Patients, Professionals Welcome Lab Tests Online As a Reliable Source
When David Keren, President of the American Society for Clinical Pathology, recently sought the best available information on a particular lab test, he turned to Lab Tests Online, a noncommercial, patient-centered web site that delivers easy-to-understand information on a wide range of lab tests and related topics.
In his “President’s Message” in the June issue of the American Journal of Clinical Pathology, Dr. Keren described his efforts to assist a physician who was searching for information on a new test, and wrote, “My first source for this type of search is www.labtestsonline.org .”
Dr. Keren is not alone in turning first to Lab Tests Online. Patients and medical professionals have increasingly let their mouse clicks express their approval of Lab Tests Online (www.labtestsonline.org ) since it first launched in 2001. Traffic to the site continues to rise dramatically, with average monthly visits hovering above 320,000 – an increase of 53% from the average a year ago.
And while numerous web links to the site and high page rankings on Google search results help users find the site, many come to Lab Tests Online via word of mouth. In an ongoing online survey, 83% of respondents between January 1 and June 30 this year said they would recommend the site to friends, family, and colleagues, and 36% already had done so.
In the three years since launching Lab Tests Online, the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), publisher of the site, has received numerous comments from health care consumers who are grateful to have a credible and easily accessible resource for learning about their medical laboratory tests. Comments range from general praise (“Great source of information”) to thanks for specific features, such as the availability of easy-to-understand information and thorough explanations with good detail. One user also expressed his gratitude for the inclusion of reassuring advice, citing an instance in which the editors pointed out that one abnormal result is not 100 per cent conclusive.
AACC credits user support for the site to the unprecedented editorial collaboration of 15 laboratory professional societies. Unlike other sites offering lab test information, Lab Tests Online is the only noncommercial, patient-centered web site providing lab testing information developed by laboratory professionals representing the range of scientific expertise found in the lab.
Thomas Moyer, AACC’s President, addressed this unique collaboration. “We are fortunate that so many organizations, and so many dedicated lab scientists, are committed to Lab Tests Online. Our editors share not just a passion for patient education but also the ability to present the science of our profession in as balanced and accessible a manner as possible.”
Professionals who have visited the site have been effusive with their praise. In comments sent to AACC, students have noted that the site is a useful study resource, and currently practicing doctors and nurses have written that they refer to the site as well – for themselves as well as their patients.
With many health care professionals, publishers, and consumer advocates concerned about the quality and credibility of health care information found on the Internet, AACC is especially pleased by the peer validation that these comments provide. Noting that the site complies with voluntary guidelines established by Health-On-the-Net Foundation (HON) and Consumer WebWatch, Dr. Moyer pointed out that these guidelines are procedural in nature and are designed to ensure the credibility of the site. “The favorable comments volunteered by laboratorians, nurses, and physicians tell us – and our users – that the content itself is both credible and helpful to the patient.”
Awards for the quality of the site’s content and writing, and for the site’s positive impact on American society, as well as such citations as Prevention magazine’s inclusion of Lab Tests Online among the “smartest health sites on the web,” further recommend the site to the public.
