What is the most efficient way to notify people of lab results? Especially regarding abnormal ones? Phone call, letter, f/u appt? F/u's are 6 weeks out for me usually. Occasionally I can get one in sooner and sometimes I resort to having patients come in on my lunch hour.

We call patients with all results, normal or not, so they know to call if they aren't contacted, which is good. Sometimes I will have my CMA schedule them to come in to go over results, if they are life-changing, or just too complex to discuss. I am always able to book within one day, however.

I call with abnormal lab results only. It's rare that anything is very life-changing. If it is, then I sort of squeeze people in or plan to stay late.

On a similar note, I saw someone on here say that they returned patient phone calls from home after the kids were in bed. Do other people do that? Is there a way to block caller ID so patients don't have your home phone number?

I think if you dial *67 before you dial the number, it will block your number. Usually I don't remember that though so I go through our call service and they connect me. But I don't call after hours unless it is something that needs to be conveyed right away.

My husband has called clinic patients from his cell phone from home since he was checking labs here and I think it's *67 as above. There is something you can do to block your number...

I think the risk if you don't call ALL lab results, is that the patient will just assume they are normal if they don't hear anything, when in fact they may be abnormal but lost somewhere, and you are not triggered to search for them if no-one is wondering where they are. Of course, if you have some other safe guard against this, then no worries.