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Notifying Patients of STD Results


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I work in an outpatient Urgent Care Center. We see a fair amount of STD visits. Our office does not have a policy regarding how patients should be notified of results (positive or negative results). For example, if a patient has labs performed and all of their results are negative, will you notify them via telephone, in person, or not at all (only notify if positive findings)? If a patient has any positive findings and they were treated appropriately (i.e. given tx for GC/chlamydia), do you notify in person or via telephone? Just curious to see what other facilities' protocols are.

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We're a little unique in that, since I work in Philadelphia, the city health department is actually the one who does all GC/Chlamydia testing. They only call if test results are + (because as you can imagine, the volume of STD testing in Philly is pretty high). So I always tell pts that if they don't get a phone call within the next week, they weren't positive.

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I make it a policy to send an email or phone call advising neg TR for all STI screening. We have an electronic record which makes emails easy ... but has also in the last few years resulted in a few labs not being transmitted into the electronic record. I am terrified of missing a TR. So if patients are instructed to f/u regardless of neg or pos it is another safety measure.

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Maybe you should just call the partner with + results and say, "You might want to bring this up the next time lover-boy comes over." Joking of course. Wasn't this the beginning of HIPAA when suits were launched when + STD and + HIV test information was left on voice mails?

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  • 1 year later...

In an ED.

Tell patients we only call on positive results.

They will also get a call from state health department cause lab notifies them.

Patients have the option to either call their PCP to get result or can call back to ED and speak with nurse.

Patient portal will also list test results and we push that every visit to meet meaningful use.

G Brothers PA-C

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I'm in Urgent Care as well, but I'm part of a large health system and medical group, so there are RNs who monitor the incoming test results in the Urgent Care "bucket." Positive/ abnormal results generate a phone call, so I make sure the number we have in EPIC is correct. The state Dept of Health is also notified if it's GC/chlamydia.

 

Normal/ negative results generate either an email or a printed letter, depending on factors I don't know much about.

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  • 4 years later...

I'll be the devil's advocate once again and disagree with the majority of you.  "We only call positive results, etc."  Wrong, wrong, wrong.  Nothing ever gets missed and we're able to reach all these folks.  Really?  You're setting yourself up for a major claim IMO.  Do you do this with other non-STI lab as well such as with annual wellness exam lab?  I've seen it happen since my prior experience was with a facility where we had an STI clinic.  Our policy was that when YOU the patient called back, you had to provide us with the last four of your SSN.  If a positive was noted, and we were unable to reach them, then a registered letter was sent to the address of record.  At that point our asses were covered.

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  • Administrator
3 hours ago, jungisstephens said:

There is so many sexually transmitted disease, but guys, I'm looking for an STD center for a long time to do an HIV test. I only know that HIV is a sexually transmitted disease. How many sexually transmitted disease is present?

This site does not provide medical advice, nor facilitate people asking for medical advice.  I suggest you consult a practitioner licensed to practice medicine in your local jurisdiction.

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