Online patient portals are the place to find medical records, upcoming appointments and notes from your healthcare team. You also may have quick access to lab and test results.
If you haven't already received test results in a patient portal, you probably will. The 21st Century Cures Act requires that patients receive most medical test results as soon as they're available.
That means you may even be able to view your results before your healthcare team has. But without an expert to explain the results, you might be left to interpret them on your own.
This happened to Lydia, 47. When Lydia checked her patient portal for routine bloodwork results, she learned that her TSH was high. Lydia wasn't familiar with TSH or what that meant for her health. Since she couldn't reach her doctor that evening, she searched for information and reassurance online.
For Lydia, the unfamiliar test result information was confusing and caused her to worry. But for some people, like Adam, a 56-year-old with lung cancer, seeing results early can be empowering.
Adam gets regular CT scans of his lungs and is familiar with the test and the results he wants to see. When he checked his patient portal after his latest scan, he learned that two cancer nodules had grown slightly. Even though it wasn't the result he wanted, Adam was grateful for the information and made a list of questions to ask his doctor.
As you consider the best way to use your patient portal, here are some things to consider:
Preparing for test results
If you have lab work done, ask your healthcare team what to expect. You might ask:
- What tests are being done? And what do they measure?
- When should I expect the test results?
- Will I get my results online? Or will you call?
- What is the standard range that my results should be in?
- What does it mean if my results are outside that range?
To check or not to check
Whether to check results on your own or wait to review them with a healthcare professional is a personal decision. Whatever you choose, Mayo Clinic experts offer this advice:
Make a decision before results are posted. If your healthcare team plans to call with results on Tuesday, decide what you'll do if results are posted online on Monday. You don't have to view your results if you prefer waiting.
Check the notification options in your patient account. If you prefer not to view test results on your own, you may be able to turn off notifications for results. That way you won't get an email alerting you that results are in, tempting you to check.
Be mindful when opening test results. If you decide to check your results, give yourself space to absorb the information. That might mean waiting to check the results until you're at home or with a loved one rather than in line at the grocery store.
Research wisely. Be careful about searching for standard test result ranges online or in community forums. Visit only trusted sources, like Mayo Clinic or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And remember, a standard range for one person might not be the same for another. Take any questions to your healthcare team. They know your specific health situation and can discuss test results with you.