What is a medical analysis laboratory used for?

70% of diagnoses in France are made through medical biology examinations. In town or at the hospital, the laboratory allows patients to be taken care of and monitored for all types of pathologies. To find out more, we met the Dr Stephanie Haim Boukobza, Medical Affairs Director of Cerballiance Laboratories. What is a medical analysis laboratory? What analyzes to do?

What is a medical analysis laboratory?

A medical analysis laboratory is a structure that will welcome patients with their medical prescription to carry out examinations for the purpose of diagnosing and/or monitoring a pathology. “In general, patients go to the medical analysis laboratory closest to their home with the prescription issued most often by their attending physician.“, she points out. Sometimes, the examinations can be carried out without a prescription, at the request of the patient. “In this case, the examinations will be at his expense.

Who can go to a medical analysis laboratory?

Everyone can go to a medical analysis laboratory. Only minors must be accompanied of a parent or guardian. “When patients cannot travel, laboratory samplers (nurses, laboratory technicians) can go to their homes. Simply contact the lab and make an appointment. This specific treatment must be specified on the prescription by the doctor.“, says Dr Stéphanie Haim Boukobza.

What analyzes should be carried out in a laboratory?

A multitude of analyzes are possible in a laboratory. These may require samples from different origins:

• Specimens blood (blood test);
• Specimens urinary ;
• Specimens respiratory (as for the diagnosis of Covid, influenza, bronchiolitis or other respiratory pathologies such as whooping cough, tuberculosis, etc.);
• Specimens genitals when there is suspicion of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) for example. “These genital samples are taken by experts: medical biologists or nurses“, she notes. It is also now possible to take cervical and uterine samples in the laboratory for screening for cancer of the cervix (RIST law);
• samples of other types of mucous membranes (mouth, anus, eye, etc.);
• samples of skin or nails;
• samples of saddles.

​​​​​Should I make an appointment before?

Access to a medical analysis laboratory does not require prior appointment. “For certain samples, gynecological for example, and in certain cases, such as during Covid, the taking of go to platforms digitized for certain laboratories makes it possible to better organize requests“, she adds.

How does a medical analysis laboratory work?

There are two types of medical analysis laboratories:

• THE city ​​labs who receive outpatients;
• THE hospital laboratories who take care of the samples of patients taken in the various departments (including emergencies) of hospitals or clinics “Some laboratories may also have mixed activities between the city, the hospital and the emergencies“, she specifies.

These different types of laboratories must all meet the same standards concerning the methods of sampling, transport, analysis, reporting of results and storage of samples. Most of the samples taken in the laboratories are sent and analyzed on technical platforms close to the sampling site. Three phases constitute an examination:
► The pre-analytical phase, the sampling phase during which questions may be asked to the patient: “examinations can sometimes be added or modified by the medical biologist according to the clinical context of the patient” ;
► The analytical phasethe analysis of the samples, making it possible to obtain the results;
► The post-analytical phasethe results analyzed and validated by laboratory technicians and then by medical biologists: “depending on the degree of urgency or the nature of the pathology, the latter will be able to approach the doctor, redirect the patient, or even sometimes call the SAMU in the event of an acute emergency such as the diagnosis of myocardial infarction, for example“.

Is an analysis done in the lab always reimbursed?

A reimbursed medical analysis is generally a prescription analysis. However, there are certain exams that are reimbursed and do not necessarily require a prescription and are 100% covered:

Conversely, there are prescribed analyzes not reimbursed. “This is the case, for example, of certain very innovative examinations which have not yet been able to be examined by the Social Security Commission, which provides reimbursement. They are, in the meantime, outside nomenclature and therefore the responsibility of the patient“, she explains. Some examinations can also be covered according to specific indications. The example of vitamin D is interesting : “for this examination to be reimbursed, the patient must fall within specific indications such as suspicion of severe deficiency (rickets), examinations before and after bariatric surgery, or after kidney transplantation, for example“. Other examinations prescribed but deemed obsolete by the High Authority for Health, will not be reimbursed by health insurance. As a matter of course, it is better Talk to your doctor first.

Thanks to Dr. Stéphanie Haim Boukobza, director of medical affairs, Cerballiance laboratories.