Frequently asked questions about laboratory tests
This page contains a collection of the most frequently asked questions related to sample collection and laboratory tests.
Appointment booking and referrals
You will always need a referral from the unit where you are being treated. Usually, the referral is electronic. We do not accept referrals from private physicians.
The referral is valid for three months from the planned sample collection date.
Yes. If you do not live in the wellbeing services county of Southwest Finland, you will need a referral on paper, because electronic referrals from other wellbeing services counties are not managed by the electronic system of the Tyks Laboratories.
We do not accept referrals from private physicians.
For more information about your laboratory tests, please ask at the unit where you are being treated.
The unit where you are being treated will determine when your sample is to be taken.
You will see which tests you have been prescribed in your referral; the tests are noted in the form of test abbreviations. If there is a small f-letter before the test abbreviation, you need to fast before the sample is collected. Some tests need to be taken at a certain time of the day. You may ask about the samples to be taken at the unit where you are being treated.
Our online appointment booking system is available for you to choose the suitable sampling station (laboratory for sampling).
Residents of the Varha region can visit any of the Tyks Laboratories locations.
The sampling station in the T-hospital services clients of the clinical units of the Tyks hospital.
You may visit our web page to check which sample collection stations operate by queuing numbers.
Please contact the unit where you are being treated. Laboratory sample collection is not possible without a referral.
The unit where you are being treated will determine the urgency of sample collection and instruct you on where to go. Urgent samples are usually taken on the same day as the referral was written or the next day. The results of urgent samples are available as fast as possible, because the results are needed for diagnosis or follow-up of an illness.
Please consult the personnel at the unit where you are being treated. All results that are available will not immediately be transferred to the My Kanta Pages. The physician in charge may want to examine the results before they emerge in the My Kanta Pages. The delay may vary by test, or the delay may be related to the routines of the unit where you are being treated.
No, you can’t. Each client is appointed one time for lab sample collection. You can book online appointments close to each other for all family members.
Yes you can, but you must know their personal identity code. The booking system does not require strong authentication.
Yes. Choose “ECG or ECG and blood sample” from the menu of the online booking system. We can take the blood samples in connection with the same booking you may have reserved for a glucose tolerance test, gynaecological sampling or spirometry.
There is no designated space in the Tyks Laboratories for patients with haemophobia (fear of seeing blood or getting an injection). Our personnel at each sample collection station is professional and has experience in soothing patients who are afraid of blood testing. You may write about your fears in the field for additional information in the form when you make your booking for lab sample collection.
You have the option to visit one of the sample collection stations that operate by queuing numbers. You will find which sample collection stations operate by queuing numbers on the web pages that present the sample collection stations.
All available sampling times are booked online, the call centre /telephone services cannot provide any extra sampling times. But please note that cancellations are made continuously, also evenings and week ends. Cancellations are made immediately available for booking online by other clients 24/7.
You may book a sample collection appointment to any one of our sample collection stations online or by calling the call centre /telephone services. If you want to book a sample collection appointment somewhere outside Southwest Finland (Varsinais-Suomi), you must use the booking system of that area. You will need a paper referral for distance sampling from the unit where you are being treated.
You will get a message confirming your sampling time. The message includes a link that you should use, if you need to change or cancel your booking. The message contains also a reservation key and a PIN-code which you need for cancelling the booking. If you have created online booking IDs, you can log into the system and inspect your bookings there. You may also cancel a booking by calling 02 313 6321 (Monday–Friday at 7:00 am–2:30 pm).
You may check the details of your booking from the booking confirmation message sent to your phone or email. You will get a message confirming the time for your sample collection appointment. The message includes a link that you should use, if you need to change or cancel your booking. The message contains also a reservation key and a PIN-code which you need for cancelling the booking. If you have created online booking IDs, you can log into the system and inspect your bookings there. You may also cancel a booking by calling 02 313 6321 (Monday–Friday at 7:00 am–2:30 pm).
Sample collection stations
The selection of available tests varies by sample collection station. When making your appointment online, you will be able to check that the sample collection station you are choosing can take all samples you have been ordered. You can, if needed, also call appointments booking.
There are tests, like cB-HE-Tase (astrup, acid-base balance), that can only be made in the laboratories associated with a hospital (Tyks Turunmaa hospital excluded). Book a regular time for blood sampling.
Parking instructions are available on the web pages of the hospitals and health centres.
Our sample collection stations are generally accessible. You may check the accessibility of the sample collection stations on our web pages “search sample collection stations”.
If there is no self-registration kiosk in the sample collection station, you can sit and wait for being called. Please have your Kela card ready to present for the laboratory nurse.
If there is a self-registration kiosk in the sample collection station, this will be stated in the booking confirmation message and in the instructions posted in the waiting area. To register you need a bar-coded card, i.e., your Kela card, a driver’s license or an ID card. You may also register by keying your personal identity code (henkilötunnus) on the touchscreen available for this at the sample collection station. The earliest you can register is 1 hour before your appointment time. The self-registration kiosk will produce a printout with your service number. You will be called for sampling primarily by the service number.
The sample collection station at the T-hospital services only clients of the units of the Tyks hospital. They are called by queue number or by bookings made by the referring hospital unit. Booking appointments at the sample collection station of the T-hospital is not possible online.
The first morning hours are usually the busiest ones. The early days of the week (Mondays and Tuesdays) and the first days of the month are busy.
Preparations for sample collection
You will get the instructions for how to prepare yourself for sampling from the unit where you are being treated. For more information, please go to the web page Hoito ohjeet where you will find more information by opening the instruction How to prepare yourself for laboratory examinations.
The sample should be collected between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. When monitoring the disease, patients are advised to have their blood collected before taking the thyroid medication thyroxin.
You need to come for sampling with a bar-coded card for identification, i.e., your Kela card, a driver’s license or an ID card. For supervised urinary sampling you must take along with you an ID-card with a facial photograph (driver’s license, passport or official ID-card).
Sample collection is ok, if you have fasted before sample collection for 10–12 hours. Please note that the fast may not be too long, either.
Sample collection at home
No, you can’t. All samples must be collected into sampling vessels obtained from the laboratory or from the unit where you are being treated. Bottles, cans and jars from home cannot be used.
You do not need to book a time if you only pick up or return sampling vessels. Please return the samples collected at home to the Tyks Laboratory sample collection stations during their opening hours. If you have a time booked for sampling, you may return any samples your have collected at home at that time.
Yes. You can collect most samples at home into collection vessels that you have got from the sample collection station / laboratory.
When you fetch the collection vessels at the sample collection station/laboratory, you will get information on how long the sample is stable after collection. Most samples must be returned on the day of collection.
Collection vessels and instructions for sampling at home are available during office hours at the Tyks Laboratory sample collection stations.
Yes. When the sample collected at home I brought to the laboratory /sample collection station, the client’s personal identity code must be available, e.g., the client’s Kela card. The sample collection vessel must be marked with the following: client’s name, personal identity code, date of sample collection and time of sample collection.
Sample collection
Yes. If need to be lying down for sample collection, please make a note of this in the field for additional information in the electronic booking form. You can also tell the lab nurse that you’d like to like down.
This is usually ok. Tell the laboratory nurse who takes the blood sample.
It is not possible. The laboratory nurse does not have a vaccination license. Ask at your own health care centre.
Each one of us experiences the sensation of sample blood sampling differently. Any sensation will be brief. If, however, the sensation persists long after the blood sample has been taken, please contact the unit where you are being treated.
The personnel at all sample collection stations is professionally trained and is well aware of the special needs of patients who feel apprehensive of blood sampling. You may make a note of your fears in the field for additional information in the form when you make our booking.
Children’s appointments
Pharmacies sell anaesthetic creams and plasters which may used. Please note that anaesthetic cream or plasters must be applied no later that 1 hour before sampling takes place.
You can buy a skin anaesthetic (cream or plaster) at all pharmacies.
We recommend that all clients who are under 16 years reserve a children’s appointment time. If the child or young person is experienced in providing blood samples, the regular blood sampling service time can alternatively be booked.
How can I provide my response?After sample collection
The results of the tests will be sent directly to the unit where you are being treated. You need to agree with the unit where you are being treated on how you will get the results yourself.
Your laboratory results will, as a general rule, be entered into your My Kanta Pages. If you don’t find your results in your My Kanta Pages, please contact the unit where you are being treated. The referring unit decides how lab results will appear in your My Kanta Pages.
The time when the test results are available depends on the test. Ask the laboratory nurse who takes the blood samples to give you an estimation of when the test results will be available.
Your laboratory results will, as a general rule, also be entered into your My Kanta Pages. If you don’t find your results in your My Kanta Pages, please contact the unit where you are being treated. The referring unit decides how lab results will appear in your My Kanta Pages.
Your laboratory results will, as a general rule, also be entered into your My Kanta Pages. If you don’t find your results in your My Kanta Pages, please contact the unit where you are being treated. The referring unit decides how lab results will appear in your My Kanta Pages.
The web page Kanta.fi has information regarding the appearance of test results of minors on the My Kanta Pages.
The patient-treating units apply different practices regarding management of non-normal results. Please check the practices concerning your lab results with the unit where your are being treated.
Please send us your response regarding our services by using the device in the sample collection station or by using the response form online (on our web page).