Final answer:
When a laboratory error is suspected, such as mislabeling a patient's specimen which leads to abnormal results, it is necessary to immediately report the mistake to the healthcare provider and supervisor. The patient should be informed by the provider, and retesting is recommended to confirm the accurate results. Measures should be taken to prevent future errors, including reviewing and following lab procedures carefully.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a patient notices an abnormal result on their patient portal, especially when previously results were fine, it is critical to maintain transparency and professionalism. The correct course of action is to immediately report the mistake to your supervisor and the healthcare provider responsible for the patient's care. The provider will then determine the best way to inform the patient about the error.
Integrity in the medical field is paramount, and admitting mistakes is part of ensuring patient safety and quality care. The standard procedure in such situations would be to retest to ensure accurate results. This is to address any potential health concerns that may arise from incorrect data and to alleviate any undue stress the patient may be experiencing due to the anomaly in their results.
In the meantime, as part of the response protocol, it would be important for you to review the lab's policies on patient specimen labeling and to participate in any corrective action or training to prevent such incidents in the future.
It's also crucial to understand and implement best practices, such as reading aloud the patient's details during the labelling process, consistently to mitigate the risk of repetition of such errors.