Can vet techs not tell you results?

[Tina and Gracie (GA)]

Is there some legal law that the vet techs can't tell you what the fructosamine level is?

I'm so frustrated. I had the test done yesterday. My vet forgot to call me. I do understand she is probably busy and didn't have time (this happened last time).

I called to ask for results and they refused to give me over the phone. They said I needed to wait for Dr.Thomas to call me.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

If this was a human case I could see a privacy issue or if the test revealed something unexpected and much worse I could understand that. This is not a cancer slide, it's a fructosamine level. I think maybe techs are getting too much legal education at school myself. If you don't get what you need you can either have the results e-mailed to you (a secure line of communication) or have the tech call you back at a number she has on file. This sounds way over the top to me. If it helps I love my vet and her staff but if *** answers the phone I just say "Sorry, wrong number" and hang up. She won't just reorder insulin, she has to do the math and figure out how many days I should have left as if I were asking for Fentanyl. This is the same tech who doesn't know a mouth breathing cat is under stress. It never ends my friend!

 

[Tina and Gracie (GA)]

Oh, for sure.

She is supposed to call me, but I was hoping I'd know before I sell my soul to my Microbiology lab all afternoon. I won't be able to answer in there.

Are you kidding me? Even hearing that makes me mad for you . . . so controlling!

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

Is there some legal law that the vet techs can't tell you what the fructosamine level is?

I'm so frustrated. I had the test done yesterday. My vet forgot to call me. I do understand she is probably busy and didn't have time (this happened last time).

I called to ask for results and they refused to give me over the phone. They said I needed to wait for Dr.Thomas to call me.

I don't know if it's a law, but it's pretty standard for the large majority vet practices. They want the vet to discuss the results with you, not the vet tech.

It seems frustrating to wait, but fructosamine tests will not impact your cat's immediate treatment, you use home tests for that. A fructosamine is pretty useless except for diagnosis--it's just an average of BG levels over the past 2-3 weeks.

 

[Tina and Gracie (GA)]

Well, it'll make or break the convo I will be having with her.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

The same tech, Ms*** has a chart that tells you how long insulin can be left out of the fridge and how long it should still be good for. Don't you WANT to sell me a new vial?

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

Well, it'll make or break the convo I will be having with her.

I think I read your other post about her not being on board with you home testing, so I'm guessing that if the fructosamine comes back normal you're hoping she'll believe your home numbers? Keep in mind that you've only been having normal numbers for about a week/10 days. So her higher numbers from the previous two weeks could still influence the fructosamine test, making it look like she's higher than she actually is.

Home testing has been supported in numerous studies. If she doesn't believe you, print out the AAHA guidelines and bring them to her. No one should be making treatment decisions at this point in the game based of a fructosamine test that will likely show middle of the road values, because it will not reflective of the normal values you've been getting at home for the past week.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

Wait, are we talking about curves or daily BS testing not being supported as a "do at home" thing? I was shown how to test and inject, how to do a curve and WHY curves are important all in one afternoon. Are some of these vets taking financial investing as a second course?

 

[Steph & Quintus & L & O]

With my vet, it's at their discretion. Some stuff they'll tell me, other the vet will want to talk to me directly. For example Quintus's last labs, my vet knew I would worry because there were some elevated numbers in there (though they're not alarming), so when I called earlier the vet tech couldn't give me the numbers and said the vet would call me/or I could try when he was there. So in my case when numbers warrant a discussion they might not leave them to the vet techs.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

My sister had a lump of fat in her breast. The doctor made her wait almost a week to tell her in person that "It was nothing to be worried about". Cynthia also got into a phone-fest-of-stupidity because she had a procedure which could only be performed on a woman. Her records and health card weren't enough for the government, she had to make a personal appearance to show someone that she was indeed a female and the procedure was justified. What a shock it would have been to find out I've been married to a transsexual for 20+ years. Just some common sense please people! (unless.... )

 

[Tina and Gracie (GA)]

I think I read your other post about her not being on board with you home testing, so I'm guessing that if the fructosamine comes back normal you're hoping she'll believe your home numbers? Keep in mind that you've only been having normal numbers for about a week/10 days. So her higher numbers from the previous two weeks could still influence the fructosamine test, making it look like she's higher than she actually is.

Home testing has been supported in numerous studies. If she doesn't believe you, print out the AAHA guidelines and bring them to her. No one should be making treatment decisions at this point in the game based of a fructosamine test that will likely show middle of the road values, because it will not reflective of the normal values you've been getting at home for the past week.

Yes.
If it comes back "normal" like an non-diabetic cat the plan is to show her my numbers and have the talk. I feel like it'll provide more support.

If if comes back eh....I'll still test and IF she stays within a normal range I'll retest in a month or two. Then again I don't want to pay for a test that can tell me what I can already tell myself. It would just be nice for the vet to see for herself with real feline numbers.

Of course this is how I am trying to role play it out in my head.

I just printed out AAHA guidelines and put it in my pet folder.

 

[Tina and Gracie (GA)]

You called it. I just received the phone call. She was at 262.

Slightly confused as it looks like "normal" is 191-349. Unless I'm reading something wrong. So, if it's "normal" why wouldn't she suggest going off insulin.

Also, I mentioned home testing. She goes " I wouldn't get crazy about it, but if you want to do it thats fine". She said her only concern with me home testing is the fact that some days I can give 2 shots and some days I can only give 1. She thinks that will confused me number wise.

It doesn't effect me right now, as she hasn't been getting injections.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

Slightly confused as it looks like "normal" is.....

This is another thing that makes me nuts. I'll get results from human blood-work but instead of giving me actual numbers just describe the results as being "within acceptable limits". I then have to sacrifice a goat to get the actual numbers to find out my X number is 201 when then normal range is anything from 200 to 800. You have to do your own research to find out what the numbers mean, especially given your age, sex and medical history. I don't know if that's worse than being told nothing or if I should laugh or cry. The labs themselves are great, you can book an appointment online and zoom straight past all the cranky people who haven't had a bite to eat in 12 hours and HAVE NOT HAD ANY COFFEE!!! XX.

 

[Tina and Gracie (GA)]

Before I switched to an HMO type of insurance my doctors office NEVER provided the results. They said "labs are stable". I don't want stable. I want numbers, and I want the numbers in front of me and access to them to look at my leisure. AND I want all of the results. Not just some.

I did my research and switched and haven't looked back since. Although, being on my dads insurance was nice (this was a few years ago).

I'm with Sutter. I have the availability to message my provider, view lab results and make an appointment. I'm finding that many medial offices are trying to convert to a 'My Health Online" type of access. It is so much more convenient. This doesn't go to say that it is perfect. Sometimes my provider takes a week to get back to me, or her tone in her message rubs me the wrong way and I have to put her in check real quick.

We need this type of system for veterinary offices.

 

[Tina and Gracie (GA)]

This is another thing that makes me nuts. I'll get results from human blood-work but instead of giving me actual numbers just describe the results as being "within acceptable limits". I then have to sacrifice a goat to get the actual numbers to find out my X number is 201 when then normal range is anything from 200 to 800. You have to do your own research to find out what the numbers mean, especially given your age, sex and medical history. I don't know if that's worse than being told nothing or if I should laugh or cry. The labs themselves are great, you can book an appointment online and zoom straight past all the cranky people who haven't had a bite to eat in 12 hours and HAVE NOT HAD ANY COFFEE!!! XX.

PS: Fasting labs are probably the worst. I piss myself off when I haven't had coffee.

 

[Noah & me (GA)]

Before I switched to an HMO type of insurance.

Because Canadian health care is "free" there's nothing keeping every yahoo who whacked his thumb with a hammer from clogging up emergency rooms on Friday night. Overall the system has been good to me but now family doctors have a policy that if you visit a walk-in clinic then don't ever come back. The reasoning is that walk-ins never follow up with their patients. There's no in between; it's either your family doctor (maybe wait a week for an appointment) or 911. There are no urgent care clinics here and getting a new doctor is a nightmare. They do a meet and greet first and if you have any problems they don't want to deal with they're not obligated to take you.
Veterinary care is the same except that Canada has more lax insurance laws about letting people into the back where all the pointy sharp things are.
Most blood/EKG labs here are franchised so you'll get the same paperwork every time. I wish vets were the same, some have a fit because they feel betrayed if you visit another vet. We have a secondary vet we use because it's closer and he has more toys; he doesn't have to send blood work out. Ask him to transfer any file and it's done in 30 minutes. Imagine Best Buy telling you to never come back because you bought something on Amazon, it's none of their business!

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Before I switched to an HMO type of insurance my doctors office NEVER provided the results. They said "labs are stable". I don't want stable. I want numbers, and I want the numbers in front of me and access to them to look at my leisure. AND I want all of the results. Not just some.

I did my research and switched and haven't looked back since. Although, being on my dads insurance was nice (this was a few years ago).

I'm with Sutter. I have the availability to message my provider, view lab results and make an appointment. I'm finding that many medial offices are trying to convert to a 'My Health Online" type of access. It is so much more convenient. This doesn't go to say that it is perfect. Sometimes my provider takes a week to get back to me, or her tone in her message rubs me the wrong way and I have to put her in check real quick.

We need this type of system for veterinary offices.

I can view the results of my lab test on the web via "Follow My Health".
The vet practice that I use for BunBun and Dulce use the VitusVet mobile app. The app includes lab work and notes. The Notes even included the periodic BG readings they took during the surgical of the mast-cell tumor the 5th of this month.

 

[Tracey&Jones (GA)]

In Alberta, we have a "provincial" system where all test results, x-rays, dr notes can been seen by a fellow dr. The issue is not every doctor is on the Primary Care Network. So I can go to the walk-in clinic for something minor if I can't see my primary doctor right away and then the information is sent to her.

The whole thing was the walk-in clinics were to relieve the ER but then they become over loaded with patients. There is just not enough general GP doctors around.

I always make an appointment for blood work at the collection clinic. I am not waiting a minute more for my coffee after a 12 hour fast.

On the vet tech thing - they are technically not certified to give medical advice, at least here in Alberta, which I think is where a liability issue will come in. They will discuss minor treatment options that have already been outlined by the vet and are willing to take a call then call back if they need to discuss with a vet. I am sure they are very knowledgeable people - just like nurses - they just are not the Dr. I get all test results and visit notes emailed to me after they have been discussed. So the vet gives me the Coles Note version then I get the numbers to pore over. Best of both worlds.