Why Some Tests Are Sent to Partner Laboratories

Some tests, such as specialist assays, RT-PCR, culture and histopathology, may be done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab should tell you before you book if that applies to your test, and the report should name the laboratory that did the work. This is common in laboratory medicine and is explained in the Terms of Service.

Why would a lab send a test elsewhere?

No single laboratory has every machine, every skilled pathologist and every validated method under one roof. A laboratory may refer a test when:

• the method needs special equipment that is used for few samples
• a specialist must read the result, as with a biopsy
• a result needs a second, confirming method
• a rare or advanced test is needed that only a few laboratories run

Referral is a way of getting the right test done properly. The sample is packed, labelled and sent with the minimum information the partner needs, and the result comes back to be reported.

Which tests may be referred?

It varies from test to test and from time to time. Specialist assays, molecular tests such as RT-PCR, ELISA, culture and sensitivity, histopathology and other advanced pathology are the kinds of tests that may be referred. A Histopathology / Biopsy is often read by a specialist pathologist. Molecular tests such as the Canine Parvo RT-PCR, the Bovine Tick Fever RT-PCR Panel (Theileria, Babesia & Anaplasma) and the Equine Influenza Virus RT-PCR may be run by the laboratory or by a partner. The lab confirms how each test is done when you book, and this article does not say which individual tests are referred.

What should the customer be told?

The Terms of Service state the principles. Where reasonably practicable, you should be told before the booking is confirmed or the sample is sent that a test will be outsourced, especially when this changes the expected time, the cost, the sample needs or the way the report is issued. The report, or the message that comes with it, should name the laboratory that did the test and the laboratory responsible for the report. Where the law requires it, you will also be asked for specific consent to share information.

Formal quality approval should never be assumed. It depends on the laboratory and on the test, and it must be checked for each one. Ask your vet to help if the answers are unclear.

Only what is needed to arrange the test and obtain a report. This usually means the animal's identification, the type of sample, the relevant history, the test requested, the vet's details and a booking reference. A partner laboratory may not use that information for unrelated purposes. The Privacy Policy explains this in more detail.

It can. Batching, confirming tests, quality checks, the journey of the sample and public holidays all add to the time. Any time given for a referred test is an estimate and not a promise, and the lab will tell you about a significant delay when it can. Ask about this when you book.

Who is responsible?

Each party is responsible for what it does. The lab you book with takes reasonable care in choosing a suitable partner, in sending the right sample with the right information, and in passing on the report. A partner laboratory is responsible for its own methods, equipment and quality checks. Sending a test elsewhere does not remove any responsibility that the law places on the lab you booked with.

Questions worth asking when you book

• Will this test be done by an outside laboratory?
• Which laboratory will issue the report, and will it be named on the report?
• Will the sample needs, the cost or the time be different because of that?
• What happens if the sample is not suitable?

A registered veterinarian reads the report with your animal's signs and history, whoever did the test.

Read next

To understand the molecular methods behind many referred tests, read What Is RT-PCR in Veterinary Testing?. For a look at cattle tick fever tests, see Tick Fever RT-PCR in Cattle and Buffalo: Beyond the Smear.

Testing in Bhopal

The lab at C-200, C Sector, Shahpura, Bhopal will tell you how a test is done when you book, and the lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time. Call or WhatsApp +91 88175 01118. Please also read the Terms of Service on this website, which set out how outsourced testing works.