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Medical imaging patient care

Posted By centauruskx46

"Medical imaging patient care"

About: Kalgoorlie Health Campus / Medical Imaging

(as a service user),

I have had multiple dealings with Medical Imaging over the last year, mostly good. However, the last time I was there for a pregnancy related scan as they thought something was wrong, the clinician appeared rude to me and disinterested and rushed through the procedure. I had a difficult pregnancy to begin with which made it worse when they behaved the way they did. Baby turned out to be fine but I felt the clinician did not put my mind at ease during the scan.

Also, my elderly parent was supposed to have a CT scan but when the staff member rang my parent to book this in, it seemed to me they were trying to bully my parent into getting a different scan (MRI) which would cost $100's. I believe my parent was also being given misinformation about what the different scan would entail.

I have had a MRI in the last year, on the same body part so I know what it entails and as I understand it, what the staff member was saying was completely wrong. I didn't appreciate my elderly parent being seemingly bullied into anything and when my parent said they were going in for a CT as that is what the GP wanted, I believe the staff member on the phone would not take no for a answer. In the end, my parent has cancelled everything and not going to go ahead with the scan purely because of the way they felt bullied. Based on my experience, not impressed at the level of patient care and safety.

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Responses

Response from Karine Miller, A/Executive Director, Goldfields, WA Country Health Service about a year and a half ago
Karine Miller
A/Executive Director, Goldfields,
WA Country Health Service

A/Executive Director WACHS Goldfields

Submitted on 5/10/2022 at 4:34 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 4:47 PM

Dear centauruskx46,

Thank you for sharing your story with us. I think you are correct that sometimes health professionals can forget how overwhelming accessing health services can be as well as the fears patients may have during their health journey. Sharing stories from our patients to our team is a really important and effective reminder, so I will make sure this is done. I am sorry the sonographer was not more professional and that they did not provide you with the empathy and support you needed during your scan. It is important to note too that the sonographer (ultrasound provider) or any Medical Imaging Technologist, are strictly not allowed to discuss any findings with patients during their scans. This must only be done by a Radiologist (the doctor who reports on these scans) and the treating doctor.

Regarding your parent’s story, there can be times when there are clinical indications for which scans are best, such as MRI versus CT. Whilst our Medical Imaging Technicians are the experts as to which scan is best no patient should ever feel they are being bullied into a clinical procedure. So I am sorry this has occurred. Without knowing the specific details of your parent’s case I could not make a comment as to what this reasoning may have been. If you would like someone to follow up on their scans referral and support them in this process, please don’t hesitate to contact our A/Director Kalgoorlie Health Campus, Alicia Michalanney on 9080 5817, as it is critical that patients have any essential scans completed.

Thank you again for telling us your story to help us to improve the services for our community.

Kind regards

Karine Miller
A/Regional Director
WACHS Goldfields

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