# Lab Orders — From Request to Result
Lab orders in ClinIT flow from the doctor's prescription through the lab technician's result entry to the patient's portal.
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Status Lifecycle
CREATED → SENT_TO_LAB → IN_PROGRESS → RESULTED → REVIEWED
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| CREATED | Doctor ordered the test in the session |
| SENT_TO_LAB | Receptionist/nurse confirmed the sample has been sent |
| IN_PROGRESS | Lab is processing |
| RESULTED | Results are entered by the lab technician |
| REVIEWED | Doctor has reviewed and acknowledged the results |
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For Doctors — Ordering a Test
See the [Prescriptions guide](clinical-prescriptions) for how to add a lab test during a session.
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For Lab Technicians — Processing Orders
- Navigate to Lab Orders in the sidebar.
- The list shows all orders grouped by status.
- Click an order to open it.
### Marking In-Progress
- Click Mark In Progress when the sample is received.
### Entering Results
- Click Enter Results.
- For each test item:
- Enter the result value (numeric or text).
- Select the unit.
- Enter the reference range.
- Flag as Normal / Abnormal / Critical.
- Add any notes (e.g. *"Haemolysed sample — retest recommended"*).
- Click Save Results.
### Releasing to Patient Portal
- Toggle Release to Patient Portal to make results visible in the patient's portal.
- By default, results are held until the doctor reviews them.
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For Doctors — Reviewing Results
- Pending lab results appear as a notification and in the Pending Lab badge in the sidebar.
- Click to open the result.
- Review values — critical values are highlighted in red.
- Click Acknowledge to mark as REVIEWED.
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External Lab Results
If the patient had tests done at an external lab:
- Open the patient chart → Lab Orders tab.
- Click + External Result.
- Upload the PDF and optionally enter key values manually.
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Lab Test Catalog
Your clinic's test catalog is managed under Settings → Lab Test Types.
- Add custom tests with default reference ranges and units.
- Tests in the catalog auto-complete in the prescription pad.