Why results are released exactly as the laboratory sent them

When the laboratory reports a set of results, Doxtor releases the report to the patient as the laboratory sent it. Nothing is edited, held back or approved first by Doxtor. This article explains why, and what Doxtor does instead to make sure the clinic sees what matters.

The results are the laboratory’s

A blood test result is the laboratory’s finding. Doxtor is software: it does not perform the test, and it is not in a position to change or withhold what the laboratory reported. Releasing the report as sent keeps that line clear, for the clinic and for the patient.

It also means patients are not left waiting for a result that sits in a queue.

Making sure the clinic knows

Releasing a result is not the same as the clinic having seen it. So Doxtor makes results that need attention hard to miss:

• Critical results are emailed to the clinic’s team, in an email that cannot be switched off.
• They stay at the top of the clinic console until someone marks them as seen.
• If nobody has, the team is reminded.

The clinic then follows its own procedures for contacting the patient. Decisions about care belong to the clinic and its healthcare professionals.

When the laboratory corrects a result

Laboratories sometimes correct a report. Doxtor applies the correction as sent, keeps the earlier version, and tells the patient the report has changed. The record always shows what was reported, and when.

What the patient sees

The patient sees their results with plain labels, “within the range” or “outside the range”, and is pointed to their clinic with questions. On Doxtor Pro, an automatically generated explanation can accompany the report, labelled as being for information and not medical advice.

See also: how results reach your patients.