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Has anyone asked for a copy of the sleep study computer printout?
I just had a sleep study, which I want another doctor to review. I asked the tech that did my study if I could get a copy. He said it was 750pgs and no. All I had was the sleep study and got a basically 2pg report from a dr that is listed at over 30 addresses throughout Virginia and Maryland. I live in northern Virginia. No dr met with me. What should I do?
Barb Van Siclen
Views: 215
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by MZH on
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I get copies of all my sleep studies - and other things too, like labs, from my doctors. Sleep studies are not 750 pages! They do have all the charts and info you could want in maybe 16 pages. Remember: you have a right to all your medical records. Have you seen a doctor yet? That's who you'd get the report(s) from.
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Thank you, Marcia. I don't have a sleep doctor. Am realizing I need to find one. Will find one and ask for the copies of the sleep report.
Barb
Marcia Herman said:I get copies of all my sleep studies - and other things too, like labs, from my doctors. Sleep studies are not 750 pages! They do have all the charts and info you could want in maybe 16 pages. Remember: you have a right to all your medical records. Have you seen a doctor yet? That's who you'd get the report(s) from.
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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on
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I have never been ale to get a copy of my sleep study, just the doctors's dictated report, which for me, was fine. The doctor said the records are on computer and I guess they don't give out the tech notes. I know other people have gotten the repoart you mentioned, Marcia. I just have never been able to get one. I do typically get copies of the reports from office visits and labs.
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The UNdictated reports are massive. It's all the data that covers your 6-8hr sleep study - hundreds of pages that to lay people are useless, and to other doctors - lets face it, how many are going to want to sit down and go over it? If you want another doctor to go over your results all you should need is the dictated report from the doctor who overseen your sleep study. I'm sure if you pressed the issue you could get the 750 pages (as you are entitled to copies of your medical records) but you would likely have to pay a hefty copy fee. Ink ain't cheap, lol.
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My 16 page report wasn't useless to me; it's not all that complex. It showed all events and at what hour into the study they happened and how long they lasted. IOW, it showed if there were hypopneas, obstructive, central, or mixed apneas and for how long. It showed the pressures tried during the study and what they each resulted in. It showed restless legs or not. It showed oxygen levels and what % of the night they happened. It showed stages of sleep as well. I'll think of more when I have more morning coffee. LOL
I don't have the study in front of me but I could dig it out later if anyone wants to lnow what else is on it. I had no trouble getting it either. I'm going to get a BiPAP machine in a couple of hours, so that should be interesting too. :)
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That sounds like a dictated report, Marcia. That's really all we need to see. The full reports are just so long because they document all the data from every minute you are sleeping whether there is an "event" occurring at that minute or not. The dictated reports are just the condensed version - all the important info you need in regards to any "events" ie apneas/hypopneas, O2 Sat levels, etc - all the things you mentioned in your post.
Now, if you don't feel like the doctor who went over your sleep study results completed the dictated report accurately then, yeah, you would want the full UNdictated report to take to another doctor for a second opinion and you are entitled to those copies regardless of what that tech said. You should be able to make an appointment with the doctor who dictated your report to have him sit down with you and explain it. The doctor who was over my sleep study and dictated the report called me the next day after the sleep study and went over it with me on the phone - hate that they didn't give you that same service. It really puts your mind at ease to actually talk to the Dr.
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And Marcia, it's good to hear I'm not the only one requesting copies of all medical reports, lol. They look at you a little crazy sometimes. I just tell them I like to know what is going on. I don't have any problem asking for a copy and then questioning them on what the results are and what they mean. I don't think a lot of people do that, but we should.
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No, it wasn't a dictated report. It was raw graphs and charts. I also got the 2 page dictated reports.
My doctor is next to impossible to get to. My last sleep study was 5/15 and she hasn't even set up a follow up appointment. You have FAR better followup than I and her other patients have. I've been on CPAP since 10/08 and that's how it is around here; they are overworked or something. You are very fortunate to have a doctor who is available in the twinkling of an eye.
To add insult to injury, I went to get a new BiPAP today and the prescription was wrong; it couldn't be put onto the kind of machine I was getting. It would only work on an SV! I'll go back to the RT tomorrow. He thinks he can get that fixed by tomorrow. Apparently he has better access to the doc than I do. Ugh.
Needless to say, I will be seeing another doc once I get my new machine if there is no followup by mid-August. He will be just a sleep doc and not a combo pumonologist/sleep doc. It's frustrating.
Pennywisezzz said:That sounds like a dictated report, Marcia. That's really all we need to see. The full reports are just so long because they document all the data from every minute you are sleeping whether there is an "event" occurring at that minute or not. The dictated reports are just the condensed version - all the important info you need in regards to any "events" ie apneas/hypopneas, O2 Sat levels, etc - all the things you mentioned in your post.
Now, if you don't feel like the doctor who went over your sleep study results completed the dictated report accurately then, yeah, you would want the full UNdictated report to take to another doctor for a second opinion and you are entitled to those copies regardless of what that tech said. You should be able to make an appointment with the doctor who dictated your report to have him sit down with you and explain it. The doctor who was over my sleep study and dictated the report called me the next day after the sleep study and went over it with me on the phone - hate that they didn't give you that same service. It really puts your mind at ease to actually talk to the Dr.
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Oh heck, I even get all my dogs' and cats' medical records. It's a puzzle to me why everyone doesn't ask for them. Maybe they think they wouldn't understand the results but I sure like to see what's normal and what isn't. If I don't understand, I look it up. I've caught people making medical errors b/c they weren't looking carefully at test results and medical history and even what meds patients are on!
Pennywisezzz said:
And Marcia, it's good to hear I'm not the only one requesting copies of all medical reports, lol. They look at you a little crazy sometimes. I just tell them I like to know what is going on. I don't have any problem asking for a copy and then questioning them on what the results are and what they mean. I don't think a lot of people do that, but we should.
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Thank you, Marcia. I'm in the process of calling one to make an appointment. Just got a recommended name.
Barb
Marcia Herman said:
I get copies of all my sleep studies - and other things too, like labs, from my doctors. Sleep studies are not 750 pages! They do have all the charts and info you could want in maybe 16 pages. Remember: you have a right to all your medical records. Have you seen a doctor yet? That's who you'd get the report(s) from.
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Thank you.
Barb
Marcia Herman said:No, it wasn't a dictated report. It was raw graphs and charts. I also got the 2 page dictated reports.
My doctor is next to impossible to get to. My last sleep study was 5/15 and she hasn't even set up a follow up appointment. You have FAR better followup than I and her other patients have. I've been on CPAP since 10/08 and that's how it is around here; they are overworked or something. You are very fortunate to have a doctor who is available in the twinkling of an eye.
To add insult to injury, I went to get a new BiPAP today and the prescription was wrong; it couldn't be put onto the kind of machine I was getting. It would only work on an SV! I'll go back to the RT tomorrow. He thinks he can get that fixed by tomorrow. Apparently he has better access to the doc than I do. Ugh.
Needless to say, I will be seeing another doc once I get my new machine if there is no followup by mid-August. He will be just a sleep doc and not a combo pumonologist/sleep doc. It's frustrating.
Pennywisezzz said:That sounds like a dictated report, Marcia. That's really all we need to see. The full reports are just so long because they document all the data from every minute you are sleeping whether there is an "event" occurring at that minute or not. The dictated reports are just the condensed version - all the important info you need in regards to any "events" ie apneas/hypopneas, O2 Sat levels, etc - all the things you mentioned in your post.
Now, if you don't feel like the doctor who went over your sleep study results completed the dictated report accurately then, yeah, you would want the full UNdictated report to take to another doctor for a second opinion and you are entitled to those copies regardless of what that tech said. You should be able to make an appointment with the doctor who dictated your report to have him sit down with you and explain it. The doctor who was over my sleep study and dictated the report called me the next day after the sleep study and went over it with me on the phone - hate that they didn't give you that same service. It really puts your mind at ease to actually talk to the Dr.
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