Antonina:

Regarding faxing a doctor's office (especially if it's a BIG practice). I have done this. And the doctor never got the faxes. It doesn't go to him immediately by the way.

Fax machines are usually in some back room (absolutely every one of my doctors, have their fax machines in a back room). The staff has to go and check ALL THE FAXES, and sort them out, and find which fax goes to which doctor.

Now if you have one doctor in the office with one staff person, well, that's a whole easy thing going on there.

But, let's take for example, the orthopedic department of Beth Israel (where we went last week).

We are talking Many doctors, many various office cubicles, many staff members, many department heads, many this and many that. And if you have one fax number, well FORGET about the doctor ever getting the fax. He MIGHT, and then again, HE MIGHT NOT!!!

And calling to speak to a doctor (very rare to get them on the phone initially). I got lucky the other day when I phoned Alan's doctor. AND THAT'S A BUSY OFFICE, BELIEVE ME.

In Alan's primary docs office, there are two doctors, with about 10 girls in the reception area, doing different stuff. Like HMO calls, billing, stuff, answering questions, taking blood. I would never fax that office because he would never get the fax. I've tried this, I tried calling after I faxed and I was met with "you faxed us?? when did you do that, the fax machine is at the other end of the office".

Now one would think. "this is 2008", why isn't their fax machine right up there next to the phone, in the reception area??

Because the fax machine would be going all day long, and driving everybody crazy, (but that's just my train of thought).

And the only doctors I know that does emailing is my dentist, and Alan's ortho guy. Alan's ortho guy has an email address but I rarely correspond this way. You have no idea how much spam that people get in their emails. That's why doctors today really don't like to do emails. They have to either sit down at the computer, and sort out their emails, or they have to have their secretaries do this for them. Not good time management.

When I take a blood test, I am told to call in 3 days. Then they will either fax me the results, or I can go and pick it up. They also say "if there is an irregularity, that's the only time the doctor will call you back and speak to you about the results". "But if you want to make an appointment and come in and go over your results, well that's fine".

So the message I'm getting on this is "we'll call you only if we find something wrong with your blood tests".

But the nonsense that you were told about "He can't discuss blood tests results with you over the phone", well, that's just plain bull *****.

I do not understand why you were told this.

I have always spoken about blood tests over the phone... ALWAYS.

So I wish you well on your journey of result gathering.

Best of luck.

Melody