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| - Calgary Lab Services' "self service" model is an ordeal, and unfortunately, as a government monopoly, the only game in town. Attempts to talk to the bureaucrats that run this broken system result only in frustration. My largest frustration is in booking appointments - this used to be done by the family doctor's offices, seamlessly. This is now offloaded onto the patients themselves. Great, if you know what all the tests are. The form is littered with acronyms and medical terminology. You either phone the lab or go on the website - where the menu choices don't match the Community General Requisition. Did anyone think of maybe just numbering the choices so you could easily select the tests you need to take right on the website? The site unfortunately bears no relation to the requisition so you have no idea if you are registering for the right tests.
Worse, there are only vague instructions on lab prep. If you phone the lab to ask about details (i.e. do I have to fast for a particular test?) you get the 'helpful' recorded advice to ask your family doctor, and the phone hangs up on you. My doctor tells me I need to fast, but didn't say for how long, or what items were acceptable during my fast. Can I still have fruit juice? Who can I ask? Are all the tests the same?
For my annual physical I need eight different tests - trying to communicate it all with the lab is time consuming and difficult, especially when I can't even pronounce half the names. Surely there must be a better way.
I've been to this location a number of times and customer service ranges from good to dreadful. Service attendants are always busy but usually friendly. Those drawing blood are generally cool and detached, sometimes seem unskilled or unsure of themselves. English seems to be a second language for many of them, and many are plain rude. Often you don't get simple directions as to what you are doing or how to do things. I don't doubt their jobs are mind-numbing routine, but they seem to lose sight of the fact that each visitor is unique and unsure of what their routine is. Given that people's health and lives are in cases related to the accurate collection of samples, one is easily disappointed by an apparent lack of interest or attention to their duties.
Would love to see the appointments process cleaned up, if by no other method than simply adding numbers to the tests and making the website match the form. Add the specific fasting requirements right on the site, linked to each individual test so there is no confusion.
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