Release of Medical Information

At SCL Health, it is our privilege to care for you and we deeply appreciate your partnership and trust. That’s why we share your results and other information with you as soon as it is available.

Here’s what you can expect from us:

Your lab and imaging results are released to you in MyChart as soon as they are available. You may see some results even before we do.
We look at every result. If your results are not concerning, you will receive a letter or an online message. If we have concerns, we will call you or schedule a follow-up visit.
It usually takes about 2 business days for us to reach out to you, and you’ll hear from us more quickly for more serious results.

As a patient, here’s what you can do:

If you prefer to view your results right away, they are available to you. If you have questions, you may feel confident searching online for answers, or asking friends or family, until there is time to discuss with your healthcare provider.
Or, you may prefer to wait until your provider contacts you before viewing the results in MyChart so you can get your questions answered.
When appropriate, you can arrange for regular tests to be done just before an appointment so you can review the results with your provider during the visit.
If you have an immediate concern, you can send us a message or call our clinic. Otherwise, we prefer that you wait 1-2 days for us to contact you or that we discuss the results at your next appointment.

Here’s what those results mean:

Results can be “Negative” or “Unremarkable.” This is the same as “Normal.”
Results can be “H” for “high” or “L” for “low” indicating “outside of normal range.” Very often, these results are not a reason to worry.
Results can be surprising or confusing. We will reach out and review these with you.
Results may show a serious finding, like “cancer” or “fracture,” and we will reach out to you quickly to help you take the next steps.

How to read your lab results:

Here are some resources to help you read your lab results.