Getting testing right is a team effort

(Aotea News, September 2011)

Our laboratory investigations depend on the quality of request and specimen information you supply, and we have a part to play too by letting you know what information we need.

To help with this we have set up an area on the Aotea Pathology website that gives detailed information on any changes we make to test request protocols.

The page is at www.apath.co.nz/content/test-requestprotocols.

Good quality clinical information you provide helps us carry out the right laboratory procedures and provide the correct clinical advice so we can be of value to you and your patients.

The more clinical details you provide the better the service. For example, if the patient has a history of foreign travel or a specific diagnosis is being considered, we need to know.

Recently we have introduced protocols for vitamin D and thrombophilia testing. The clinical details are essential for those testing procedures, so please read the site to get the information you need.

We will add further protocols to the site as they are developed.