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My HealtheVet VA Pathology

Information in your VA Pathology report may play an important role in helping you and your provider make decisions about your care. Knowing the results of your pathology reports may allow you to:

  • Work in partnership with your health care team to ensure that you have a better understanding of your health issues

  • Make informed decisions about your health

  • Share your VA Pathology reports with caregivers or non-VA health care providers

  • Ensure that your health record is complete.

Your VA Pathology results may show other tests are needed to help make a diagnosis or guide changes to your treatment. Laboratory test are considered a part of monitoring your overall health.

The following sites can help you better understand the many lab tests that are part of routine health care maintenance:

  • Lab Tests Online

  • Medline Plus: Laboratory tests are often part of a routine checkup to look for changes in your health. Start here to learn more.

VA Blue Button can be used to view, print, or download your information. It can be shared with your caregiver and/or non-VA provider. This may help them better understand your health.

If you have questions regarding your VA Pathology test results, talk with your VA health care team by phone, by sending a Secure Message from My HealtheVet, or during an upcoming VA appointment.

Visit the VA Pathology Frequently Asked Questions page. This site has questions and answers that may help you understand more about the feature and how it can help you manage your health.

General Information

*To get an upgraded Premium My HealtheVet account, you will need to go through authentication. VA verifies a Veterans' identity by this process. This is done before allowing access to your VA health record. To learn more, go to: Upgrading your My HealtheVet account through In-Person or Online Authentication.

Some information that comes from your VA health record may not be presented right away in My HealtheVet or your VA Blue Button. This is because your information may first need to be reviewed by a member of your VA health care team. Also, if needed, this gives your provider time to discuss your results with you before you view them in My HealtheVet.

VA Pathology Reports are available 14 calendar days after they have been completed. Some studies done at a non-VA facility may not be available or they may not necessarily include an interpretation. If you have any questions about your information please visit the Frequently Asked Questions or contact your VA health care team.

  1. VA Pathology is part of the My HealtheVet Personal Health Record found under the VA Blue Button section. To view your VA Pathology you must:

    • be a Veteran enrolled at a VA health care facility

    • be a registered as a VA Patient in My HealtheVet

    • have an upgraded Premium* account

  2. Hold Periods for VA information

Pathologyis the use of microscopes to examine tissues and cells that cannot be seen with the unaided eye. There are two types of Pathology reports: Anatomic or Clinical.

  • Anatomic Pathology Reports - describes the physical appearance and microscopic structure of tissues. This may include biopsies and organs removed at surgery (surgical pathology) as well as cells that are collected from brushings or body fluids (cytology).

  • Clinical Pathology Reports - contains information on the chemical contents of blood and other body fluids (clinical chemistry), analysis of blood cells (hematology), and identification of bacteria (microbiology).

Resources

Test Preparation: Your Role: You are one of the most important factors in determining the accuracy and reliability of your laboratory test. This site briefly explains your role as the patient and how you can prepare for each lab tests.

The Research Health section of My HealtheVet is where you can get health information, research a topic, and simply learn more about your health. Read about common conditions and VA health programs. Get answers to your health questions from trusted medical resources. My HealtheVet makes it easy to stay informed by bringing a wealth of information right to your fingertips.

Talk With Your Health Care Provider: Your health care team is there to assist you with your health care needs. You can help by doing things to make your visits more productive. For example, a great deal of the information needed to make a diagnosis is based on your description of symptoms, recent changes, and your history. Do not be afraid to share that information during your visit.

Updated August 9, 2021