I should be finished reading Ozzy Osbourn's autobio later today. Ya wouldn't think that a book about the prince of darkness rocker would have anything related to health care, but it does!
K, picture it...the mid to late 90s. And AIDS. News about AIDS is just everywhere. Reader's Digest, sitting on the tank of my parents' toilet, had an article entitled, "AIDS: Is Anyone Safe?" Every homosexual was suspect, no matter their sex. Diabetics had eyebrows raised because, hey, who knows? Maybe those really aren't insulin syringes. Maybe it's heroin. And everyone shooting heroin obviously has AIDS, right? Well, 20 years later, we know that there is a correlation between AIDS and high risk behavoir, but we no longer think anyone and everyone is living with AIDS or HIV. But, again, think back to those fearful times...
Ozzy, having just gone on a tour and after consistently having unprotected sex with all kinds of groupies, learns of this HIV and AIDS phenomenon. He smartly chooses to have himself tested. Doctor takes his blood and it's a week before the results come back. When Ozzy goes in to get the results, the doctor says, "Well, the good news is that you don't have the clap, herpes or any of the usual sexually transmitted diseases. The bad news is that you're HIV positive." Never mind he's the prince of darkness and the evil persona that is Ozzy...he does what anyone would do: breaks down crying with the knowledge his days are limited.
Then, the doctor's phone rings. After a short conversation, the doc turns back to the Oz Man and says there's been some confusion. His tests did not actually come back as HIV positive, but rather inconclusive. They'd have to do another test and wait another week for the results.
Can you even imagine the emotions that go along with being told you've got a death sentence? Then, whoops! My bad! J/K! You may not die, but I'm going to keep you in limbo for another week until we know for sure.Just hearing this made me sick to my stomach about how this could happen with any patient. It really speaks to the health care professional doing his/her homework before sharing info with a patient. Even if it's as something as a hormone test, a patient doesn't want incorrect news. Inconclusive results with a repeat test is bad enough, but incorrect info? There's just no excuse. And when it's as frightening as AIDS and HIV were in the 80s, that's just pathetic.
So, what was the reason behind this? Ozzy had been doing so many substances that his immune system was no longer functioning. Like, at all. Hence, inconclusive blood tests...but again, inconclusive is one thing, handing someone their death cert is quite another.
Before sharing bad info with patients, check, double check and triple check the information. That emotional dip issomething no patient should have to walk through because of your mistake.
