The Hurdle platform, a diagnostic-as-a-service platform revolutionising the way patients and companies access medical testing, typically provides test results in the form that is most practical for consumption by the customer. This can take the form of machine-processable data for companies, delivered by an API, or user-friendly dashboards for patients or medical practitioners. In addition to this, however, it also offers the option of receiving a PDF report containing the results.

Obtaining the test results in this form is convenient and valuable. It allows for easy re-sharing of test results, be that in printed form or over email or messaging services. In particular, a typical use case is the sharing of test results with a patient’s general practitioner (GP). Beyond this, however, some patients might simply want to save their results for archival outside of the Hurdle platform, empowering them to further own their healthcare journey, and some companies might want to attach the report to their patient’s medical file, for easy consultation later on.

Other companies in this area usually provide similar PDF reports, which they generate themselves as a downloadable summary of what their platform would display on screen. Unlike them, however, Hurdle does not generate PDF reports, but instead ensures that the lab running the sample analysis provides their own branded report. This difference is more significant than it may first seem; it is a well-considered feature.

One of the primary advantages of this approach is its ability to mitigate the need for retesting. Often, GPs express hesitation or regulatory constraints in accepting reports not directly branded by a laboratory. This skepticism can lead to unnecessary delays and added costs as GPs may opt to order retests before taking any action based on the results. By providing the PDF reports as generated by the laboratories themselves, Hurdle eliminates this barrier, instilling confidence in healthcare professionals and streamlining the diagnostic process.

To ensure that the PDF report is included in the results returned to the patient or the customer, Hurdle includes its presence as a mandatory criterion in its automated results screening process. Should the PDF be missing, a test result would be quarantined until reviewed by a Hurdle employee, who would investigate the issue with the lab.

This way of approaching lab result reports ensures reliable, streamlined communication between patients and healthcare providers, generating maximum trust in the results, with no effort required on the patient and customer side.