Table 2.
Physician survey responses (N=348)
| n (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1. When you order laboratory tests for your patients, do they receive a report of their laboratory results (paper or electronic)? | |
| • Yes, patients always receive a report of their lab results | 66 (19) |
| • Patients sometimes receive a report of their lab results, depending on the kinds of tests ordered | 77 (22) |
| • Patients sometimes receive a report of their lab results, depending on other factors | 97 (28) |
| • No, patients do not receive a report of their lab results | 108 (31) |
| 2. How much general information about the lab tests is currently provided on the lab reports your patients receive?a | |
| • There is no general information about the lab tests provided | 130 (37) |
| • There is a small amount of general information about the lab tests provided | 181 (52) |
| • There is a large amount of general information about the lab test provided | 37 (11) |
| 1 strongly disagree n (%) | 2 n (%) | 3 n (%) | 4 n (%) | 5 strongly agree n (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. Given the abundant information that patients receive today on the Internet and other sources, how much do you agree with the following statements about lab results/reports for your patients?a | |||||
| I sometimes find it challenging to communicate with my patients about lab results | 55 (16) | 76 (22) | 103 (30) | 77 (22) | 33 (10) |
| It could help my patients if more general information about the tests were provided on their reports | 32 (9) | 66 (19) | 88 (26) | 117 (34) | 40 (12) |
| It could improve my relationship with my patients if more information were provided on their reports | 38 (11) | 74 (22) | 107 (31) | 83 (24) | 40 (12) |
| 1 strongly disagree n (%) | 2 n (%) | 3 not applicable | 4 n (%) | 5 strongly agree n (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4. How much do you agree with these same statements specifically regarding RF tests?a | |||||
| I sometimes find it challenging to communicate with my patients about RF test results | 41 (12) | 88 (25) | 82 (24) | 109 (32) | 26 (7) |
| It could help my patients if more general information about RF tests were provided on their reports | 28 (8) | 76 (22) | 86 (25) | 117 (34) | 40 (11) |
| It could improve my relationship with my patients if more RF information were provided on their reports | 36 (11) | 84 (24) | 105 (30) | 91 (26) | 1 (9) |
Notes:
a
Data were missing for this question, resulting in total number of responses provided <348; percentages presented reflect the relative percentage of responses for this item.
Abbreviation: RF, rheumatoid factor.