Myth Buster: Patients must always wait and get their clinical lab test results back from their provider only

MYTH: Patients must always wait and get their clinical lab test results back from their provider only.

 

FACT: Under recent changes to CLIA and HIPAA regulations, labs are now permitted, and sometimes required, to provide completed lab test results directly to patients.

 

HHS has recently updated the regulations implementing both HIPAA and the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) to allow labs to release test results directly to patients or their authorized representatives. This represents a major shift in the rules regarding the release of lab test results by enabling patients to access their own information. Learn more about CLIA and the recent amendments in our Myth Buster below.