A couple of weeks ago I was a patient. :( Emergency cholecystectomy. I was released after 4 days and had to be readmitted a few days later with pneumonia. I did get the copies of my records afterwards, almost 50 pages, and WOW, were there ever a lot of errors and inconsistencies. They kept saying I was 36 years old, even though on every page it said I was born in 1962. I wouldn't have a problem with being 36, though.
It was weird, like they just made things up and added them, like I was nauseated and vomiting. I specifically remember denying this more than once and it said that on the initial admission papers in the ER. The discharge summary instructions did not match the ones written out for me when I left the hospital. Even the medications were messed up. SCARY! I told the SO that they kept saying my husband was at my bedside. What husband? I've never even had one of those.
They also seemed very reluctant this time to give me the copies, asking me 3 or 4 times why I wanted them. I don't think they should even be allowed to ask you why you want them. Is it really any of their business? AND, they charged me 75 cents per page which I felt was bordering on ridiculous. I don't have any problem at all with them covering their costs to produce copies, but 75 cents a page?? WOW! Some people who wanted to review their records could probably not even afford that and would not be able to purchase them which doesn't seem fair.
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I am an MT with 6 years of experience. Before that, I was an RN. My biggest challenge with regards to reports is that of trying to decipher what the rude dictating clinicians are actually saying. Among others, their habits include eating while dictating, coughing into the microphone so as to deafen the MT, misspelling geographical terms as well as names and medical terms! Some also have a habit of speed talking, as if they are on their way to a road race, attempting to talk over loud background noise such as telephones ringing, sirens sounding, and even the sound of air as their vehicles speed down the freeway. I could become credentialed and become a CMT, but the only thing that would change would be another hole in my pocketbook.
Let's put the responsibility where it ought to be, on the laps of those doing the speaking. They need to step up and treat the medical reports with the respect that they deserve.
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