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Care Opinion

Unhappy with forms

Posted By decemberkg38

"Unhappy with forms"

About: PathWest Derby Collection Centre PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA WA Country Health Service

(as the patient),

Not happy!

I believe the Aboriginality heading next to the date of birth and sex information headings should be removed from the Bulk Assignment Request Form. I find this discriminatory. What is this used for? If I was Asian, African or European would the comments in this section be the same?

This should be replaced by a box to be ticked: Are you Indigenous, of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin. Some people who do have distant Aboriginal ancestry may not want it to be known or recorded.

As an Indigenous Australian, I affiliate myself as Aboriginal but do not want it to be recorded as such. I have more European genetic makeup than Aboriginal in my family. 

I request that the comments (Neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander) under the heading Aboriginal on the PathWest Form be removed and replaced with Indigenous Australian. 

Also, my address on the form is incorrect. My home phone number is also incorrect. I do not have one.

What use are forms like this and other medical records if they contain the wrong information. 

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Responses

Response from Tracy Dixon, A/General Manager, QEII Network, PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA 4 years ago
Tracy Dixon
A/General Manager, QEII Network,
PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA

Responsible for oversight of laboratories at QEII, KEMH and PCH as well as the collection centres, transport and processing of pathology samples

Submitted on 12/09/2019 at 6:17 PM
Published on Care Opinion on 16/09/2019 at 11:30 AM

picture of Tracy Dixon

Dear decemberkg38,

Thank you for providing your feedback to us regarding the pathology request form used for your testing. I have investigated this issue today and can advise that the form you were provided with was a form generated by your doctor's practice, rather than a PathWest pre-printed form. We do have a number of doctors referring to us on various forms that are printed from their own medical practice software. Apart from the mandatory information we require to perform a test, these are often customised by each practitioner. In this case your doctor's practice have included this wording.

I do take on board your concerns around people choosing to declare their Aboriginality or not, and can assure you that the PathWest forms that we generate do indeed have a check box with the question "Is Patient of Aboriginal Descent?" Yes or No

Can I please suggest you discuss this with your doctor at your next visit, as there may be reasons for this inclusion, such as specifically funded programs for Aboriginal Health. Can I also advise that you update your contact details with your doctor so they print out correctly for future visits. I will also refer your concerns onto the relevant people in the WA Country Health Service.

Kind regards,

Tracy Dixon

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