Life-Saving Results: Why the Lab You Choose is Important

Life-Saving Results: Why the Lab You Choose is Important

An estimated 13 billion lab tests are performed in the US each year. So, it is almost guaranteed at some point at least one of your doctor’s visits will include some kind of lab work. But while lab work is a routine part of healthcare, many patients are unaware of their part in the process.

Did you know you can choose where your labs are sent?

Any time you have lab work done you have a choice on where to send your lab work. Most of the time this is a question you are asked in your heap of paperwork during check-in or by your doctor once the sample has been taken. And while this is something you literally “check a box” on, it is a much bigger decision than that.

Why should I care where my labs are sent?

About two-thirds of all clinical medical decisions are based on lab test results. Data from lab results plays a significant role in identifying and treating cancer, HPV, STDs, diabetes, heart disease and more. Those are life changing diagnoses and catching it in lab work as early as possible is important. When the stakes are that high you want your lab work in the best hands possible for the job.

Now that you know how important this choice is, here are some reasons why the lab at Woman’s Hospital continues to be a top choice through the years:

  • Experience: Woman’s lab performs more than 400,000 lab tests annually for men, women, children and infants.
  • Fast Turnaround Time: Most routine tests results will be received by your provider the day after the tests are performed.
  • Expertise: All tests are performed by trained medical professionals and analyzed by the experts from the Pathology Group of Louisiana and the Cary Dougherty Cancer Detection Laboratory.
  • Low Cervical Cancer Death Rates: Woman’s has the second oldest pap lab in the nation, and our volume of analysis has resulted in one of the lowest death rates of cervical cancer in the U.S.
  • Insulin Resistance Testing: We are the only place in the U.S. that offers specific insulin resistance testing and interpretation.
  • Discovery: With 8,000+ deliveries a year, our data enables us to showcase regional trends for detection.