From the perspective of a patient–that would be me–one of the most irksome aspects of being within the realm of pain management is having to go to a different provider to get tests done. Over the years I have had 4 MRIs, a half dozen CAT Scans (with and without contrast dye), 3 EMG/NCV tests and the list goes on from there. Therefore, I know that of which I speak (or write). But enough about me…
Technology Has Leapt Ahead
Back in the day of the Flintstones and the Rubbles…Ok, not quite that long ago, but close when it comes to computers and other electronics!
Not all that long ago no doctor could put even a fraction of the available diagnostic equipment in their office space. However, today’s medical professionals can have an EMG machine and other advanced equipment at their immediate disposal.
A Plethora of Conditions
Physicians in many specialty fields may find a need to order an EMG/NCV test. There are several reasons a medical professional may want to order an EMG/NCV beyond just diagnosing an injury from a car accident. Having an EMG machine in-house can expedite the process.
What Kinds of Benefits
There are several benefits of having this powerful tool close at hand.
Trust in the test administrator — When you send YOUR patient off to another facility, it is more likely than not that person running the test is a cipher to you. However, you will be eminently familiar with your own abilities as well as those under your employ.
Eliminating the middleman — The doctor or technician who reviews the data and writes the report may write off a result as an anomaly or glitch. However, a single result missed or misinterpreted could be the key to unlocking your patient’s problem.
Relieving the patient’s anxieties — When a person enters your office, he or she begins to develop a rapport with you and your staff. In other words, they start to trust you, to become confident in both your knowledge and abilities. To me, the cornerstone of any relationship, whether personal or professional, is trust. Because you are running the test and interpreting the results in-house, the patient won’t have the added stress of unfamiliar surroundings, strange people and the interminable wait for the results.
Back to a patient’s point of view, nothing can make a weekend crawl by like treading water in a pool of anxiety that happens when we are told “the results should be in on Friday” only to find out the diagnostic center won’t have the report ready until Monday. Or {the horror!} Tuesday on a 3-day weekend.
A Frightening Scenario
An outside doctor is, perforce, interpreting the data in a vacuum void of patient history and conversations between you and the patient. That can lead to potentially deadly disaster. Granted, most patients who haven’t gone through years of diagnostic tests are unlikely to pore over their copy of the report (if they think to ask for one in the first place) and find a secondary diagnosis of a completely unrelated nature that was overlooked by everyone. They put their trust in you for that.
That type occurrence may have a microscopically small chance of happening. Even if the chance is 1:10,000,000, I do NOT want to be that one. In all likelihood, my doctor feels the same way. That’s why I trust him.