Laboratory

Professionals

Information documents and guidelines for physicians

Information documents and guidelines for physicians

Analyses - overview

Analyses - overview
BiochemistryImmunohaematology/non-infectious serology (allergology, autoimmunity, etc.)Microbiology/mycology/parasitology/molecular diagnostics
Haematology/haemostasis

Infectious disease serology

Therapeutic drug monitoring/toxicology
Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)

Services for professionals

Services for professionals

Sampling materials can be ordered using the laboratory's material order cart. This material is delivered free of charge.

The samples for patients receiving outpatient-based care can be picked up by the physicians using a fixed noon and evening schedule on weekdays, and, if desired, on Saturdays as well.

Per request, a urgent collection can be organised, including on Saturdays or Sundays.

To request this service, please telephone +32 (0)9 246 92 29

An injection team from the laboratory performs blood draws at home on every weekday.

If you would like to request this service, please book an appointment by calling +32 (0)9 246 92 29

The tests are arranged by clinic groups. Each analysis is tracked by a code that indicates the sample tube that is required.

The National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (RIZIV/NIHDI) requires that you strike through the tests to be done.

Fill in the clinical information. That makes the interpretation of results easier, if required.

A valid request form is provided with:

  • all patient information (name, address, sex and date of birth).
  • a health insurance label with the patient's national register number
  • A stamp with the RIZIV number, name, date and signature of the requesting physician
  • Physicians are sent results electronically multiple times a day using the Mediring/Medibridge, and then on paper the following day. The report contains all the information necessary to correctly interpret the results.
  • You may request that you be called with results (if indicated on the request form). You may also call us to inquire about results.
  • We will call you regardless if any values are extremely abnormal.
  • Results can be faxed at your request (if indicated on the request form).

The sera are kept in the refrigerator for at least one week.

Additional tests using these samples can be performed in consultation with the clinical biologist.

The laboratory applies the third-party payment.

Depending on the total B-values, the co-payment is invoiced, as legally required.

All biologists are covered by agreement with health insurance fund and follow the official fee schedule.

Tests that are not reimbursed are clearly indicated on the request form.

Reporting

Reporting

The laboratory management is responsible for the design of the protocol and independently determines its approach and content. Protocols are generated in the Laboratory Information System (LIS) and have a fixed design. Protocols contains all the essential elements and have been designed in accordance with Belgian legislation and the industry’s applicable guidelines. The clinical biologists guarantee easy legibility.

If desired, hard copy protocols are sent to the person requesting the laboratory test by post.

In addition to the classic, hard copy reporting protocol, test results can also be viewed in electronic form. External requesters can specifically request to receive test results through Hector. This service allows for secure patient data exchange between the laboratory and the physician or GP, guaranteeing data confidentiality (through data encryption) and integrity. External requesters can submit a request to the laboratory if they wish to receive results through Hector. The end user should have access to a PC and a modem and an automated patient chart.

For reports using Hector, the physician can choose from various formats, such as Medidoc, HealthOne, Medibase and Medar.

At the request of the laboratory, the hospital’s IT Department provides support if a user who is not yet registered in the system wishes to use this type of reporting or in case of technical problems

Only medically authorised results are consultable
by the applicant via Hector. The IT Department of our hospital is responsible for guaranteeing confidentiality of data forwarded through Hector up to the point that data are sent from the hospital to the user. From the moment that data leave the hospital, these responsibilities fall to the user, manufacturer or supplier of the externally used software package.

The laboratory has verified, with a favourable end result, the integrity of data transmission for the Medidoc, HealthOne, and Medar formats, through to the level of the export file. Other formats were not tested; therefore, the end user shall take full responsibility for their use. It is impossible for the laboratory to conclusively verify the final visualisation of the results in the various available external packages; therefore, this falls outside of the scope of its responsibilities.

The end user shall be responsible for keeping their facilities required for receiving and viewing forwarded results from Hector, up to date. The end user shall also be responsible for implementing the necessary precautions to guarantee the confidentiality of the forwarded data (e.g. password policy etc.).

Patients can also consult their laboratory results via www.cozo.be, after registering via their e-ID. CoZo is a highly secured electronic platform that also gives physicians access to test results if the patient has given their permission in advance. Electronic data exchange through CoZo is subject to the Law on the protection of privacy (Wet tot bescherming) in relation to the processing of personal data and the Law on patient rights (Wet betreffende de rechten van de patiënt). For our hospital, the CoZo platform imports data from the C2Mmedical record. The laboratory cannot in any conclusive way guarantee the correctness of this digital copy. Consequently, the lab declines all third-party liability for any damage or consequences of incidents resulting from the use of laboratory results that are displayed in CoZo.

Results can be reported by fax at the specific request of the requester. The laboratory is responsible for sending the protocol by fax on the basis of the data that have been made available. The end user guarantees the protection of confidentiality of the received data by implementing the appropriate measures.

Reporting of the results by telephone is also possible upon request.

Results are also always reported to the requester by telephone if they exceed configured warning thresholds or if extremely abnormal results are found (list available upon request). It is the responsibility of the individual requester to always verify the results reported by telephone against the hard copy or electronic results before making diagnostic or therapeutic decisions based on these results.

The laboratory does not support forwarding of patient results by e-mail as this kind of data transmission offers inadequate guarantees to ensure the confidentiality of the forwarded data (inadequate network security, insufficient checks of the identity of the persons having access to the data).

For this reason, the laboratory will decline any requests from physicians to forward reports by e-mail, in accordance with the advice issued by the Order of Physicians on this issue.