What POMA Members Need to Know About New Facility Reporting Law
Written by Executive Vice President, Public Policy and Association Affairs, Andy Sandusky

January 23, 2019

POMA staff have recently fielded questions related to Act 112 of 2018 from the membership.  Act 112, the Patient Test Result Information Act was enacted on October 24, 2018.  Act 112 requires a diagnostic imaging facility that has found a “significant abnormality” to share with the patient a notice that they should contact their ordering health care provider for further communication. “Significant abnormality” is defined as “a finding by diagnostic imaging service of an abnormality or anomaly which would cause a reasonably prudent person to seek additional or follow-up medical care within three months.”  The Department of Health will enforce the law by making it a requirement under the facility inspection process. 

POMA President, Joan Grzybowski, DO sent a letter to Dr. Rachel Levine, Secretary, Department of Health requesting more time to field questions from providers before enforcing the Act. Additionally, POMA wanted to put the Department on notice that POMA members don’t always receive the diagnostic test results in a timely manner.  POMA asked the Department of Health to ensure a warm handoff from the facility to the ordering provider.

The largest impact is for POMA members who order diagnostic imaging, because they may find an increased volume of patient calls from concerned patients who have received a notice required under Act 112. If a POMA member receives a call in his or her office, from an upset patient who received a letter that there is a “significant abnormality” on their diagnostic test, chances are, this is the result of the Patient Test Result Information Act. Finally, Act 112 places the responsibility for compliance on the facility, not the ordering physician.