Who Follows Up on Pending Test Results After a Care Transfer?
Not every hospital test is final when a patient transfers to rehab, a nursing home, assisted living, home health, or another care setting.
Cultures, pathology, specialized laboratory tests, imaging interpretations, and other results can return after the patient has physically left.
Before transfer, every pending test should have a named person or team responsible for reviewing the result, a way to reach the patient or next provider, and a plan for what happens if action is needed.
AHRQ’s Re-Engineered Discharge toolkit specifically identifies pending test follow-up as a discharge-safety task. It recommends identifying the pending tests, when results are expected, who will follow up, and when/how the patient will receive the information.
Ask for a list of every pending result
Before discharge or transfer, ask:
“Are any laboratory, culture, pathology, imaging, or other diagnostic results still pending?”
Do not assume “all labs look good” means nothing remains open.
Ask the team to identify:
- test name;
- date collected/performed;
- why it was ordered;
- expected result date;
- clinician responsible for review;
- how the next care team will receive the result; and
- how the patient/family will be told.
Give every result one accountable owner
“Your primary doctor will see it” is only useful if the primary doctor knows the result is coming and has access to it.
For each pending test, write down one responsible clinician or service.
| Pending test | Expected date | Responsible reviewer | Next provider notified? | Patient/family notification plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The owner might be the hospital physician, specialist, outpatient clinician, or another identified professional depending on the test and transition.
The family should not be the only safety net.
Ask whether the receiving facility can see the result electronically
Different health systems may use different records systems.
Ask:
- Will the result automatically appear in the receiving clinician’s EHR?
- If not, who sends it?
- Does the receiving facility need a fax, portal message, or another secure transmission?
- Which receiving clinician should be copied?
- Is the patient’s primary-care or specialist office also receiving the result?
A statement such as “it’s in the chart” may refer only to the hospital’s chart.
Separate “pending” from “resulted but not reviewed”
These are different statuses.
A result may be:
- 1. not yet available;
- 2. available but not reviewed;
- 3. reviewed with no action needed;
- 4. reviewed and follow-up ordered; or
- 5. communicated to the patient/next team.
Families can use this sequence when making follow-up calls.
Ask what kinds of results could change the care plan
The clinical team should decide what matters.
A pending result could potentially affect medications, isolation precautions, follow-up appointments, wound/treatment plans, or other care. The family should not interpret the result independently.
Ask:
“If this result is abnormal, who contacts the receiving team and who changes the plan?”
That makes the escalation path visible before the result returns.
If a result appears in the patient portal first
Do not assume the first person to see a portal result is responsible for interpreting it.
If the result is concerning or unclear, use the contact instructions the clinical team provided.
For severe or rapidly worsening symptoms, seek urgent medical help based on the person’s condition rather than waiting for a pending-result callback.
Build the pending-result handoff into the discharge summary
Ask whether pending tests and responsible follow-up are documented in the transition materials.
The receiving facility should not have to discover a week later that a culture or pathology report was still outstanding.
If the transition summary does not list the pending item, tell the discharge team before departure when possible.
Pending-results accountability worksheet
Patient: ____________________
Transfer date: ____________________
Receiving provider/facility: ____________________
For each pending result:
Test: ____________________
Date performed: ____________________
Expected result: ____________________
Hospital clinician/service responsible: ____________________
Receiving clinician notified: ____________________
How result will be transmitted: ____________________
Patient/family notification method: ____________________
Follow-up appointment/date: ____________________
Final status: Pending / Resulted / Reviewed / Action taken / Communicated
What if no one agrees they own the result?
Escalate before the transfer if possible.
Ask the discharge planner or treating physician:
“Who is the named clinician responsible for reviewing this result after discharge?”
If the hospital says the outpatient clinician owns it, ask whether that clinician has accepted the follow-up and can access the result.
If the receiving team says the hospital owns it, ask both teams to clarify the handoff directly.
Frequently asked questions
Does the nursing home automatically receive pending hospital test results?
Do not assume so. Ask how results will be transmitted and which receiving clinician is responsible for acting on them.
Should families call the laboratory directly?
The laboratory may not be the right person to interpret or act on the result. Follow the clinical team’s instructions and contact the responsible clinician.
What if the test results after the hospital doctor’s service has ended?
The hospital or health system should have a process for handling results after discharge. Ask the discharge team to name the responsible clinician or service.
The practical goal
A pending test should never be documented merely as “follow up later.”
Before transfer, record what is pending, when it is expected, who reviews it, who receives it, and how action will be communicated.
This article provides general education and does not interpret test results or provide medical advice.
Related NHP guides
- How to Organize an Older Parent’s Medication List Before a Move
- Hospital Discharge Planner: Questions Before Your Parent Leaves
- Nursing Home Admission Checklist
Primary sources checked
- AHRQ — Re-Engineered Discharge Toolkit: Follow Up on Test or Lab Results Pending at Discharge
- AHRQ — Re-Engineered Discharge Toolkit
- AHRQ PSNet — Treatment Challenges After Discharge
- Medicare — Your Discharge Planning Checklist
*Editorial/source review: October 15, 2026. General educational content; confirm individual medical, legal, insurance, regulatory, and care-transfer questions with the appropriate professionals and organizations.*
