Should You Look at the Results of Your Medical Examination Beforehand?
Some of us are just curious. If you’ve done a medical test and the results are on your file, don’t you want to know what they’re saying right now? But especially if it’s bad news, it might be best to wait until you’ve talked to your doctor to find out what the test results actually mean.
Instant results are now more common than they were a few years ago, thanks to the 21st Century Medicines Act provision. In most cases, test results should be reported to patients without delay. This means you may receive an email or in-app notification before your doctor even sees the results.
Why you might not want to see test results
Traditionally, the results of the tests were often told to you by the doctor who ordered them. There may be a distinction based on whether the results were normal or something serious: you may be misdiagnosed in person rather than having a phone call to say you’re fine. In some cases, no news was considered good news and you were only called if there was a problem.
This system, of course, had its problems. But it also meant that if you were given a serious diagnosis or you might have to make an important decision (like whether to have surgery), you could do so in the presence of a doctor who could explain what they were doing and weren’t aware of yours. condition and can guide you through the next steps in the process.
Even for routine tests, getting results directly from your provider may mean you get context. It’s possible that one of your lab values was a little high, but that’s to be expected given your health concerns. Or maybe you see an intimidating-sounding medical term that turns out to be a slangy way of saying that everything was fine.
It’s easy to get anxious if you see something that seems problematic to you and you don’t have anyone to talk to about it. And if your first step is to google what you see, you may end up diving down deep rabbit holes, convincing yourself that you either have or don’t have a terrifying disease. It may be better to skip this step entirely and wait until you find someone to discuss the situation with.
Why you might want to view test results
While you certainly run the risk of jumping to conclusions, worrying too much, or getting bad news when you least expect it, there are benefits to getting test results right away. (After all, these are your results, and the law now recognizes that you have the right to read them whenever and wherever you want.)
First, routine tests usually produce routine results. Either you have high cholesterol or you don’t. So you can take a look, and now you know what you will talk about with your doctor when you finally get a call or come to your next appointment. If you expected a result and feel comfortable watching it, knock yourself out.
This is not true for all tests; sometimes there are unexpected results, so you must accept the risk that you may see something confusing or disturbing.
Even if you are expecting news that could potentially change your life, you may still want to know about it sooner rather than later. I remember missing a call from my dog’s vet at the start of the long holiday weekend; I knew she probably had a terminal illness, but I didn’t like the extra three days spent thinking about it. Just give me the bad news already. Similarly, in a study of cancer patients in Sweden, some of them said that after seeing their results, their anxiety about bad news immediately decreased .
For many of us, getting results earlier helps us have better control over our treatment and our medical decisions, and gives us the opportunity to be better informed. We can put together a list of questions to ask on a follow-up visit. We can also be sure that the test was actually done and the results were obtained, instead of assuming that any results we didn’t see should be good news.
How to take test results responsibly
Ultimately, you decide whether you want to view the test results as soon as you receive them. (You can also ask your doctor to delay releasing information that could be serious, but not all computer systems have an easy way to indicate this.) So, here’s how to deal with some of the pros and cons.
First, turn off MyChart alerts (or, whatever the case, you may be interrupted by the news). A New York Times article about the downsides of reading one’s own results has the story of a woman who experienced a pregnancy loss after receiving an unexpected fetal necropsy notification. report. The surprise seems to be the most upsetting moment.
By turning off notifications, you won’t be distracted by test results, whether you’re expecting them or not. That way you can check them out when you feel ready. I recommend turning off notifications by default, and then if there’s a test result that you really want to see immediately, you can go ahead and turn notifications on temporarily.
Then make sure you think through all the possibilities before the results come in. Before you have a test or scan, ask your healthcare provider what the possible results might be and what each would mean. (I would argue that this question should be part of the conversation every time you are offered a test or treatment. What are we going to do differently if the test comes back positive instead of negative?)
Also remember to ask when you can discuss the test results. Will they call you back? Will there be a follow-up appointment? When will it happen? This way, if you need to talk to someone about the results, you will know when you have the opportunity.
You really have to figure out if you’re prepared for bad news and what you’ll do if you get it, and similarly, if you can handle confusing news, like if you’ve read a report and aren’t sure what it is. means. Will you spend the next few days searching Google for the report and asking medical friends to read it with you? Will it make you feel better or worse?
Most importantly, don’t make assumptions until you’ve talked to your doctor . Whatever information you get from reviewing the terms on your report or asking a nurse friend what they think, consider all of these things as opportunities to discuss with your healthcare provider.
And if you find yourself getting anxious while waiting for an appointment, recognize when you’re gathering information and when you’re just googling. Call a friend (or phone the office if it’s open) and make sure you’re taking care of your mental and physical health.