News and Stories

June 05, 2023

Now Available: Pediatric Patient Service Centers!

HNL Lab Medicine is thrilled to announce our new pediatric Patient Service Centers (PSCs). In partnership with Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, our pediatric services combine expertise and experience to optimize laboratory services for children.

Read More
June 01, 2023

Men’s Wellness

Did you know that serious medical issues can creep up on you without any noticeable symptoms? Screening tests are essential because they detect health conditions in the earliest, most treatable stages.  
Read More
May 26, 2023

Celebrating 25 Years

Celebrating 25 Years

For 25 years HNL Lab Medicine has been a cornerstone of the community, providing high quality laboratory services for approximately 3 million patients and 12,000 healthcare providers each year. 

Read More
May 26, 2023

HNL Lab Medicine Now Accepting Ambetter Insurance

HNL Lab Medicine has partnered with Ambetter from PA Health & Wellness to improve access and affordability of healthcare for Ambetter insurance plan members at any HNL Lab Medicine location.

Read More
May 24, 2023

Love your skin: An interview with Dr. Hina Sheikh

Summer is right around the corner, and we can finally bask in the glorious sunshine. While sunlight gives us vitamin D and boosts our happiness, it can also increase our risk of skin cancer if we’re not careful.

Read More
Patients

Why You Need a Lab Test

Laboratory tests provide healthcare professionals vital information to assist with making important decisions regarding your health.

 

Why do I need a lab test?

Lab tests are done for many reasons, including:
 

Check Your Overall Health

Some tests are part of a yearly or routine physical so your healthcare professional can get a clear picture of your health. An example of a general test to get a snapshot of your health is a complete blood count (CBC).
 

Help Diagnose Your Symptoms

If you have certain signs and symptoms, your healthcare professional may run certain tests to help determine whether you have a certain medical condition. This is helpful when there are several medical conditions that could be causing your signs and symptoms. An example is a urine test to see if frequent urination is being caused by a simple urinary tract infection or something more complex, such as diabetes.
 

Diagnose Medical Conditions That Do Not Have Symptoms

Not all medical conditions have signs and symptoms in the early stages of a disease. Lab tests can help. An example is a cholesterol screening. High cholesterol levels usually do not cause any symptoms but may lead to serious medical conditions.  
 

Monitor the Effectiveness of Treatment

Lab tests help your healthcare professional know how you are doing with treatment. An example is a blood test such as prothrombin time, which is administered to see if your anticoagulant medicine is working to keep your blood clotting to the proper level.