Following on from this interesting discussion in which the problem
was raised of patients' reaction to adverse results, I've twice come
across situations in which a suicide attempt followed the receipt of
a lab result. Both of these were by health professionals, and, in
one case, the test had been carried out on another family member.
Perhaps there is more to be learnt here about depressive
tendencies among members of the caring professions.
Most people don't react in this way when confronted by bad news.
Obviously lab results need interpretation and this is best done by
the responsible clinician. However, there is absolutely no valid
reason for witholding results from patients. In fact there is much to
be gained from making the patients (or their families) the holders of
lab results and medical notes, as others have commented.
Nick Miller,
London
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