Medical
Lab Results
A lab result is the report from a clinical laboratory showing the measured values from a blood, urine, or other diagnostic test, each compared against a reference range. It names the ordering provider, the test panel, your values, the normal ranges, and flags any result outside the expected range.
Since April 5, 2021, U.S. information-blocking rules under the 21st Century Cures Act require labs and providers to release test results to patients electronically as soon as they're available — often the same time the ordering clinician sees them.
Written & maintained by the Granite team · Last updated June 2026
Overview
A lab — through your doctor or a direct-to-consumer service — issues results after running ordered tests. Each line shows your value, the lab's reference range, and a flag (H for high, L for low) when a result falls outside normal. The reference range is essential context: a number alone means little without it, and ranges differ between labs because each uses its own testing methods, so you can't compare your value to a range you found elsewhere.
Results are most useful as a series. Tracking the same marker over years reveals trends a single snapshot hides, which is why keeping your historical results — not just the latest — matters for your care.
When you’ll get your Lab Results
- You had bloodwork or a diagnostic test ordered by your doctor
- You used a direct-to-consumer lab service
- You're monitoring a condition over time (cholesterol, A1C, thyroid)
- You're switching doctors and need to share your history
- You want to compare new results against past values
What’s on your Lab Results
These are the fields Granite reads and extracts automatically the moment you upload one.
- Ordering Provider
- The clinician who ordered the test.
- Test / Panel Name
- What was measured (e.g. CBC, lipid panel, A1C).
- Result Values
- Your measured values for each analyte, with units.
- Reference Range
- The normal range the lab compares your value against.
- Flags
- Markers (H for high, L for low, or abnormal) for values outside the reference range.
- Collection Date
- When the sample was taken — the point the values reflect.
How long to keep it
Keep lab results indefinitely, or at minimum as long as you're managing the condition they relate to.
Lab values are most valuable as a trend. A new doctor, a specialist, or you tracking a chronic condition all benefit from years of prior results to see direction and rate of change — context a single recent report can't provide. There's little downside to keeping them and real diagnostic value in the history.
How Granite handles your Lab Results
Granite reads your lab report — ordering provider, panel, values, reference ranges, and collection date — and files it with your medical records. Because it keeps every result, your full history for a marker is gathered in one place, so when you switch doctors or want to see whether a number is trending the right way, the series is one search away instead of scattered across portals.
FAQ
Lab Results: common questions
- How do I read my lab results?
- Each line shows your measured value next to the lab's reference range — the span considered normal for that test. A flag like H (high) or L (low) marks values outside that range. A single out-of-range value isn't necessarily a problem; context, trends, and your provider's interpretation matter. Always discuss meaningful results with your doctor.
- What is a reference range on lab results?
- A reference range is the span of values considered normal for a given test, based on results from healthy people. Your value is compared against it to flag highs and lows. Because labs use different testing methods, ranges vary between labs, so always read the range printed on your own report rather than one you find elsewhere.
- What do the abbreviations on blood test results mean?
- Common ones come from the complete blood count: RBC (red blood cell count), WBC (white blood cell count), HGB (hemoglobin), HCT (hematocrit), and PLT (platelets). H and L flag values above or below the reference range. Metabolic panels add codes like GLU (glucose) and CRE (creatinine). Your report lists each abbreviation with its value and units.
- Does a result outside the normal range mean something is wrong?
- Not necessarily. It's common for healthy people to have a value slightly outside the reference range, and a normal result doesn't guarantee good health. Age, sex, diet, hydration, medications, and the lab's own methods all affect results. Your provider interprets any flagged value alongside your symptoms, history, and other tests.
- Why should I keep my old lab results?
- Lab values are most useful as a trend over time. A series of cholesterol, A1C, or thyroid results reveals direction and rate of change that a single snapshot can't. Keeping your history helps a new doctor or specialist understand your baseline and lets you and your provider catch gradual shifts early.
- How long should I keep lab results?
- Keep them indefinitely, or at least as long as you're managing the related condition. There's little downside to retaining them and clear value in the history — a complete record of past values gives every future provider the context to interpret new results accurately.
Sources
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Keep your Lab Results in one place.
Drop it in once. Granite reads it, files it, and makes it findable forever — by you today, and by the people who'll need it later.