Info Desk [Paperwork, ordering, wait times, procedures, booklets, prescriptions...]

Megan Jones27 said:I only have one question, and I’m not quite sure where to post it, so I hope I haven't wandered into the wrong thread... on this image, where exactly is the Clinical Microbiology Institute - Virology Department located? [Link to Plan Image] I'm looking at the data and trying to piece it all together, but I just can't seem to make sense of it... could it be 6, 10, 11, 19... or something else entirely? 😕
This is how it looks:

Is there really no one available to answer my question? I am simply asking you to take a look at the image in the link...

I managed to sort things out. 😉

Help please!
Which of these tests are immunological and which ones are coagulation-related?
I think LAC is a coagulation test.

-anti DNA antibodies (Anti SS DNA, DS DNA) - anti SS-A antibodies (Anti RO)
- anti SS-B antibodies (Anti LA)
- anti Sm antibodies
-anticardiolipin antibodies
-antiphospholipid antibodies - antiphosphatidylcholine
- antiphosphatidylglycerol
- antiphosphatidylinositol
-lupus anticoagulant - LAC
-Factor V Leiden
-Factor II - prothrombin G2021A
-PAI I

Basically, when I asked about the coagulation tests at Mayo Clinic, they told me via email that those specific tests can only be ordered by a specialist from Johns Hopkins Hospital using a special referral form.

I don't get it—what kind of Johns Hopkins specialist? How am I supposed to see them? And what’s this "special referral" deal? I have my medical history and lab results from a doctor at Mercury, but even with all that, I'm stuck. I haven't even tried calling because I feel like I won't get any real answers over the phone anyway...
If anyone knows how this works, please explain it to me.
thanks

Also, I've been trying to schedule a karyotype test for myself and my husband for a few days now, but nobody is getting back to me. When I call, they won't give me a straight answer... does anyone know if it usually takes this long just to set up an appointment? Please, be free to inform me.

thanks guys
🙂

So, there's just one thing I've been wondering about. I know this probably isn't really meant for this specific thread, so sorry if I'm totally off base here! 🙂

Since I've been having some issues with my lower back, I'll likely have to go in for an ultrasound to check things out. I was just curious, though... does anyone actually know what that process is like? Like, how does the ultrasound work exactly?

Brenda Alvarez said:help please
which of these tests are immunological and which are coagulation-related?
I think LAC falls under coagulation

-anti DNA antibodies (Anti SS DNA, DS DNA) - anti SS-A antibodies (Anti RO)
- anti SS-B antibodies (Anti LA)
- anti Sm antibodies
-anticardiolipin antibodies
-antiphospholipid antibodies - antiphosphatidylcholine
- antifosphatidylglycerol
- antiphosphatidylinositol
-lupus anticoagulant - LAC
-Factor V Leiden
-Factor II - prothrombin G2021A
-PAI I

The bolded ones are the immunological tests. Everything below that looks like coagulation to me, though I have zero clue what those last three actually are.

I had all of them tested except for those final three, and an immunologist wrote the referral for everything else.

I think there's some info on Wikipedia about those last three, but honestly, I feel like my neighbor should have had her Factor V Leiden checked for blood clots or thrombosis😕, since something wasn't quite right with her health. I'm not 100% positive if she actually went in for the test—she mentioned something along those lines, I think—but I could always just ask her

Thanks for the help, everyone.

So, I finally got a hold of Rib today. The lady there told me they won't even see patients for coagulation tests if a specialist from Bank of America has already given their opinion. Apparently, I have to go to Peterson now because they’ll likely issue a gray referral based on a new exam—Rib only works with Peterson.

🙂

Edit:
I called Peterson right after that, and they basically gave me the brush-off. They said they're sorry, but since I wasn't hospitalized at their facility (I mentioned this was regarding a miscarriage), they won't help. They would have handled the coagulation tests if I'd been admitted, but they aren't issuing any of those gray referrals that Rib keeps talking about.

Yeah, does anyone know if I can get a karyotype done at a hospital other than Johns Hopkins?
Or maybe someone knows a private clinic that handles them.
Any info would be a huge help.

😉

Does my blood type actually show up on my insurance card?

And I guess... can my doctor even see that info through their patient portal?

Does anyone happen to know the specific hours for picking up urine culture results at the local community health center? I’m a bit turned around and can't quite recall if they are available between 12:00 and 3:00 PM, or if it's more like 3:00 to 5:00 PM. If someone could clarify that for me, I’d really appreciate it!

Does anyone happen to know what the typical wait time looks like for a full checkup over at endocrinology?

Also—does anyone know if any private clinics take insurance referrals for those kinds of tests?

restlessangler said:Does anyone have a rough idea of the wait times for a full checkup in endocrinology?

Also, are there any private clinics that accept insurance referrals for those specific tests?

That probably depends entirely on which hospital you choose and which specialist you’re aiming for...
At the hospital where I work, you're looking at a minimum of six months—and even that's assuming you aren't being picky about the doctor! If you want to see one of the top-tier endocrinologists, the wait can stretch past nine months... honestly, you might age out of the condition by the time they actually call your name.

Brenda Alvarez said:please help
which of these tests fall under immunology and which are coagulation-related?
I'm assuming LAC is a coagulation test

-anti DNA antibodies (Anti SS DNA, DS DNA) - anti SS-A antibodies (Anti RO)
- anti SS-B antibodies (Anti LA)
- anti Sm antibodies
-anticardiolipin antibodies
-antiphospholipid antibodies - antiphosphatidylcholine
- antiphosphatidylglycerol
- antiphosphatidylinositol
-lupus anticoagulant - LAC
-Factor V Leiden
-Factor II - prothrombin G2021A
-PAI I

Basically, regarding the coagulation panels at Johns Hopkins Hospital—they told me via email that these specific tests can only be performed upon the request of a specialist from the Mayo Clinic using a special referral form.

I don't quite grasp this whole "specialist at the university hospital" requirement—how am I supposed to even reach one, or what exactly is this special referral process? I have my lab results and medical history from a specialist at Mercy Medical Center, but apparently, that isn't enough to get anything moving; I can't even get a straight answer over the phone...
so if anyone understands how this works, please explain it to me
thanks

also, I've been trying to schedule karyotype testing for myself and my husband for several days now, but nobody is getting back to me—and when I call, they won't give me any concrete information... does anyone know if there's usually a long wait for them to confirm an appointment? Please feel free to inform me

thanks guys
🙂

The last four are coagulation tests... the rest are immunological!

restlessangler said:Does anyone have any idea what the typical wait time is for a full endocrinology workup?

Also, are there any private clinics out there that actually accept insurance referrals for those tests?

It really depends on which hospital or specialist you’re looking at, but if I had to guess, Mayo Clinic usually has the shortest waitlists.

Olivia Hayes89 said:It probably all comes down to which hospital you choose and which doctor you end up seeing...
At the hospital where I work, you’re looking at a wait of at least six months—and that’s only if you aren't picky about which specialist you see. If you happen to want the top endocrinologist in the area, you could be waiting nine months or more... honestly, by the time your appointment finally rolls around, you might have been sick five different times already...

vividsailor7 said:It really all depends on which hospital you're looking at or which doctor you want to see—I think Mayo Clinic usually has the shortest wait times...

Does anyone know a private practice that takes insurance referrals...?

I caught something on the news or maybe it was a podcast lately about some site here in the States where you can actually rate doctors or report the bad ones, but I’m striking out trying to find it. Anyone got the link? Help me out!

velvetdrifter12 said:I swear I heard some news report on TV or the radio saying there’s a website out there where you can actually rate doctors or report the bad ones, but I’m having zero luck finding it. Anyone got the link? Help!

http://healthgrades.com/doctor-reviews/philadelphia-pa/...provider-id=9

velvetdrifter12 said:I swear I heard someone on the news or maybe some podcast saying there’s a website in the States where you can actually report or rate bad doctors, but I can't track it down. Anyone got a lead?

There's also a whistleblower hotline for reporting stuff like that. Here's the link: Whistleblower Hotline

I’m dealing with some pretty intense back pain right now. I’ve got all my specialist reports and test results handy, and I'm actually waiting on a few more follow-up tests to come back.
Today, my back just completely gave out on me while I was bending over—you know, that classic "throwing your back out" feeling. To make matters worse, my doctor happened to be finishing up her shift right when it hit.
I really don't want to drag myself to the ER if I can help it; I'd rather not spend half my day sitting in a waiting room.
Is it okay if I take all my medical records to a different doctor at a clinic closer to my house just to see if they can give me a pain-relief injection?

Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue. I know they’ll take you if it’s an emergency and you aren't already one of their patients, but as for what actually qualifies as an "emergency"? Who knows. Just give it a shot. If they turn you away, you can always just head over to the ER.