Patient Report Call-Back Sheets.

It is important to design methods to ensure that patients receive the results of laboratory reports, imaging studies, and other reports generated during the routine business of a medical office. A simple way to accomplish this is to clip a Patient Report Call-Back Sheet (PRCBS) to each report. The sheet (figure) and the report are then put on the physician's (or physician's designee's) desk to route appropriately. The physician can choose to call the patient personally; direct a staff member to call the patient with results that have been "translated" into language that the patient can easily understand; or he or she might put the information directly into the chart if there is no reason to contact the patient.

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Attaching the PRCBS reduces the possibility of overlooking an important report, improves communication, and might provide a market differentiator for your practice by demonstrating to patients that you are committed to keeping them informed. This requires minimal additional time from the physician and staff.

The PRCB S is not perfect. It does not provide a fail-safe mechanism for a test that was ordered but never done, or for a test that was done but the report was never sent. To prevent this error, a log of ordered tests must be kept and compared with received results. Some computer software will permit certain practice management systems to compare the log with the PRCBS. Process improvements such as the PRCBS improve office efficiency and patient satisfaction while reducing errors.

Dr. Isenberg is an otolaryngologist in private practice in Indianapolis; [e-mail]