Bob Marley died in Miami May 11, 1981 of letiginous melanoma, a form of skin cancer that quickly metatisizes. There was a delay in diagnosis that ultimately cost him his life. That was thirty-three years ago, a lifetime away.
It will take alot of "Irie" Bob Marley to calm me down from my latest episode in hospital bureaucracy. Inspired to "get up and stand up" against the archaic hospital systems I have found a solution: see only doctors who will email you and go to the laboratories that will post results to a private password protected website so they can be quickly shared between you and the doctor.
In this age of technological wizardry why are so many steps taken to send a test result? Results are triaged into level of urgency and usually a wait means good news, your test was put into the bottom of the pile because it was not urgent, malignant, or critical.
On April 7, 2014 I went to Madonnina hospital in Milan today to pick up biopsy results after receiving a text message for pick-up. Five weeks have passed since the biopsy was taken. Armed with the required printed, signed, scanned, and color printed paperwork I asked at the lab on the ground floor for results then was sent to the operating floor for results then to the recovery ward for results and then the records floor for results. The records person said they had been mailed May 1. Her colleague quickly corrected her seeing the gross error she made in saying they were sent on a future date. As you have probably guessed: I got no results!!!
CDI Centro Diagnostico Italiano has an online system for patients to download their results from their website. The Italian Public system ASL Azienda Sanitaria Locale uses a credit card and PIN system for patients to track and download records. The IEO Istituto Europeo Oncologico has a text and email system for appointments and results. Catholic clinic Capitanio has merged with the the public/private Istituto Auxologico to expedite critical need patients and has computerized all appointments and records.
Postdated noted: As of May, 11, 2014 the test results have never arrived by mail.
