“I Want a Whole-Body MRI” When Patients Demand Unnecessary Tests
Case Study: A 63-year-old patient was at his primary care physician’s office for an annual physical exam. The patient told the physician that he wanted “a whole-body MRI to make sure I don’t have any treatable cancer before it’s too late.” The patient noted he had recently seen cancers in several of his friends and colleagues.
Track and Follow up on Your Tests
Lab testing is one of three key areas (the others are referrals to specialists and missed/canceled appointments) where tracking and follow-up are vitally important. A retrospective study researched the frequency of patients not being informed of test results, concluding there was a 7.1 percent failure rate.2 Tracking and follow-up procedural safeguards can be implemented and have a large impact on potential liability claims.