Understanding Your Tests

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Understanding Your Tests

_http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/index.html_

(http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/index.html)

 

 

 

_Index of Tests_ (http://www.labtestsonline.org/map/aindex.html) | _Index

of Conditions_ (http://www.labtestsonline.org/map/cindex.html)

Like many areas in medicine, clinical lab testing often provides few

simple answers to commonly asked questions. The issues - on topics like

insurance reimbursement and reference ranges - can be very complex. While we

can't

offer the kinds of short, easy answers that we seem to be accustomed to in

this information age, we have attempted in the following articles to break

down the issues in a way that will help you to understand the issues a bit

better and perhaps to ask the appropriate questions of your doctor.

_Deciphering Your Lab Report_

(http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/features/lab_report.html)

If you’ve had laboratory tests performed, you may have been given a copy

of the report by the lab or your health care provider. Once you get your

report, however, it may not be easy for you to read or understand, leaving you

with more questions than answers. This article points out some of the diff

erent sections that may be found on a typical lab report, explains some of

the information that may be found in those sections, and shows you an

example of what a lab report may look like.

_Reference Ranges and What They Mean_

(http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/features/ref_ranges.html)

Test results are usually interpreted based on their relation to a

reference range. This article will help to explain what a reference range is

and

why test results and references ranges should not be interpreted in a vacuum.

_Evidence-Based Approach to Medicine Improves Patient Care_

(http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/features/ebm.html)

Medical knowledge is accumulating—and changing—with such dizzying speed

that the medical community has found it needs new methods to cope with it

all. Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is a formalized system for helping health

professionals cope with this information explosion. This article explains

what EBM is and the role of laboratory testing in its application.

 

_How Reliable is Laboratory Testing?

_ (http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/features/reliability.html)

Laboratory tests drive a large part of the clinical decisions our doctors

make about our health, from diagnosis through therapy and prognosis. Given

the crucial role that test data play in medical decision-making, we prepared

this article to help you understand the key concepts and practices that are

involved in making laboratory tests reliable.

_The Universe of Genetic Testing

_ (http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/features/genetics.html) An

increasing number of genetic tests are becoming available as a result of

recent and rapid advances in biomedical research. It has been said that

genetic testing may revolutionize the way many diseases are diagnosed. But

genetic testing does not just help a physician diagnose disease. This article

discusses genetic testing and the different reasons genetic tests are

performed.

_Pharmacogenomics_

(http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/features/pharmacogenomics.html)

Pharmacogenomics is the study of how drugs are metabolized in the body and

the variations in the genes that produce the metabolizing enzymes. It

offers doctors the opportunity to individualize drug therapy for patients based

on their genetic make-up. This article provides specific examples of

currently available tests in this category and describes some of the benefits

and concerns with this area of laboratory testing.

_How Clinical Laboratory Tests Get to Market_

(http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/features/market.html)

As technology enables more rapid advancement in the laboratory sciences

and as headlines tout the latest research, understanding how a test gets to

market may help you to put such news into its appropriate context. We have

prepared this article to help guide you through the process for a lab test

to proceed from conception to market uptake.

_Home Testing_

(http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/features/hometesting.html)

As health care consumers continue to seek more convenience, particularly

among chronic sufferers and the elderly, the home testing market is growing

rapidly. Here's a glimpse at the market and the opportunities as well as

the trade offs.

_Collecting Samples for Testing_

(http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/features/samples.html)

Today, laboratory technologies allow testing on a wide variety of samples

collected from the human body, beyond just blood and urine. This article

provides examples of samples that can be obtained as the body naturally

eliminates them, those that are quick and easy to acquire since they reside in

the body’s orifices, and some that require minor surgery and anesthesia to

access.

_Coping with Test Pain, Discomfort, and Anxiety_

(http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/features/coping.html)

Nobody particularly enjoys having their blood drawn or providing a urine

or stool sample, but a medical test conducted on a small sample collected

from your body can give your doctor information that can help save or improve

the quality of your life. This series of articles has some tips on how to

approach the experience with less stress. Other titles in the series

include Tips on Blood Testing, Tips for Children, and Tips for the Elderly.

_Staying Healthy in an Era of Patient Responsibility

_ (http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/features/screening.html) As

health care consumers have been given more responsibility for their care,

more attention has been given to the value of preventive medicine. This

article discusses how you can take an active role in your health care before

you get sick, offering general suggestions as well as more detail on the role

of screening tests.

_Test Preparation: Your Role_

(http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/features/test_prep.html)

One of the most important factors in determining the accuracy and

reliability of your laboratory test is you, the patient. This brief article

explains your role in the process and ways in which you may need to prepare for

your lab tests.

_Laboratory Methods_

(http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/features/methods.html)

Labs use a variety of methods to test the numerous analytes that are of

interest to the medical community. Understanding the method used for a test

provides a broader context for understanding your test results. This article

provides brief explanations of several common laboratory methods mentioned

on this site.