One source of frustration for patients is showing up for lab work only to find the request has not been properly submitted by their doctor's office. Having a flowchart that clearly lays out the steps involved in requesting lab work can help prevent this happening to your patients. Use the requesting lab work medical process flowchart example found in SmartDraw as a starting point, and customize it to document the steps in your process. You can even link to approval/request forms, insurance company information, lab schedules and more.
The Process of
Requesting Lab Work
Laboratory professional collects specimen
Is sample
collected by
patient?
Laboratory professional will instruct you on the
proper collection of specimen
Are there
special
instructions?
Physician completes and submits request form
Physician will order laboratory tests
Gather patient information
Physician reviews results and determines treatment
Patient meets with physician
Physician reviews results
Results sent to physician
Results within a few hours or even less
Is patient outpatient?
Depending on tests, special directions
before test may apply
Patient collects sample at home
Results may take 2-7 days
