Things You Need To Know Before Requesting Laboratory Tests

A) Specimen collection

1. The specimen collection instructions described in this website must be strictly followed.Please contact the laboratory before specimen collection should you have any query.

2. Please contact the laboratory for specimen containers. They are provided as a part of the services.

B) Specimen labeling

1. It is a must for all specimens and the corresponding Laboratory Investigation Request Forms to be labeled with DOUBLE IDENTITIES. It is recommended the HKID Number (or a unique Clinic Number generated by the clinic) and the patient’s name be used as the identities.

2. A Form Number printed on detachable labels of the Laboratory Investigation Request Form can also be used as one of the identities if HKID Number and unique Clinic Number are not available. Please also mark the Form Number in your patient’s record when it is used.

Please note that a cumulative report will only be generated when the HKID Number or unique Clinic Number is provided although the Form Number can be used as a patient’s identity.

C) Filling in the Laboratory Investigation Request Form

A Laboratory Investigation Request form (LIRF) must be submitted with all laboratory tests request. The following information should be provided in the Form:

1. Patient’s name

2. Patient’s sex and age (preferably with date of birth)

3. Patient’s HKID Number or an unique Clinic Number (Form Number if both are absent)

4. Date and time when the specimen(s) is (are) taken

5. Brief clinical history of patient

6. Fasting or random sample

7. Time and dosage of last dose for drug toxicology

8. Tests requested

9. Clinic address and requesting clinician’s signature or name stamp

10. Payment method either by cash or on account

D) Specimen pick-up

A) The laboratory provides free specimen pick-up service. Please telephone us immediately once the specimen is available. For locations along MTR, we guarantee all specimens arrive at the laboratory within 3 hours after receiving your call.

B) We recommend keeping the specimens at temperature below 25°C before pick-up. Please be reminded NEVER put any specimen in refrigerators below 4°C. For details, please refer to instruction for individual test.

E) Acceptance and rejection criteria

Usually, all the relevant information listed in (C) above should be provided for a sample that is regarded as acceptable. However, the laboratory requests meet the minimal acceptance criteria as follows are still acceptable provided that the missing information have been provided and confirmed by our staff:

1. Request form without name or HKID but is individually packed with the specimen so that it is identifiable.

2. Lacking of patient’s particulars on the LIRF (e.g. sex, age/date of birth)

3. Requested test is not specified.

4. Due to the difficulties in re-collecting specimens, specimens of insufficient quantity, but dilution is possible, will be individually considered.

Laboratory requests will be rejected as follows:

1. The patient ’s identity is in doubt.

2. The specimen is unlabelled.

3. The client cannot confidently identify the specimen’s identity.

4. The specimen is insufficient and not possible to dilute.

5. Wrong type of specimen is taken, e.g. EDTA sample for potassium measurement.

6. The specimen and the corresponding LIRF cannot be matched accurately.

F) Limitations and interferences of laboratory tests

1. Lipaemia of blood sample may interfere with laboratory tests. It is not recommended to collect blood sample from a patient shortly after a heavy meal even if the requested test does not require a fasting sample.

2. Haemolysis of sample will give erroneous elevated or lowered laboratory test results. Avoid delivering blood sample into containers without removing the needle from the syringe.

3. Prolonged storage of sample will affect laboratory results. Call us as soon as the sample has been collected.

4. Modern laboratories apply immunoassays for most of the tumour markers and hormones tests. It is known that heterophilic antibodies in human serum can react with reagent immunoglobulins, interfering with in vitro immunoassays. Patients routinely exposed to animals or animal serum products can be prone to this interference and anomalous values may be observed. Diagnosis should always be made in conjunction with clinical evaluations.

G) Re-submission of sample for repeat testing or confirmation

The laboratory charges will be waived for repeat testing or confirmation under the conditions as follows:

1. Sample haemolysis

2. Sample lipaemia

3. Confirmation for the tests not able to provide final results with the first sample.

H) Reference intervals

Reference intervals will be provided in the report for most of the laboratory tests with quantitative results.

I) Policy on protection and disclosure of personal information

1. All medical laboratory technologists in our laboratory are registered under the Hong Kong Medical Laboratory Technologist Board. They are obligated to practice following the Code of Practice so that the patients’ confidentialities can be kept accordingly. All staff members are committed to keep the confidentiality of all information relating to patients and have signed an agreement of confidentiality. All laboratory reports will only be disclosed to the referring medical practitioner or the authorized person.

2. For tests required referrals to the laboratories of the Hospital Authority and Department of Health, the patient’s particulars and clinical information may be disclosed to the relevant healthcare professionals of the institutes. Diagnostix Medical Centre Ltd. (DMC) is accredited by Hong Kong Accreditation Service of HKSAR. Regular assessment visits by the personnel from the Office and experts invited from the Office will be carried out. All laboratory reports will only be disclosed to the authorized person. They all will sign a non-disclosure agreement. By using our services, you agree to the above conditions.

J) Policy of ongoing availability and integrity of retained patient samples or records

At Diagnostix Medical Centre Ltd., we are committed to providing the highest standard of medical testing services with unwavering integrity, accuracy, and care for patients’ personal information. Our accreditation to the international standard ISO 15189 is a testament to this commitment, ensuring robust quality and technical competence in all our operations.

A key requirement of this standard is proactive planning to ensure an orderly and ethical transition in the unlikely event of significant operational changes, such as a laboratory closure or acquisition. This communication outlines our clear and preestablished contingency plans to protect patients’ interests and maintain trust, no matter what the future holds.

Our Commitment to Specimen and Data Integrity

1. Management of Residual Specimen

· Current Practice : As part of our standard quality assurance procedures, residual serum samples from tests are retained under secure, frozen conditions for a period of one (1) month following analysis. This allows for any necessary repeat or add-on testing to be performed without requiring a new sample from you.

· Contingency Plan : In the event of a planned closure or acquisition, this practice will continue without interruption. We will retain residual sera for the full one-month period for every sample processed right up until our final day of operation. This ensures no disruption to your care during the transition. Following this period, all remaining specimens will be disposed of in a secure and biohazard-safe manner, in compliance with all regulatory guidelines.

2. Management of Patient Data and Records

· Current Practice : We securely maintain all patient records and test data for a minimum period of four (4) years, as required by professional practice standards and regulations. This includes both physical (paper) and electronic records.

· Contingency Plan - Scenario A : Laboratory Closure: Should the laboratory cease operations, we will ensure the secure and complete destruction of all patient data before closure.

· Paper Records : All physical documents, reports, and files will be destroyed by cross-cut shredding, rendering them completely irrecoverable.

· Electronic Records : All digital data, including databases, files, and backups, will be permanently erased. This will be achieved through a multi-step process of degaussing (where applicable) and/or overwriting the storage media with patterns of random data, followed by the physical destruction (crushing/shredding) of the storage devices themselves (e.g., hard drives, servers). This process guarantee data cannot be reconstructed.

· Contingency Plan - Scenario B : Laboratory Acquisition: In the event of an acquisition by or merger with another entity, the protection of your data remains our paramount concern. Any agreement of acquisition will include mandatory, legally binding terms that require the acquiring entity to:

· Assume full responsibility for the security and confidentiality of all patient records transferred.

· Maintain and protect these records for a minimum retention period of four (4) years from the date of each test or as required by law, whichever is longer.

Our Pledge to patients

Transparency and responsibility are the foundations of our service. These plans have been developed not because we anticipate change, but because we believe in preparing for all possibilities to safeguard clients’ trust and privacy.

Your confidence in us is our most valued asset. Should you have any questions regarding this policy, please do not hesitate to contact us.

K) Advices, comments, suggestions and complaints

We welcome advices, suggestions, comments and even complaints. It is a way to improve our services. Please contact:

1. Technical issues: Dr. Szeto Yim Tong Savio , Laboratory Manager

Tel: 2562 6690 Fax: 2562 2090 E-mail: ytszeto@diagnostix.com.hk

2. Issues other than technical: Ms. Iris Chow , Operations Manager

Tel: 2885 4687 Fax: 2110 0586 E-mail: irischow@diagnostix.com.hk

All cases will be dealt with promptly and handled with courtesy manners.