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All of this is speculation until the patient asks the doctor's office for copies of both tests. Tests have the patient's name and the date the sample was drawn and a unique specimen number on the top of the report. Without this proof we don't really know what happened.
Maybe as another poster said, the same lab results were sent twice or requested twice by the doctor's office, and without checking the dates of the samples the doctor assumed the medication wasn't working. In that case it would be the doctor's error.
Or if the test dates are different it would prove it's not her results, and she would have a specific test result to cite to the lab for a day on which she never had blood drawn.
In any case it's time for a repeat blood test to see if the medication is working.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Travelassie
From what you are saying your doctor ordered lab tests ( most likely thyroid tests-TSH, T3, T4, since you mention taking thyroid medication) the first time, and the results of those tests came back abnormal, indicating low thyroid function, and the doctor started you on thyroid medication to hopefully improve things.
The doctor wanted those tests repeated in a month to see if these thyroid test results would indicate the medication was working to improve the thyroid function, but you didn't go back to have those tests repeated. Your failure to follow your doctor's instructions to submit blood samples for repeat thyroid testing ( which really are the only way to ensure the medication is working) started this process that resulted in the laboratory erroneously reporting test results for you.
Obviously it was a laboratory error that resulted in test results reported on the wrong patient, and they should be notified so they can determine what happened and take measures to ensure it is corrected, and doesn't happen again. They most likely received a written order from your doctor for that second set of tests, but when there was no sample submitted within an acceptable timeframe they should have notified your doctor about it and canceled those tests.
Any number of things could have happened in the lab that can result in a test report erroneously reported on the wrong patient, ie, samples labeled with the wrong patient's name and information, automated instrument errors, when these occur it's the responsibility of the lab to investigate and correct the error, and take measures to prevent it happening in the future.
So you say the doctor received results for a second sample that you didn't submit, so they aren't your results, whatever happened in the lab. Those results were apparently also abnormal, as the doctor instructed you to increase the thyroid medication. Well, without that second set of results from YOUR blood, there's no way to really know if you needed that extra medication or not, you can't assume anything from someone else's test results, obviously.
So did you inform the doctor- that you never submitted a second blood sample, that those are not your test results? You're amiss if you haven't done that, there is no reason for the doctor to assume the results he got were erroneous, or to do anything other than treat you in good faith for what those lab results may show as continued low thyroid function. You must tell him, the office staff or someone there who will communicate this information to the doctor. He could order another round of tests, you could go to the lab's service center ( or a different service center for the same lab) if you don't like the personnel at the one you went to), have that blood drawn, and the tests could be run, and transmitted to the doctor's office, so they're available to the doctor. Your treatment of your thyroid issues could continue based on those results.
There was a lab error, no doubt, and your doctor might be the best person to communicate your experience to the lab director, or pathologist(s), or regulatory ( federal, state, certification agencies) who can then further investigated. If he's inclined to do it, that is.
My doctor apparently does not care. He prescribed double the dose of medicine and I picked it up and just break them in half. I don't know why some people are not understanding what I said.
1. I had bloodwork and the Dr. put me on medicine for a medical condition indicated by the test results.
2. He said have more bloodwork in a month to see if the medicine is working.
3. The woman there creeped me out so I did not go back. It was my intention to go somewhere else.
4. My doctor got blood and urine samples from somebody. They were not mine. I did not go back.
5. Judging from the "new" samples that were not mine he DOUBLED the medicine I am taking.
I am miffed because had I just started taking the medicine at double the dose, it could have hurt me a lot, and I don't think calling the Lab who made the mistake and talking to someone in "customer service" is an adequate response.
I found your OP confusing too. Sounds as if you got some initial bloodwork done. You hated the nurse who drew blood and never followed up on anything. The practice was expecting and waiting on a second set of labs but none appeared. It is possible this played a role in the mixup with the other person's results. Yes, someone did make a mistake...we can hope it never happens but it does. You do understand that going to a different lab might confuse the whole situation more? Still, this is a moot point because you never went to any lab for the bloodwork your MD needed.
Your MD can't operate in the dark. If you don't follow up/report back to your MD, how are they supposed to find out whether any treatment is working? It takes time to figure out what the right dose of some meds actually is. Consistency in repeat testing is part of that equation. Refusing to follow up isn't the way to correct errors.
Then you wrote that you just accepted an incorrect prescription instead of having the pharmacy double check with the prescribing MD before taking it? What good did that do? If one of my prescriptions changed without warning I'd darn well be on the phone to the prescribing MD before leaving the pharmacy! Better safe than sorry!
Once the mistake was discovered, how do you know cutting those higher dose pills in half wasn't an acceptable solution?
Last edited by Parnassia; 02-22-2022 at 05:36 PM..
My doctor apparently does not care. He prescribed double the dose of medicine and I picked it up and just break them in half. I don't know why some people are not understanding what I said.
1. I had bloodwork and the Dr. put me on medicine for a medical condition indicated by the test results.
2. He said have more bloodwork in a month to see if the medicine is working.
3. The woman there creeped me out so I did not go back. It was my intention to go somewhere else.
4. My doctor got blood and urine samples from somebody. They were not mine. I did not go back.
5. Judging from the "new" samples that were not mine he DOUBLED the medicine I am taking.
I am miffed because had I just started taking the medicine at double the dose, it could have hurt me a lot, and I don't think calling the Lab who made the mistake and talking to someone in "customer service" is an adequate response.
Sounds like you need a new doctor and a new lab. Depending on the medication, double the dose for someone could kill them. This mix up IS a big deal.
Sounds like you need a new doctor and a new lab. Depending on the medication, double the dose for someone could kill them. This mix up IS a big deal.
One treats patients not laboratory tests. If what the OP is saying is correct that they didn't do another test and the doctor was informed of the discrepancy then it's his rear end that will pay if anything bad happens.
It should be up to the doctor to call the lab and tell them that an error occurred per patient and they should look into it. If in fact, it is in error then the lab is obligated to send a corrected report or "No result" from whatever the TSH result reported. A corrected action plan is initiated.
"I told the doctors office and they were like, well then don't take double and you might want to call their customer service department. "
The laboratory has a mandated role in preventing errors from being released. Some laboratory policies consistent with state regulations and federal mandates call for laboratories to institute procedural policies on how they prevent errors. A common policy is monitoring test results and checking to see if they are consistent with previous results. They are called delta checks. If any delta check fails then we have to investigate why this is an outlier result compared to before. If it is an aberrant result that can not be explained then a redraw of a specimen is mandated. No result is reported on the current sample. Unfortunately, there is no delta check for a TSH result.
Out-patient laboratory testing is more difficult to determine erroneous results compared to hospitalized patients.
If this had happened to someone else at the same lab, it would have been nice to know about it. What I was TRYing to communicate is that I feel something should be done, not just for me.
I agree, something needs to be done. What type of lab was it? Was it a Quest or Labcorp or a small place? Knowing that, if it was one of the larger two, I would be going to their web site, patient portal to get my lab results, print them out and look them over.
Next, I would be complaining to corporate, trust me, they would want to know.
Your doctor is incompetent if in fact these are not a duplicate of your first blood work. Your doctor should have been calling the lab to report this fraud. Some how, someone else had blood work done under the second orders your doctor sent.
Someone mentioned your insurance company, if they have been charged for these tests. More fraud. They surely would be interested in this too.
If it was a smaller place, do you have a Labcorp or Quest near you? I suggest you go to one of them for your next round of blood work.
My doctor apparently does not care. He prescribed double the dose of medicine and I picked it up and just break them in half. I don't know why some people are not understanding what I said.
1. I had bloodwork and the Dr. put me on medicine for a medical condition indicated by the test results.
2. He said have more bloodwork in a month to see if the medicine is working.
3. The woman there creeped me out so I did not go back. It was my intention to go somewhere else.
4. My doctor got blood and urine samples from somebody. They were not mine. I did not go back.
5. Judging from the "new" samples that were not mine he DOUBLED the medicine I am taking.
I am miffed because had I just started taking the medicine at double the dose, it could have hurt me a lot, and I don't think calling the Lab who made the mistake and talking to someone in "customer service" is an adequate response.
Perhaps get new bloodwork at a different facility. pronto. ask the doctor for the order for the new tests and find a diff lab.
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That is absolutely of no help to the OP.
