Frustated!

[nedsmehlp]

I am so frustrated! My DS surgeons office has requested the surgery notes from my VSG surgeons office. First request was a couple months ago. I talked to my DS surgeons office to see what else was needed before I could have my first visit with the surgeon. I was told they received the before and after VSG notes, but not the actual surgery notes, and they need those before I can even see the surgeon. I called and told the medical records clerk that she sent the wrong notes, they needed the actual surgery notes. She was very rude and said she would send. I called the DS surgeons office a week later and she said she still didn't have the actual surgery notes from my VSG. I called the medical records clerk again, but got a recorder, so I left a message and told her to call me. She never returned my call. I finally called till I reached her and she said she would send it (still didn't send surgery notes). Someone else from that surgeons office called and said what do I actually want. I said the actual surgery notes, NOT the pre and post surgery notes. She said they had sent everything that was in my records. She didn't know if there was even any surgery notes in my file. What the heck? Why would they keep all pre and post records, but not the actual surgery notes! Now I'm not sure if that's putting a damper on my DS surgery or not! I am so upset!

 

[Larra]

Contact the hospital where your VSG was performed and request that they send the "operative report" (not surgery notes) to your DS surgeon. Give them the date of surgery, name of surgeon, name of procedure, anything else to make sure they know what you mean. You will need to sign a release of information for them to do this. There may be a small fee for copying but it should not be anything unreasonable.
Operative report is the right term, but the staff at the surgeon's office should know this, should have understood what you wanted, and should have been able to tell you whether or not it was in their records right off the bat.
Unfortunately this happens a lot. Your care was already paid for so for the former surgeon's staff, you are not a priority. Some people have resorted to going to the surgeon's office in person to get their operative reports themselves.

 

[nedsmehlp]

Contact the hospital where your VSG was performed and request that they send the "operative report" (not surgery notes) to your DS surgeon. Give them the date of surgery, name of surgeon, name of procedure, anything else to make sure they know what you mean. You will need to sign a release of information for them to do this. There may be a small fee for copying but it should not be anything unreasonable.
Operative report is the right term, but the staff at the surgeon's office should know this, should have understood what you wanted, and should have been able to tell you whether or not it was in their records right off the bat.
Unfortunately this happens a lot. Your care was already paid for so for the former surgeon's staff, you are not a priority. Some people have resorted to going to the surgeon's office in person to get their operative reports themselves.

Thanks Larra! I will call and ask for the Operative report. I'm afraid I will get the same medical records clerk. The hospital and the Dr's office is all one place. It's not a large separate hospital, it's an all in one type of place. But I will try again. Thanks for all your help!

 

[k9ophile]

Make your request for your operative report to the hospital's medical record department. Hospitals at much more interested in their satisfaction rates than in years past. It's a pain for hospitals, but great for patients. Some payments are already impacted by patient satisfaction and we all know that money talks. While your
case may not impact their income, believe me when I say that they will care. Doctor's offices? No so much.

Your access to your records is one of your rights under the HIPAA laws. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/righttoaccessmemo.pdf

 

[DSRIGGS]

Contact the hospital where your VSG was performed and request that they send the "operative report" (not surgery notes) to your DS surgeon. Give them the date of surgery, name of surgeon, name of procedure, anything else to make sure they know what you mean. You will need to sign a release of information for them to do this. There may be a small fee for copying but it should not be anything unreasonable.
Operative report is the right term, but the staff at the surgeon's office should know this, should have understood what you wanted, and should have been able to tell you whether or not it was in their records right off the bat.
Unfortunately this happens a lot. Your care was already paid for so for the former surgeon's staff, you are not a priority. Some people have resorted to going to the surgeon's office in person to get their operative reports themselves.

Larra, your part about going to the office to get yourself kind of struck a bit of nerve with me. As you know I have a couple bum shoulders and one had an MRI that showed a partially torn and frayed labrum. The Dr suggested physical therapy and Midwest Orthopedic where I go is a big Ortho group with at least 10 different Ortho specialists, numerous PA's, probably 10 PT's and PTA's. So while at my first PT visit I asked them to print a copy of my MRI radiology report. I was told that they can't do that and that I needed to sign a form, MAIL IT BACK IN TO THEM, and then their service would print it off and mail it to me in a couple weeks....all for an $8 fee. You know me. I may have told them that was the most ludicrous thing that I had ever heard and all they had to do was hit the freaking print button and 13 seconds I would have the report. The two girls sitting at the PT reception desk were doing nothing but talking about non work related issues. Another example of waste and inefficiency in our system. Non common sense things like that drive me crazy. I understand not having a department to do that as a business decision but not having the ability to print a simple report when a patient is in person and requests it is unacceptable in my book. I told the office manager as much and of course she could not have cared less.

Grumpy old man rant now over!

 

[Larra]

@DSRIGGS I agree completely that their "system" is ridiculous, but the problem isn't the entire medical system here, it's the foolish rules some individual working in that office dreamed up, combined with sheer laziness on the part of several individuals working at the desk. This should not have happened and would not have happened in a well run office or clinic. And their discussion of non-work related anything where patients could (and did) overhear is unprofessional.
The procedure should have been so simple - have you sign a release form, dig up the right report, print copy, perhaps a small fee. Done. And the fact that the supervisor didn't care speaks very poorly for them. Might have good docs, but lousy support.

 

[DSRIGGS]

@DSRIGGS I agree completely that their "system" is ridiculous, but the problem isn't the entire medical system here, it's the foolish rules some individual working in that office dreamed up, combined with sheer laziness on the part of several individuals working at the desk. This should not have happened and would not have happened in a well run office or clinic. And their discussion of non-work related anything where patients could (and did) overhear is unprofessional.
The procedure should have been so simple - have you sign a release form, dig up the right report, print copy, perhaps a small fee. Done. And the fact that the supervisor didn't care speaks very poorly for them. Might have good docs, but lousy support.

Yep, exactly. As a Manager and process improvement type expert, that stuff drives me nuts. Especially the lack of professionalism part. I was always a very easy manager to work for who rarely lit somebody up but poor customer service making our business look bad and risking business, was one thing that would do it and quickly.

 

[southernlady]

So while at my first PT visit I asked them to print a copy of my MRI radiology report. I was told that they can't do that and that I needed to sign a form, MAIL IT BACK IN TO THEM, and then their service would print it off and mail it to me in a couple weeks....all for an $8 fee. You know me. I may have told them that was the most ludicrous thing that I had ever heard and all they had to do was hit the freaking print button and 13 seconds I would have the report.

Compare that to my getting a copy of my latest MRI. Granted, I had to go to two offices but I knew before going that Medical Records could only give me the written report. The X-Ray dept had to burn the CD of the images. Took me 10 mins, maybe? Burning the CD took most of that time. The report took about a min from the time I walked in to the time I walked out. She had it printed before I had the form signed. Very small county hospital. And didn't cost a penny.

 

[nedsmehlp]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I called the hospital medical records and was told they do have my Operative Report. I never would have thought that I would have to ask for the operative report from the hospital section if you people hadn't told me! I am so relieved! Now I have to wait for my DS surgeons nurse to get back from vacation. Oh well, I am just so anxious to get everything done and get the surgery! I am mentally sending you all hugs for the excellent information you gave me!!!