Doctor Orders & Paperwork
General Rules for Lab Order
1. We should provide you with a paper copy of all lab and imaging orders at the time of your visit. Patients are expected to retain a copy of these orders
2. We will provide a one-time electronic submission of your lab orders at the time of your office visit. Otherwise you must come to the office to pick up a paper copy of your orders..
Blood Testing Locations
If your physician orders blood work, you may go to any lab that is accepted by your insurance. For more efficient processing we prefer you use a national lab. No appointment is required. Complete that labs about a week prior to your visit so they will be finalized by the time of your visit. We try hard to make sure that the lab to which we send you is in-network for your insurance but it is still the patient's responsibility to make sure the laboratory is in-network since charges are made directly from the lab to your insurance.
Please try to use a PSC location (patient service center) and not just a general labcorp or Quest location. All "PSC" locations will have access to your lab orders electronically. On the lab finder it should tell you if the location is a "PSC". Non-PSC locations are unreliable for electronic lab orders and they will require you have a paper order in hand. If your lab order was PLACED MORE THAN 6 MONTHS AGO, it will no longer be in the electronic system of Labcorp or Quest, but A PRINTED PAPER ORDER FORM ALWAYS IS VALID SO BRING IT WITH YOU TO THE LABORATORY ESPECIALLY IF IT'S BEEN MORE THAN 6 MONTHS SINCE THE ORDER WAS CREATED. Please keep a copy of the paper order that we give you in clinic (scan in somewhere so you can find it later). Calling our office to urgently request your lab order slip when you are at the lab will be a frustrating process.
LABCORP:
Find a Labcorp location using your zip code.
You do not need your lab slip if you use a dedicated Labcorp "PSC" (patient service center) location on the list since your orders are stored electronically for up to 6 months. If you go to a Non-"PSC" location then you will need a paper copy of your blood work order
If it has been more than 6 OR MORE MONTHS since your last visit with the doctor, please send a portal message the office to "refresh" your lab order WEEKS BEFORE YOU GO TO THE LAB. WE CANNOT HELP YOU ON THE DAY OF THE LAB DRAW.
If you go to a location with a name other than "Labcorp psc" on the list then you will need a paper copy of your orders when you get there.
Your results will automatically be sent to the office if ordered under our physicians' name.
QUEST:
Find a Quest lab location in Houston.
If has been more than 6 OR MORE months since your last visit with the doctor, please send a portal message the office to "refresh" your lab order WEEKS BEFORE YOU GO TO THE LAB. WE CANNOT HELP YOU ON THE DAY OF THE LAB DRAW.
You do not need your lab slip if you use a dedicated Quest "PSC" (patient service center) location on the list since your orders are stored electronically for up to 6 months. If you go to a Non-"PSC" location then you will need a paper copy of your blood work order
CPL:
Find a CPL lab location in Houston CPL PATIENTS MUST HAVE A PAPER LAB ORDER SLIP
ANY OTHER LAB NOT LISTED ABOVE:
If you use another lab such as your primary care doctor's lab or a hospital lab, then you must TAKE A PAPER COPY OF THE LAB ORDER SLIP
We recommend you personally bring your results with you to your visit since we will not have access to those results and they might not fax results in time.
We are not responsible for getting your lab results to our office if ordered by another doctor
Fasting Instructions
Please make sure you review the specific written instructions given to you when you left the clinic since you may have to stop, change, or take a medication prior to doing specific testing. If your doctor requested, please remember to go fasting after midnight- No food, gum, tea, or juice in the morning. Un-sweetened water is OK. Take your morning pills with water only. If you are on long acting insulin it is ok to take.
24-Hour Urine Collections Instructions
Twenty-four hour urine collections have specific instructions to follow depending on what substance is being tested. If you are working Monday through Friday, it may be easiest to begin the collection Sunday morning and drop of the sample at the designated lab location before going to work on Monday.
Medications
We will electronically send or fax your prescriptions to the pharmacy of your choice. At your initial visit you should give us the name and zip code of your preferred pharmacy or mail order service. Many medications we prescribe can be expensive. Please shop around on your own for the best deal.
Imaging Tests/Treatment Facilities
When your doctor orders an imaging test, you will usually be given a specific location to complete your testing. Please review the instructions given to you when you left your clinic appointment.
The usual locations we ask patients to visit are:
Houston Medical Imaging
Memorial Hermann
https://www.memorialhermann.org/services/specialties/imaging
Baylor clinic
https://www.bcm.edu/healthcare/specialties/radiology-and-diagnostics
Methodist hospital outpatient center
This is located at 6445 Main Street. Houston, TX 77030. Parathyroid scans and nuclear thyroid scans are done here. The phone number to call to schedule is 713.441.1227
https://greenimaging.net/
MD Anderson Cancer Center Outpatient Radiology
After we have faxed orders to their center, patients should receive a call within 3 days. Contact 713 792 7171 for scheduling questions. The registration location is the Mays Clinic, 5th floor general ultrasound section.
St Lukes' Hospital
https://www.stlukeshealth.org/services-specialties/imaging-diagnostic-procedures