Are hospitals in Mayo Clinic network all connected with my data?

Posted by yanghoon @yanghoon, Mar 29, 2023

I am curious about if my data(ex. age, status, diagnosis, prescription, etc.) are shared between hospitals in mayo clinic.

Can I be diagnosed in one hospital in Mayo Clinic network and get diagnosed or prescribed in another hospital in Mayo Clinic based on the previous diagnosis?

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@colleenyoung

Hi @sandg, welcome. These are good questions to ask the appointments office. You can find the numbers to call here: http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63

The answers to your questions are specific to each individual patient. Others may have personal experiences of how things worked in their situation. But this is what I can tell you in general.

1. Mayo Clinic will review all tests that you have done locally. Mayo Clinic doesn't want to repeat test unnecessarily. However, additional testing may be ordered if more information is required to plan treatment.
2. Mayo Clinic welcomes both new and existing patients for virtual and in-person care in adherence with federal and state executive orders and guidance. Video and phone visits can be great options for appointments before, after or in place of face-to-face care. A virtual visit will be offered if it best fits your individual needs.

You may also be interested in the helpful tips in this related discussion:
– Telemedicine: How to make the most of a virtual doctor visit https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/covid-19-telemedicine-its-a-brave-new-world/

Which Mayo Clinic will you be visiting for the PET scan?

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Hi Colleen, I will be having the PET scan at Rochester. In the second question I wasn't talking about virtual patient. My local oncologist just suddenly told me that he had recently talked with Mayo and they had both decided I should start treatment locally. My local doctor and a Mayo employee had told me before that they never authorize treatment without first seeing the patient. I'm confused.

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@sandg

Hi Colleen, I will be having the PET scan at Rochester. In the second question I wasn't talking about virtual patient. My local oncologist just suddenly told me that he had recently talked with Mayo and they had both decided I should start treatment locally. My local doctor and a Mayo employee had told me before that they never authorize treatment without first seeing the patient. I'm confused.

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@sandg, I suggest asking your local oncologist for clarification. Here are some of the questions I would want to understand better:
- What treatment are you recommending?
- Is this standard care for stage 4 prostate cancer?
- Could the results of a consult with Mayo experts and the PET scan alter the course of treatments?
- Is my prognosis improved by starting treatment immediately?

What other questions would you ask? Are you able to contact your local oncologist?

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@sandg

I am new on this site and I have a question related to sharing information. I have had several tests and biopsies done to diagnose my stage IV prostate cancer with my local oncologist. We both agreed that it would be a good idea for me to be seen in Mayo as I may be able to take part in a clinical trial. I have an appointment to be seen in Mayo in May for a PET Scan and evaluation. I ahve 2 questions. Is Mayo going to be able to treat me based on my tests done localy and their own PET scan? And does Mayo ever suggest treatment advice without actually seeing the patient?

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Sandg, my biopsy was conducted by my local Urologist. I contacted Mayo and gave my Gleason 4+4 score on the phone and Mayo had my Urologist send the films of the results. I contacted Mayo and not my Urologist. Mayo contacted within a week and agreed to treat me. I was not at Mayo before they accepted me. The next week I met with the oncology radiologist. He then arranged a bone scan and series of MRIs to ensure the cancer was inside the prostrate. The process was extremely fast and thorough.
I was accepted by Mayo in 2018, so not sure if they as quick now, but my guess is you can do it without going to Mayo before they might accept you.

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@waynen

Sandg, my biopsy was conducted by my local Urologist. I contacted Mayo and gave my Gleason 4+4 score on the phone and Mayo had my Urologist send the films of the results. I contacted Mayo and not my Urologist. Mayo contacted within a week and agreed to treat me. I was not at Mayo before they accepted me. The next week I met with the oncology radiologist. He then arranged a bone scan and series of MRIs to ensure the cancer was inside the prostrate. The process was extremely fast and thorough.
I was accepted by Mayo in 2018, so not sure if they as quick now, but my guess is you can do it without going to Mayo before they might accept you.

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Thanks for the reply. I think now it takes a little longer to get in to Mayo. But what I was wondering is does Mayo ever talk to your local doctor and give treatment advice before Mayo even sees you.

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No, I decided to take proton beam therapy and it's not my Urologist's area of expertise. My Urologist wished me well and encouraged me. Mayo did a thorough diagnosis of my cancer. My Urologist didn't give me a lot of information but gave me a book to read about prostrate cancer treatments. I spent a lot of personal information, which led me to Mayo. I included from research that the best results came from research oriented cancer centers.

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