Doctors office left inappropriate message with my parents.

[CassieSims]

I am seething angry. I had already told my mom and dad that I'm expecting as this is my first and their support is important to me. Well my mom called me last night and said the doctors office had left a message on her home phone and said quote "This is the OBGYN calling to set up an appointment for *my name* for an ultrasound at 12 weeks."

UM?!? First of all nowhere did I list my parents number as an acceptable number to contact, I haven't listed it with this doctor for over 3 years, so instead of looking at the information I had provided last week they dug it out of 3 year old records.

Second of all I have no access to that number! If my mother hadn't called me I would have missed my opportunity for a timely NT Scan and had to call them and see what happened.

Thirdly what if my parents hadn't known I was expecting?! What a terrible way to break the news! How can they say such private details about my health care on an answering machine?! What if one of my younger siblings (who don't know I'm expecting) had answered and told someone else?! Doesn't this break tons of HIPA laws?

I still plan on seeing this doctor as they are absolutely fabulous in every other area, I just didn't expect this kind of massive oversight from them.

I am so angry. I remember reading something similar on here about a secretary who blabbed to a patients mother she was expecting, and I thought that the secretary was the biggest moron in the world! I can't believe something similar has happened to me, is something this ridiculous really that common?

 

[THart]

I have never had anything like it happen to me. However when my brother was expecting his first, his wife grandmother called my parents house(where they were living at the time as they bought it from my parents and we all lived together for 2 months). Anyways. My dad picked up the phone and apparently this grandmother thought he was my brother and she goes congratulations daddy! Well none of us knew... and my brother was so upset by it because they had a creative way to tell us but we're waiting cause it was my prom day and they didn't want to take the attention from me (which was kinda sweet of them)

Long story short, shit happens and it sucks! I'm glad your parents already knew but that still seems innapropiate of the doctors office

 

[Mummafrog]

Woah.. you could take them to court for that, horrendous. I guess mistakes happen, but if it was listed as your parents house how on earth did they mess up that badly, even if you weren't under an oath about confidentiality you wouldn't do that! :S

 

[sn0wbunnie]

At my doc when I first filled out all that paperwork, there was a specific questions that asked "can we leave a detailed message?" It was also asked under my emergency contact number. So... Maybe that was the case for you?

If that's not the case, then I would be pissed! I would definitely talk to them about it!

 

[CassieSims]

They grabbed that information from a different practice under the same organization, my general doctor who I haven't seen for a while has my parents number under next of kin? But I provided all relevant patient info with this Obgyn when I saw them, they are a totally different practice! I never mentioned my parents number to them. Why didn't they go with the info I gave them? Why did they use outdated and obscure info from an old source?

Side note: I always check no for the detailed message question just incase it gets into the wrong hands!

 

[SJDsMommy]

I sincerely hope you chew them out over this to make sure nothing like that EVER happens again! That is so wrong, they have no reason to call your parents number!

 

[Bevziibubble]

I would definitely complain! That is totally unprofessional of them to leave a message on your parents' answerphone. It's a good thing you had already told them, because imagine if you hadn't and it ruined the surprise. I would be so angry!

 

[Kiwiberry]

That really sucks hun . It is a good thing you already told your parents tho! At least it did not ruin anything, and I know it could have but at least it did not. Kudos to your mama for letting you know!! What a great mama she is!

I would call and complain though, and make sure they have the right number on file to call.

 

[LisaL79]

Definitely complain. Just sounds like a bad mistake on someones part.

 

[RebeccaR19]

That is completely ridiculous! My doctor's office can't even leave a message about that kind of information. Their privacy policy makes it so that they cannot give you any information without speaking with you directly over the phone. And also the fact that they called that number without going by what YOU gave them is unprofessional, and it is also extremely risky. What if that number now belonged to a completely different person?? They would have just given your personal information to a complete stranger!!

I am sure there is a policy against that, and I would not only complain. But I would consider alerting someone in charge of the whole practice about that extreme error. That is just completely unacceptable!

My guess for why they used old info is that they are either lazy or disorganized or both.

 

[Blizzy]

They did break the HIPPA laws, you are not supposed to leave details of any kind about what they are calling you about. They are suppose to just leave their office name, phone number and who they are looking for asking for a call back to set up an appointment (no details as to what kind of appointment). I would be really upset as well, make sure they know about this incident so it doesn't happen to anyone else in the future!!

 

[sn0wbunnie]

They grabbed that information from a different practice under the same organization, my general doctor who I haven't seen for a while has my parents number under next of kin? But I provided all relevant patient info with this Obgyn when I saw them, they are a totally different practice! I never mentioned my parents number to them. Why didn't they go with the info I gave them? Why did they use outdated and obscure info from an old source?

Side note: I always check no for the detailed message question just incase it gets into the wrong hands!

Oh wow. Okay... Definitely complain!

 

[linz1988]

Something similar happened to me! I had a midwife appointment (i had told my
Mom it was an appointment for Hay fever tablets.. She asked for me
At the reception the lady said TE first appointment takes and hour. My mom
Asked what appointment she said with the midwife! My mom
Had no clue until
Then! I didnt plan on tellin her until 12 weeks
Due to previous miscarriages

 

[CassieSims]

Yeah you're story was the one I remember meeting! Ugh ridiculous

 

[CassieSims]

I called the office today to set up an appointment for my NT scan, when I explained what had happened the receptionist was horrified and apologized really sincerely! She took that number out of their records completely and then gave me an appointment first thing tomorrow This is why I love this organization, they make some mistakes but they at least make it right!