Understanding my results
You may be reading your ultrasound results in your patient portal before you have heard from your doctor. This has its pros and its cons.
On the plus side, it is great to have quick access to test results. For example, it may be very reassuring to learn that a pelvic ultrasound is completely normal.
There can be several negative aspects to patient portal access, however. One is the use of medical terminology. Healthcare uses its own language and it can be difficult to decipher it. Medical software companies are starting to address this difficulty by adding "plain language" to reports to make them easier to understand.
Another problem occurs when a problem is found. It may be several days before the doctor who ordered the ultrasound has a chance to read the report and contact you, and this can cause anxiety.
Whether you see your results before your doctor or not, it is essential to go over all test results with the doctor who ordered the test. If all is well, it may be as simple as receiving a message from the doctor in your patient portal saying so. If something serious is found, the doctor may call or ask you to schedule an appointment.
The bottom line is that you are not alone in trying to understand ultrasound results. Your doctor will help!