Lima Memorial Health System has started offering direct-access lab testing so patients can order their own lab tests without a physician’s order.
Photo by Mackenzi Klemann | The Lima News
LIMA — Lima Memorial Health System has started offering direct-access testing so patients can order their own lab tests without a physician’s order, making it easier for people to screen themselves for common health problems like diabetes, high cholesterol or allergies.
Rather than schedule an appointment with a physician, patients can walk in to any LMHS testing center and order basic lab tests.
Results are then provided directly to the patient through their electronic portal, which can be shared with their family physician.
The health system recently started offering the direct-access lab tests to make screening more accessible, particularly for those with high-deductible insurance plans or no insurance, said Sam Schroeder, LMHS lab director.
“This is really discounted for them,” Schroeder said. “It’s a way that they can have these important screening tests and get those results in their hands and, if they want, back to their doctor as well.”
The tests are not billed to insurance, meaning patients will pay the full cost for each test performed.
Still, most tests available through the direct-access program cost less than $100 per test, while some tests cost as little as $10.
The cost for a general health screen, for example, is $50 through the direct-access testing program, while a lipid panel costs $40, according to the LMHS website.
More advanced tests that require intervention, like cancer screenings, will still require a physician’s order, Schroeder said.
“It’s a good place to start in being able to monitor your own health,” Schroeder said. “That doesn’t mean we have to exclude your doctor. We can get those results to your family physician as well. And then anything abnormal, anything high or low — it’s always best to take those results back to your doctor.”
