Services
STAT Policy for Outreach
Regional Medical Laboratory gives priority to all requests, whether verbal or written, when specified “STAT” by the physician. Specimens will be obtained from the patient or physician's office as expeditiously as possible and delivered to RML immediately. Every effort will be made to have test results available within one hour of receipt in the laboratory, so specimens must be forwarded to RML without delay.
If results are required on a STAT basis, you must mark the “STAT” box on the requisition. Whenever STAT is marked on the requisition, one STAT CHG will be ordered.
If a laboratory test is requested STAT and does not appear on the STAT list, the client will be informed immediately by RML personnel that the test is not performed STAT. If the required test is a profile or panel, the client will be asked if there are any individual components, which are available STAT, that would accommodate the situation. If the client approves a certain test(s) to be ordered STAT, then those will be ordered STAT and the other test(s) become either “fax results” or “routine”, depending on how the requisition is marked. If the client needs a test not on the STAT list to be ordered STAT, approval from a pathologist on duty or on call is necessary. The physician may contact the pathologist directly or ask that the laboratory arrange for contact between the physician and pathologist. Upon approval, the pathologist will notify the laboratory personnel that the test should be performed STAT.
STAT results will be faxed 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. The following STAT list indicates those procedures which will be performed on a STAT basis without the need for a pathologist's approval.