Patient Portal Lab Results Comprehension Survey

Welcome! Thank you for taking part in this survey about viewing and understanding lab results in online patient portals. This survey is voluntary, and you may stop at any time. There are no right or wrong answers—we are interested in your honest experience. Your responses are confidential and will be reported only in aggregate. The survey takes approximately 6–8 minutes. Please answer based on your experience in the last 12 months.

In the past 12 months, how often have you viewed lab results in an online patient portal?

• Several times a month
• About once a month
• Every few months
• Once in the last year
• Not in the last 12 months

Overall, how confident are you in your ability to understand your lab results when you view them online?

Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement: The reference ranges shown alongside my lab results were easy to understand.

Please rank the following features by how much they would help you understand your lab results. Drag the most helpful feature to the top.

1. Plain-language explanation of what the result means
2. Clear reference range with color highlighting
3. Clinician's note or interpretation
4. Visual trend chart showing results over time
5. Suggested next steps (e.g., retest, contact clinician)
6. Links to trusted educational resources

If you have had a confusing experience with a lab result in the last 12 months, please briefly describe what happened and what would have helped you understand the result better.

What is your age?

• 18–24
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45–54
• 55–64
• 65+
• Prefer not to say

Thank you for participating! Your feedback will help improve how lab results are presented and explained in patient portals. You may now close this page.

In the past 12 months, where have you viewed lab results online? Select all that apply.

• Hospital or health system portal
• Primary care clinic portal
• Lab company portal (e.g., a national lab)
• Insurance portal
• Emailed PDF or attachment
• Other (please specify)

If your ALT (alanine aminotransferase) result is 45 U/L and the portal shows a reference range of 7–55 U/L, what does this most likely mean?

• Your result is within the reference range
• Your result is dangerously high
• Your result is dangerously low
• It depends; more clinical context is needed
• Not sure

Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement: After viewing my lab results online, I understood what the results meant for my health.

When you see an out-of-range lab result online, which of the following do you typically do? Select all that apply.

• Send a message to my clinician
• Schedule an appointment
• Search online for information
• Wait for a clinician note or call
• Ignore it if only slightly out of range
• I have not had an out-of-range result
• Other (please specify)

We'd like to learn more about your experience viewing lab results online. An AI moderator will ask you a couple of follow-up questions.

Which best describes your gender?

• Woman
• Man
• Non-binary
• Prefer to self-describe
• Prefer not to say

In the last 12 months, have measurement units (e.g., mg/dL vs. mmol/L) ever made a lab result harder to understand?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure
• Not applicable

Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement: After viewing my lab results online, I knew what steps to take next (e.g., contact my clinician, retest, no action needed).

Based on your responses in this survey, please share any additional thoughts or feelings about viewing lab results in patient portals.

Which country do you currently live in?

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Canada
• Australia
• Germany
• France
• India
• Other (please specify)
• Prefer not to say

Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement: The portal layout made it easy to find and review my lab results.

What is the highest level of education you have completed?

• Less than high school
• High school or equivalent
• Some college or vocational training
• Bachelor's degree
• Graduate or professional degree
• Prefer not to say

Overall, how satisfied are you with how your lab results are presented in online patient portals?