Members mystofpric Posted June 13, 2008 Members Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 So i recently posted one here about something or other that I was finally free of my HPV that I had finally beaten it off. That was seriously some of the happiest news ever when I called in to check on my pap results. Well don't you know that yesterday I went to check my mail and guess what I got a letter from my doctor (unmarked because it's PLanned Parenthood EVEN THOUGH i told that that I'd prefer them NOT to send me unmarked mail as I usually chuck it.) and low and behold I still have HPV. I call in and they apologize they put teh wrong records in my file. Seriously?! OKay when I went in for my exam they told me that they would CALL if they found anything. Why send me a letter? What if it got lost in the mail? Secondly HOW THE HELL DO YOU DO THAT TO SOMEONE?! HOw do you swtich records like that. Now I'm concerned if they were my results to begin with (probably but you never know) plus did they notify teh other girl? Is she freaking out because she thinks she has something when all she had was my results? I'm seriously pissed off about this, because I was ready to throw a party and celebrate when I got that letter. WTF. Why wouldn't you call someone? I realize HPV is uber-common but does that mean that it matters less for me and I should have to wait the week for mail to get delivered to me? Fuck no, you pick up the phone, dial my number and call. YOu explain to me what is going on, you comfort me if i need it, you act like you care about my health, you don't shove it in an unmark envelop. What if someone read my mail? What then? Then everyone knows my medical history (which while I obviously tell people, it's the principle), and I would blame you. Call, if you don't get me leave a message for me to call you back. you stupid bastards. UGH!!!!! I guess I shouldn't be surprised, this was the same doctor who told me it would be a waste to get gardasil as I probably have the strain(note she said single when it protects against 4 types) of HPV that cause cancer. You may as well just tell me that I will get cancer and that there is nothing I can do about it. GAH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Review Team TonboMidori Posted June 14, 2008 Review Team Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 Oh god hon, I am so sorry! I don't understand why some medical "professionals" are so impersonal like that. It's pretty cowardly to call to give you good news but leave bad news to the mail. No offense but I would call, raise hell, and change docs. In that order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mystofpric Posted June 14, 2008 Author Members Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 Oh god hon, I am so sorry! I don't understand why some medical "professionals" are so impersonal like that. It's pretty cowardly to call to give you good news but leave bad news to the mail. No offense but I would call, raise hell, and change docs. In that order.The unfortuante thing is unless i get a refeeral I'm stuck with them for my colposcapy or my insurence won't pay for it. After that however I'm free to bounce. PS Sorry for the bligerence. I was pretty cheesed not so much now. Now i have to go get sprayed with viniger so they can look for "abnormalities" which usually don't exsist. Yeah this is my second one of these in 6months because my old doctor refused to mail my records, and i could only pick them up in person, even though I live now 8 hours away. Ugh people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members vanilla_bean Posted June 15, 2008 Members Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 They dropped the ball on this. Once you're calm, I hope you still let them know. Hopefully they'll be extra careful afterward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mystofpric Posted June 15, 2008 Author Members Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 They dropped the ball on this. Once you're calm, I hope you still let them know. Hopefully they'll be extra careful afterward.I've put off calling to make the appointment because I didn't want any more issues due to my temper, which is infamous. I'm calling on Monday and I'm not going to say anything until I'm face to face with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angelina Posted June 15, 2008 Members Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 U should be VERY upset with this! When HIV/AIDs was first comming to the forfront may people killed themselves because of situations just like this.U should call them to the mat on this and ask them what sort of pollicy do they have in place to try and insure this does not happen again.this is very serious, u may not think its really that big of a deal but this could be life altering to someone else.(yes i work at a hospital) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thurisas Posted June 15, 2008 Members Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Give the doctor's office a call. Request the HIPAA information that they are required to provide you. Ask for the names of all of the people who had access to your file. Ask who was working with your file that day. Ask for the HIPAA coordinator's phone number. After you get them all in a tizzy, let them know this all could have been avoided with some simple human decency and some attempt at showing some responsibility and remosre at the error. After that you can decide whether or not to file your complaint or not and let them stew in it.Randy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cmwise1 Posted June 15, 2008 Members Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Give the doctor's office a call. Request the HIPAA information that they are required to provide you. Ask for the names of all of the people who had access to your file. Ask who was working with your file that day. Ask for the HIPAA coordinator's phone number. After you get them all in a tizzy, let them know this all could have been avoided with some simple human decency and some attempt at showing some responsibility and remosre at the error. After that you can decide whether or not to file your complaint or not and let them stew in it.Randy.I agree with Thur. Your medical confidentiality was broken and probably some one else's, too. This a LAW. There is no excuse for an office to call with okay results and send you a letter with abnormal results. All abnormal results should be reported in person. Since you have HPV, what are they going to do, colposcope you every six months when you probably have a normal strain? There should be no question about the strain...PAP smears can tell you that and biopsies just back it up. The doctor needs to bring you in, discuss your results with you, make a plan for the future and tell you what and why any and every test is necessary. I would insist on this. People are intimidated by docs and sometimes docs use that intimidation to push tests, give advice. Don't be intimidated. He/she gets up and pees just like you do every morning. Stand your ground and insist on knowing all the details. Good luck to you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angelina Posted June 15, 2008 Members Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Technically there were no HIPPA laws broken. The information never left the clinic/office and you were not given anyone’s name, nor was your given out.If you ask them how they are going to handle something like this in the future and have they changed or are they going to change their policy and procedures on matters like this.Those are key words at or hospital.I was myself misdiagnosed for years because the doctor I saw did not question any of my test results.So this is very important if you have a inclination to “stir the pot” as about policy and procedures and let them know in a calm manor that you are NOT happy about this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thurisas Posted June 15, 2008 Members Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 There is a HIPAA concern, though, because the information switched between files, at any time during the mixup, could have been requested by either patient and it shows a very lax state of privacy in the office. That is one of the things the complaint process is for. Regardless of whether or not a fine is imposed or jail time served, just reporting such a breach would help to resolve the problem for future patients and re-focus the office back to patient privacy and services.Randy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mystofpric Posted June 15, 2008 Author Members Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 I already know what tests are needed, every year until i clear out the HPV naturally (if i ever do), I have to have a colopsocopy, which since I already know (my last doctor told me) i have a low grade strain(99% unlikely to develop), they aren't agoing to see anything and there for don't have anything to biopsy. Basicly from what my old doctor told me I'm just carrying it and there's nothing I can do. I explained all this to my current doctor but since my previous doctor refused to send them, that I had to pick them up in person, they had to redo the tests. This is going to be my last visit to them, now that I have insurence and I'mnot limited by my finances (as much) i'm out of there! I don't trust myself to call and complain, I'll like flip out and start screaming, so I'm gong to wait until I go in for my coloposocpy, then let'em have it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mystofpric Posted June 15, 2008 Author Members Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 OH and PS, you don't hear from them at all if your healthy. If your results come back normal you never hear from them, but you get that letter is your "unhealthy". Jerks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyger Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 That is TOTALLY ridiculous. I too, would hafta calm down before calling to complain (though in some instances, the more irritated you are, the better they listen). I hope they treat you better, and I hope this is the only time they've done such a thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mystofpric Posted June 15, 2008 Author Members Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 That is TOTALLY ridiculous. I too, would hafta calm down before calling to complain (though in some instances, the more irritated you are, the better they listen). I hope they treat you better, and I hope this is the only time they've done such a thing.Well they sent me a letter once before (before i was diagonsed) and I freaked out on thme then, but they've never switched records before (on me). I'm still breaything deep and planning my attack, i do like what Thur said I think that may be the route I take, I'll keep you posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pappyld04 Posted June 15, 2008 Members Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 While I hardly know anything about HPV, I do know that you should do something about the problem that has come to surface. Perhaps you may be able to prevent this same devastation for another. What if this had been an HIV/Aids test? I'm pretty sure you would want the results of your own test there also. BTW, how did they figure out that they had switched your papers with someone else? Apparently they were looking for some reason! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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