An online medical laboratory service is an Internet-based intermediary that allows people to request and obtain laboratory test results online. The concept is one of many recent developments in the changing healthcare paradigm that promotes greater patient involvement in their healthcare. Due to ease of use and cost savings, online lab services are becoming more and more popular.
Online Laboratory Service, also known as Online Laboratory Service, Laboratory Online Service, Laboratory Online Service, and Private Laboratory, has a client relationship with one or more large clinical reference laboratories and directs their clients to one of the clinical reference laboratory blood collection sites. drawing or other collection of specimens, depending on what was ordered.
Individual customers of the Internet-based service must first set up a private lab account. After deciding on the tests desired, the order is placed through that private account and a lab order form is then generated showing the requested tests. The individual customer then selects a conveniently located test sample collection site through the laboratory’s online service website and presents to that site with the order form printed from a computer. After sample collection, private lab results are typically available within 24 to 72 hours and can be downloaded and saved to a computer, printed, imported into a personal health record application, or left in secure storage in the account of the private laboratory.
The major online laboratory services that have good ratings from the Better Business Bureau use one or both of the two major nationally accredited clinical reference laboratories for testing. Therefore, the accuracy of the test results is identical to that obtained if ordered by a doctor. Online lab services are legal in all states except New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
In contrast to the traditional relationship between a clinical reference laboratory and a physician, the relationship between the laboratory and an Internet-based laboratory service is less expensive for the clinical reference laboratory, thus the testing fees are significantly lower than those charged. to patients when testing is ordered by a physician. Although the fees charged to the client for the online laboratory service include a surcharge, the total cost is generally less than if the client is billed directly by the clinical reference laboratory.
Since clinical reference laboratories will not allow individual clients to order tests directly, the online laboratory service is a convenient and cost-effective alternative to physician-ordered laboratory tests. It can be a temporary solution for a person who has not yet established a doctor/patient relationship or for a patient whose doctor’s visit is scheduled too far from the time of the desired test. In addition, the private lab account through which lab test results are obtained online provides maximum confidentiality of test results and peace of mind in sensitive circumstances such as STD testing.
With an additional 14 million US citizens projected to obtain private health insurance in 2014 as a result of the Affordable Care Act, many uninsured people, in order to ensure optimal health care and health care outcomes, must begin to collect a personal health record long before the initial doctor meets the patient. Using an online laboratory service can be an important resource for gathering information that will be useful to a future physician and help them provide outstanding medical care.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice or a substitute for medical consultation with a qualified professional. If you are seeking legal advice or are unsure about your medical condition, you should consult an attorney and/or physician.