The Association for Laboratory Medicine (LabMed) has relaunched its Lab Tests Online website following a major redevelopment to provide patients with clear, trusted explanations of laboratory tests and results.
Many people turn to the internet for health information, where sources are not always clear or reliable. Lab Tests Online UK (LTO) is a free website providing clear, reliable information about laboratory tests for patients and the public. The site explains why tests are used, how samples are collected and what results may mean
The site’s design, structure and user experience has been transformed introducing a cleaner layout, simplified navigation and improved accessibility. It aims to help patients and members of the public find trusted information about laboratory tests more easily and better understand what their results may mean. All content on the site is written, reviewed and updated by subject experts in laboratory medicine and is professionally peer reviewed.
The redevelopment was made possible through LabMed’s partnership with the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) and The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath), who supported the investment required to rebuild the site.
The redevelopment follows a programme of research with patients and a content review led by the LTO Board in partnership with digital agency William Joseph. The project also benefited from insights from an NIHR-funded study conducted by the Universities of Bristol and Manchester exploring how patients access and interpret their test results.
Dr Danielle Freedman, Chair of the Lab Tests Online UK Board, said: “As more people see their test results online, it’s vital they can access clear and reliable explanations. Lab Tests Online UK brings the expertise of laboratory medicine directly to patients and the public.”
All information on the site is written, validated and updated by laboratory scientists and medicine professionals and is professionally peer reviewed. The Lab Tests Online Board and review team includes representatives from LabMed, IBMS and RCPath as patient representatives. The Lab Tests Online Editor is Dr Alan Deacon, who is National Pathology Programme Lead for NHS Wales Executive. Alan works with a volunteer team of reviewers to make sure the content is reviewed regularly and kept up to date.
Lab Tests Online UK was established in 2004 through a partnership between the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) and the Association for Clinical Biochemistry (ACB), with funding from the UK Department of Health and the Health Foundation. Ownership of the UK site transferred to ACB (now the Association for Laboratory Medicine) in 2022 after AACC sold the Lab Tests Online brand.