Policies

Specimen Identification and Submission Requirements

All specimens received by the UAB Medical Genomics Laboratory must be labeled at the time of collection with at least two patient-specific identifiers.

Acceptable identifiers may include:

• Patient’s full name
• Date of birth
• Medical record or hospital number
• Requisition number
• Accession number
• Another unique patient-specific identifier

Unacceptable Submissions

Requests for molecular genetic testing may not be accepted under the following circumstances:

• The specimen is not labeled with at least two patient-specific identifiers.
• The referring physician or genetic counselor’s name and contact information are not provided.
• The submitted DNA quantity or concentration does not meet the testing requirements.
• Required billing information is not provided.

Cancellation of Testing

Requests to cancel testing must be received by the laboratory within three working days of specimen receipt. Requests received after this period may still incur charges for testing already performed.