Q&A: Should You Have Access To Your Lab Results?

Michelle Andrews answers a question from a reader about patient access to test results. The reader asks: In order for patients to take more responsibility for their care shouldn’t the lab be required to send them results unless specifically precluded by the doctor?

See Andrews answer your other health care questions.

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<h1>Q&A:  Should You Have Access To Your Lab Results?</h1>
<div>		<time class="posted-on" datetime="2012-04-05T19:46:42-04:00">
			April 5, 2012		</time>
		</div>
<p>Michelle Andrews answers a question from a reader about patient access to test results. The reader asks: In order for patients to take more responsibility for their care shouldn’t the lab be required to send them results unless specifically precluded by the doctor?</p><p><a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/legacy/2EF881E8-1C35-49C1-A9ED-B1128D766767">See Andrews answer your other health care questions.</a></p><ul><li><a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/andrews-q-and-a-patient-lab-test-results/?share=x">				Click to share on X (Opens in new window)				X			</a></li><li><a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/andrews-q-and-a-patient-lab-test-results/?share=facebook">				Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)				Facebook			</a></li><li><a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/andrews-q-and-a-patient-lab-test-results/?share=linkedin">				Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)				LinkedIn			</a></li><li><a href="mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Q%26A%3A%20%20Should%20You%20Have%20Access%20To%20Your%20Lab%20Results%3F&body=https%3A%2F%2Fkffhealthnews.org%2Fnews%2Fandrews-q-and-a-patient-lab-test-results%2F&share=email">				Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)				Email			</a></li><li><a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/andrews-q-and-a-patient-lab-test-results/#print?share=print">				Click to print (Opens in new window)				Print			</a></li><li>				<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/andrews-q-and-a-patient-lab-test-results/view/republish/">					Republish This Story				</a>			</li></ul><em><a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us">KFF Health News</a> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about <a href="https://www.kff.org/about-us">KFF</a>.</em><p><a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-briefing/">Subscribe</a> to KFF Health News' free Morning Briefing.</p><p>This <a target="_blank" href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/andrews-q-and-a-patient-lab-test-results/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://kffhealthnews.org">KFF Health News</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/kffhealthnews-icon.png?w=150" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://kffhealthnews.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=10886&amp;ga4=G-J74WWTKFM0" style="width:1px;height:1px;"></p>

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