For many people, getting lab work done is a normal part of healthcare. These tests play an important role in helping your healthcare provider better care for you on your well-being journey. However, for many patients, lab test results can be confusing. Here, we’ll help provide a little understanding into the role lab tests play and how you can better interpret your results to have more informed discussions with your provider.
What are lab tests?
A laboratory test is a procedure that utilizes a sample of your blood or urine to gather information about your health. Your healthcare provider may recommend a lab test to find the cause of a symptom, screen for a disease, monitor a condition, check your general health and more.
Lab tests are only one piece of information about your health. Your provider will consider many things, including your symptoms, age, weight, physical exam and family history, to get a more complete picture of your health.
What results can you expect?
Lab test results may be positive, negative or inconclusive.
- A positive test result means that the substance or condition being tested for was found. Positive test results can also mean that the amount of a substance being tested for is higher or lower than normal.
- A negative test result means that the substance or condition being tested for was not found. Negative results can also mean that the substance being tested for was present in a normal amount.
- Inconclusive test results are those that aren't clearly positive or negative. For example, some tests measure the level of antibodies a person has to bacteria or viruses in their blood. However, it's not always clear if the level of antibodies is high enough to be a sign of an infection — resulting in an inconclusive result.
No matter what your test results show, your healthcare provider will discuss the findings with you and what they mean for you and your health.
What do lab test numbers mean?
Many lab test results come back in the form of numbers. Experts test many healthy people to find out what is “normal” for that group. The numbers they come up with are called a reference range and are used to determine whether someone’s test results are normal, higher than normal or lower than normal.
Your provider will look at a reference range to help them interpret your test results. If your numbers fall within the range, your results are often considered normal. If they fall above or below the range, they are often considered abnormal. However, it’s also possible that your numbers could fall outside the range and still be normal for you. Your doctor will look for any patterns of abnormal lab results that may be related to a health problem.
Including a resident physician as part of your internal medicine care team
The Parkview Residency Center offers the unique opportunity to have a resident physician as part of your care team. Patients with a resident physician as part of their care team have access to:
- An individualized care plan with oversight by two highly qualified physicians
- The latest health information, practices and treatments
- Focused attention to help you achieve your health goals, such as understanding your personal test results
For more information, visit parkview.com/ResidencyFAQs.
Copyrighted material adapted with permission from Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor.
