Fast Test Results, Big Feelings: A Simple Five-Step Talk

Getting test results can stir up two kinds of feelings. One is the shock of serious news. That is hard to stop. The other is the stress of not knowing what a phrase means or when someone will call. That second feeling can be lowered. Doctors can bring it up when they order the test, not after the result appears.

A rule from 2021 changed how results move in the United States. It is called the information blocking rule. Clinics and hospitals must not keep patients from their lab, tissue, or scan reports. Because of this, many systems post results right away. A patient might see the result before the doctor even opens it.

Most people like quick access. A 2023 survey asked almost 8,000 patients. About 95.7 percent said they want to see results immediately. Yet some people who got abnormal results felt more worried after reading them alone. About 16.5 percent said the early look spiked their anxiety. This happened before a doctor could explain anything.

A result in a patient portal can cause three types of distress. It may feel like a threat. It creates uncertainty. It removes a sense of control. For instance, a scan might read "suspicious for tumor progression." One patient with a brain tumor called this nervous feeling "scanxiety." It is the worry that builds around scans and results.

Clinicians can use a five-step chat when ordering a test. Step one: tell the patient they may see the result before the doctor calls. Step two: say the patient can choose whether to look right away. Step three: share trusted places to read about the result. Step four: describe the best and worst cases, and explain how the clinic will reach out in each one. Step five: ask if there are questions. This approach comes from how doctors speak with children, but it fits adults too.