that yes, they will have immediate access to their results, but that the meaning of the results isn’t always straightforward, and misinterpretation can lead to a lot of undue anxiety. In short, if you access your results and are concerned about something - let’s talk about it ASAP.
My lab results are posted on a website called “Gateway” that we have here in MA. I have been using it for about 18 months.
I like it.
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