Completing Laboratory Requisition Forms: A Step-by-Step Guide with Activities to Improve Your Skills Quickly
- Joshua S. Farquharson
- Aug 6, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Audience: Healthcare Students | Level: Beginner
On This Page
1. Introduction
Have you ever looked at a laboratory requisition form and wondered, "What goes here?" or "Where do I find this information?" If so, you're not alone. Filling out lab requisition forms correctly is essential for every healthcare professional, especially if you're just starting out in your healthcare career.
This practical guide will walk you through understanding and accurately completing laboratory requisition forms step-by-step. Ready to gain confidence? Let's begin!
1.1 Why Laboratory Requisition Form Completion Skills Matter
In healthcare, even small mistakes can have serious consequences. Recognize that completing lab forms correctly improves patient care, avoids costly errors, and builds your reputation as a reliable healthcare professional.
Doctors order laboratory tests to:
Diagnose conditions
Screen for diseases
Monitor treatments
Check a patient's overall health status
Lab requisition forms are how healthcare professionals communicate these test orders to laboratories. Accurate completion of these forms is critical because mistakes can lead to:
Incorrect or delayed lab results
Patient inconvenience or frustration
Billing errors and insurance issues
Incorrect diagnoses or treatment delays
By mastering lab requisition forms, you'll significantly improve patient care quality and efficiency.
1.2 What You’ll Learn
Here are the new skills you’ll gain after completing this guide:
Recognizing the purpose and importance of lab requisition forms.
Identifying the three main categories of information on most lab requisition forms.
How to identify and use the form fields.
How to obtain key information from various sources to complete the forms accurately.
1.3 Tips for Successfully Completing this Guide
Learning new skills can be easier and more enjoyable with the right approach. Here are some simple, practical tips to help you stay focused, organized, and confident as you work through the guide.
Have a pencil and paper. Jot things down quickly if needed.
Find a quiet place. Free from distractions and turn off device notifications.
Take breaks. After each lesson, take a five-minute break. Stretch or walk to give your eyes a break from the screen.
Use a desktop computer or large display device. Access the content on a desktop or large display for the best experience.
Remember, go at your own pace and build your skills with the activities. Practice as often as necessary to master the skills. You are going to do great!
2. Lab Requisition Form Essentials
This section gives you the building blocks of lab requisition forms. You’ll learn what they are, how they work, and why understanding them is key to working effectively in any healthcare setting.
2.1 How Do Lab Requisition Forms Work?
Instructions: Watch this short video to see how laboratory requisition forms connect healthcare providers, patients, and laboratory professionals.
2.2 Practice Activity
Instructions: Complete each question and select SUBMIT to confirm your answer.
2.3 Patient Details: What Information Is Needed?
Patient information accuracy ensures the right patient receives the correct test results. Key patient details usually include:
Full name
Date of birth
Gender
Contact information
Instructions: Watch the following video for detailed instructions on how to enter patient information into the form.
2.4 Practice Activity
Instructions: Complete each question and select SUBMIT to confirm your answer.
2.5 Insurance and Responsible Party Details: What to Include?
Correctly documenting insurance details ensures smooth processing and billing. Required details typically include:
Insurance company name
Policyholder’s name and ID number
Relationship to patient (if applicable)
Responsible party details
Instructions: Watch the video to learn about the insurance and responsible party details to include on a lab requisition form.
Tip: For an overview of insurance requirements in healthcare billing, refer to CMS.gov.
2.6 Practice Activity
Instructions: Complete each question and select SUBMIT to confirm your answer.
2.7 Provider and Lab Order Details: Key Information
Clearly specifying provider and test order details prevents errors and ensures timely testing. Typical provider information includes:
Ordering provider’s name and contact details
ICD (diagnosis) and CPT (procedure/test) codes
Specimen details and instructions
Instructions: Watch the video to learn about the provider and lab order details to include on a lab requisition form.
To explore medical coding basics such as procedure coding, visit AMA CPT Coding.
2.8 Practice Activity
Instructions: Complete each question and select SUBMIT to confirm your answer.
3. Practical Application: Scenario Activity
Knowing what to write on a lab form is one thing, knowing where to find that information is another. Imagine you're working in a medical office. How would you obtain the information you need to complete a lab requisition form?
In this scenario, you'll play the role of a healthcare worker gathering information from:
Patient interview: Collecting personal and insurance details.
Medical records: Verifying clinical history and current treatment.
Doctor's instructions: Confirming requested tests and special instructions.
Office manual: Following internal procedures.
ICD/CPT coding databases: Ensuring correct codes are used.
Note: The sources of information, and the order in which a health care worker collects the information, may differ depending on the medical facility's internal processes, patient needs, pre-printed form data, and other variables. As such, the scenario depicts one of many possible situations in which a health care worker completes a lab requisition form in an outpatient setting.
3.1 See it in Action!
Instructions: Complete the scenario activity to understand how a healthcare employee gathers relevant information to complete the form.
4. Practicing with Case Studies: Patient Case Study 1
Practice makes progress! This section gives you hands-on experience using realistic patient information, helping you apply what you’ve learned so you can build confidence. Now you'll apply your skills to realistic patient scenarios.
4.1 Patient Case Study 1: Read the Case Study
Download the PDF file to your computer. The download link is directly below the PDF preview at the bottom of this page. If you do not have PDF software to open the file, you may download the software from here.
Read the case study. The case study contains all of the information you need to complete the lab requisition form. Make sure to read all of the case study information thoroughly.
Complete the lab requisition form. Once you have downloaded are reviewed the case study information, download and complete the blank lab requisition form in the next section.
4.2 Patient Case Study 1: Download and Complete the Blank Lab Requisition Form
Use the case study information to complete the lab requisition form. Once you have completed the form, proceed to the next lesson to confirm that you have completed all form fields correctly.
4.3 Patient Case Study 1: Check Your Accuracy
Now it's time to see if you completed all of the form fields correctly. Compare your form to this completed form (opens in a new tab). If you completed all of your form fields correctly, give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done!
5. Practicing with Case Studies: Patient Case Study 2
5.1 Patient Case Study 2: Analysis Activity
For this case study, you'll analyze a completed form to confirm your understanding of identifying form fields and completing lab requisition forms accurately. Follow these steps:
Review the completed form (opens in a new tab).
Use the information on the form to complete all activity questions in the next section.
5.2 Patient Case Study 2: Activity Questions
Instructions: Complete each question and select SUBMIT to confirm your answer.
6. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Everyone makes mistakes, but smart learners learn how to avoid them early. This section points out common errors that can cause confusion or delays, so you can stay one step ahead and work with accuracy and confidence.
Prevent errors and frustration by keeping an eye out for these frequent mistakes:
Incomplete patient details.
Tip: Always double-check name, DOB, and contact information.
Missing or incorrect insurance details.
Tip: Verify insurance information with patient or medical records.
Unclear handwriting.
Tip: Print clearly or use electronic forms whenever possible.
Incorrect ICD/CPT codes.
Tip: Always verify codes with updated databases or office manuals.
7. Expand Your Learning
Learning doesn’t stop here. This section connects you with trusted resources from leading healthcare organizations so you can explore more and keep growing your skills. Deepen your knowledge by exploring these additional resources:
8. Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve now gained the foundational skills to accurately complete laboratory requisition forms. What You Can Do Next:
Practice regularly using downloadable forms and practice quizzes.
Stay updated with the latest guidelines and form templates at your facility.
Explore our YouTube channel for more healthcare skills tutorials.
Bookmark this guide for future reference as you continue your training.
Thank you for taking the time to complete this guide!
Ways You Can Support Us
If this guide helped you, here are some ways you can support us:
Thank you for your support! ❤️
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