Laboratory Medicine
Yale Medicine’s laboratory medicine team examines the molecular and cellular components of blood and other body fluids—work is essential for diagnosing illness, guiding treatment, and understanding how conditions begin and develop. Physicians who specialize in laboratory medicine, called clinical pathologists, consult with other doctors about the best laboratory testing strategy and help interpret complex or unusual test results.
We operate multiple facilities and patient service centers throughout the state of Connecticut. We ensure that every test we offer, at every location, is accurate and reliable. Our team is available to support physicians every day, 24 hours a day.
Lab results help your care team in several ways: they can help rule out a condition, confirm a diagnosis, or monitor how well treatment is working for an ongoing health issue. Your provider will review and explain your results with you and discuss what they mean for your care, so you can take an informed role in maintaining your health.
Our Approach
When physicians request to have patients’ blood drawn, the general process is as follows:
- Collection: A doctor, nurse, technician, or phlebotomist will draw the patient’s blood. Several tubes may be needed for different types of tests.
- Depending on the condition, the patient’s doctor may obtain a urine sample, throat swab, or other sample.
- After the sample is collected, the container is labeled with the patient’s name and other information.
- The sample is received and processed by the laboratory, and testing begins.
