According to experts, patients find receiving GP test results through text messages unpleasant, and a lack of clear communication can be dangerous.
Texts, typically automated texts delivered by GP offices, can be “casual,” “brutal,” and “confusing.”
Dozens of general practitioners and patients were questioned regarding how they acquired findings from basic blood testing.
Some patients were left waiting for test results because they erroneously believed their doctor would contact them.
Some believed that “no news was good news,” while others refused to wait for GP receptionists to take their calls.
Researchers from the University of Bristol who conducted the survey warned that delays can result in “missed diagnoses.”
Dr. Jessica Watson, the author of the study and a general practitioner, stated that depending on patients to reach out and presuming they know how to get data had “special hazards.”
19 GPs and 28 patients from six practices in Bristol, Somerset, and Gloucestershire were questioned by researchers.
Between May 2019 and March 2020, patients were questioned at the time of or shortly after their blood test, as well as after receiving the results. The physicians who ordered the tests were also interviewed.
The results, which were published in the British Journal of General Practice, indicate that patients received their test results based on the GP’s habits and personal preference.
It was discovered that text messages are gaining popularity as a means of communication, in part because of the Covid epidemic.
The majority of physicians viewed text message delivery of test results favorably, claiming that patients “liked” the messages.
However, while some patients described them as a “fast and straightforward” technique for obtaining findings, many claimed that they did not provide enough information for them to comprehend their results.
They also cautioned that they ‘certainly’ wouldn’t want to get text messages with unsettling results, deeming it ‘inappropriate’ Doctors stated that they would text or phone a patient if their test findings were abnormal.
Some blood test result texts instructed patients to contact their doctors if they had any issues or queries. However, many were unsure of how to contact their doctor or whether they should schedule an appointment.
In addition to text messages, results can also be delivered via phone calls and in-person meetings.
In addition, patients were expected to find out their test findings, often without any instructions.
Doctors stated that they expected patients to know how to access results, which are accessible via an online portal at some practices.
In their practice, the onus is always on the patients, according to one anonymous physician. However, if there is an “abnormality,” they “usually speak to the patient immediately.”
The physicians advised the researchers that patients should “never assume that no news is good news.”
Patients, however, stated that they assumed nothing was wrong if they were not contacted by their surgery. And they did not wish to wait up to 30 minutes on the phone with their doctor’s office.
Patients also grumbled about receiving blood test results from receptionists, whom they doubted could accurately interpret the information.
The researchers noted that delays and difficulty in getting and understanding test findings frequently cause patients anxiety and dissatisfaction.
They said that a lack of clear mechanisms for obtaining results “exacerbated” the problem and left some patients “in limbo.”
When they had unresolved queries about their testing, patients frequently grumbled about the shortage of GP visits.
Dr. Watson stated, “Primary care physicians have a medicolegal and ethical need to implement clear and reliable protocols for communicating test results.”
These systems may embrace new technologies, but they are not a panacea.
“Failure to create secure mechanisms for transmitting test findings could have serious repercussions for patients and practices.”
Our research revealed that relying on patients to initiate contact and making assumptions about their ability to do so posed specific hazards.
According to the study, the average GP spends between 1.5 and 2 hours each day reading test results, therefore more effective systems of test communication could reduce their workload and improve patient safety.
