I don't disagree with you. However, unless you are ready to file a formal complaint under the Rehabilitation Act, you may get nowhere.
One other suggestion, however, comes to mind. I believe that each VA Medical Center has an Equal Opportunity Office. When I wanted to file a complaint because my local VA Dental Department decided to declare its examining rooms as operatories and, therefore off limits to both pets and service dogs, I contacted their EO Officer, and within six months, my service dog was, once again, able to accompany me to my dental exams. In the meantime, before the settlement was reached, she volunteered to puppy-sit my service dog while I attended my dental appointments.
Finally, you cannot dictate what action the VA has to take. All you can do is ask for reasonable accommodation, and it is then up to them to offer you something reasonable if they feel that there is some other viable solution that they can propose.
Good luck,
Steven C. Sterry,
M.A./M.B.A.
10149 Grayling AV. – Whittier, CA 90603-2608
Phone (562) 947-2258
Email: steve.sterry@...
Sorry. I don't work there . I'm the Veteran using the Blue dot website. I'm using the Blue Dot web site because the VA is 90 miles away. It was designed for this reason. for veterans to use when they need access to their records.
You can't find the "tools" menu because you are looking at a printout of the record, not the record itself. The record can only be accessed on the VA computers. On the other hand, if the VA is willing to print the values of the plot points of your audiogram, that should take care of your problem.
Steven C. Sterry,
M.A./M.B.A.
10149 Grayling AV. – Whittier, CA 90603-2608
Phone (562) 947-2258
Email: steve.sterry@...
The issue is that what is put in the records should be usable by other audiologists.
I'm looking for the " Tools Menu " . Can't find that .
That's too bad. All of the notes that I found in my record were very professional and very detailed. Maybe you should contact your Audiology Department head and explain your specific needs to him or her. In the meantime, maybe we can get a general letter from HLAA to the National VA to suggest that audiologists notes be held to the same standards and detail of the other medical practitioners that we veterans see.
Steven C. Sterry,
M.A./M.B.A.
10149 Grayling AV. – Whittier, CA 90603-2608
Phone (562) 947-2258
Email: steve.sterry@...
I'm searching for the records now . There are some comments about how good of a job the audiologist did according to the audiologist in regards to fit and was I happy to get them. Nothing another audiologist can use. The audoligist was covering his azz his all I can find so far.
Understood. Perhaps one temporary solution to the problem would be to ask your audiologist to document the measurements at each normal plot point on the audiogram chart in his or her comments. As I understand, the normal plot points are 125, 250, 500. 1k, 2k, 4k, and 8kHZ. That is the only additional information that outside audiologists would really need. Perhaps the HLAA could draft and send a letter to Washington with a request that this be standardized for the whole VA system.
I think that part of the problem here is that the VA is trying to shift from its old archaic system into a new one and is having enough problems generating the necessary data to create reliable medical records. I think that the resistance that you are getting is based upon their plans to activate the new system and deactivate the old one. They don't want to spend money enhancing a computer system that will shortly (as they hope) go away.
What do you think?
Steven C. Sterry,
M.A./M.B.A.
10149 Grayling AV. – Whittier, CA 90603-2608
Phone (562) 947-2258
Email: steve.sterry@...
I am also a premium member and have searched the Blue Dot. The graph is what is needed when you are going to an outside audiologist to avoid retaking the test at a cost. . Now I can get images of MRI and CAT scans and colonoscopy from the Blue Dot info sharing download etc. . But not a scanned document of the hearing test which is what outside audiologist and need to make adjustments to hearing aids.
I understand that some members of this group have complained that audiology medical records are being excluded from our online medical records. I can tell you that is not the case in our Los Angeles area VA facilities. I have a premium account in MyHealtheVet, and I was able to select VA Notes in the VA Blue Button Report section. I was able to find notes going back to the year 2013. The following is an example that I read from my 2013 report:
"Audiological Evaluation
(view Audiogram under Tools menu)
Purpose of visit: re-evaluation
Primary complaint: Pt. perceives decrease in hearing sensitivity
History:
Situation(s) of greatest difficulty:
Background noise
History of middle ear disease/surgery: denied
Tinnitus: both ears constant
Dizziness/vertigo: present
occasionally when leaning head back
Aural Fullness: No
Otalgia: No
Hearing aid use: both ears VA issued; removal wire has broken off aid. Unable to replace wire in clinic. Pt. did not want to send aids in at this time.
Cleaned and checked both aids. Both aids functioning properly.
Results:
Otoscopy: Right ear: clear view of eardrum
Left ear: clear view of eardrum
Tympanometry: Right ear: normal
Left ear: normal
Earphones used: supra-aural earphones
Test reliability: good
Impressions:
AD: Mild to profound sensorineural hearing loss.
Word recognition for amplified speech was fair-to-poor (45-59%).
52% @ 85 dbHL
AS: Mild to profound sensorineural hearing loss.
Word recognition for amplified speech was good (80-100%).
80% @ 90 dbHL
AU: Hearing essentially unchanged.
Patient education: Communication strategies for difficult listening situations,
Realistic expectations from hearing aid use
Recommendations:
The results of the hearing test were explained to the patient.
RTC if hearing changes.
Pt. is interested in new amplification. Spoke with patient about new hearing
aids coming on contract in May. Pt. will contact audiologist after May 1."
Yes, my audiogram is missing. However, its evaluation is still there. The reason that the audiogram is not there has to do with the fact that the VA report system (including all test results) is a text based system. It is not capable of being presented graphically.
Maybe this is a regional issue, rather than a national issue. Or maybe some people are looking in the wrong section of their Blue Ribbon reports. I hope this might shed some light to this issue.
Steven C. Sterry,
M.A./M.B.A.
10149 Grayling AV. – Whittier, CA 90603-2608
Phone (562) 947-2258
Email: steve.sterry@...
|
