How to Read Results From Bloodwork

A physician may order blood work to help evaluate a patient's overall health. The results are helpful in diagnosing disease, identifying the cause of symptoms and tracking the progression of an underlying condition. Your doctor or the lab may provide you with a printout of your blood test results. Understanding the results of your blood work can help you make informed decisions about your health care treatment.

Things You'll Need

• Highlighter pen

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Glance over your report and locate the key, if it has one. Familiarize yourself with the symbols in the key and their meanings.

• 2

  Read the area on your lab report that lists the blood tests that were performed on you.

• 3

  Read through the section of the lab report that shows the result values of your blood test. If there are any notes or symbols next to your values, highlight them.

• 4

  Look for the reference section of the report that lists a numeric range of standard values for each test that was performed.

• 5

  Compare your test results to the values in the standard ranges. Check to see if your results fall below, within or above the standard values.

• 6

  Highlight any test results that fall outside the standard range.

• 7

  Write down questions or concerns about the results of your blood tests. Schedule a follow-up appointment with your physician to discuss the results of your blood work at length.