What happens to my specimen?

Your doctor completes a pathology request form when a blood, urine or other test is required to assist with diagnosis or treatment.

A Pathology Queensland collection centre collects the samples necessary for the tests indicated on the request form.

Your details are put on the sample tube and each sample is given a unique barcode.

Laboratory reception crosschecks the details on the form with your sample to deliver your sample to the suitable laboratories for testing.

These laboratories are haematology, transfusion, chemical pathology, immunology, anatomical pathology or microbiology.

Testing is performed either manually by medical scientists or analysed on highly advanced auto-analysers.

Once testing is complete, the results are reviewed by a pathologist or scientist and then made available to your doctor.