When to Call with Test Results

Just before 5 o’clock today I got the CT scan results. The man with vague abdominal pains has a possible thickening of his pancreas. The radiologist recommended an MRI. I glanced at the clock (radiology department closed already) and decided to wait until Monday, when I could have a tentative MRI appointment already made before calling my patient. Bad news, even the possibility of bad news, requires an action plan – not a weekend of aimless worry.

Later, I read a post about the same thing:

via When the Doctor’s Words Aren’t Soothing – NYTimes.com.