‘What to do when confronted with unexpected blood test results’
- May 6, 2024
- 2 min read
“Regulation and accuracy on lab work varies by lab. Talk to your doctor about unexpected results.
Most blood samples are shipped to independent labs to be analyzed. Under federal law, if a lab only performs certain ‘routine’ tests, they do not receive oversight from federal regulators, which can lead to an increased likelihood of mistakes. According to the investigative report by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, even inspected and regulated labs make mistakes involving:
Expired products used to screen for cancer
Blood samples or donations not kept refrigerated
Incorrectly labeled samples
Switched patient samples
A lack of quality control on the accuracy for tests on blood sugar, herpes and genetic defects
Potentially millions of lab mistakes occur each year. A proactive approach can help lower your risk for misdiagnosis.
It is estimated that seven to ten million patients receive an inaccurate blood test result annually.
Approximately 35,000 labs run high complexity tests. Many more run routine tests and are not subject to inspection every two years by federal regulators. In 1988, Congress passed a law to lower the costs of lab tests by decreasing federal oversight. ‘Waived’ tests are meant to be so easy mistakes are a very small possibility. Yet mistakes occur even for waived tests. For example, some lab technicians may not follow directions for tests, or may incorrectly assume slight deviations will have no effect on the results of a given test.
In 1988, only eight blood tests met the ‘waived’ criteria. Now, over 3,000 such tests are performed without oversight.”
“Modern medicine is fast-paced and driven by cost considerations. As a patient, it helps to be reminded that we have rights and the ability to help improve our own health.” […]