Test and Scan Results Log

Who this is for

A log of tests and scans and what became of them. Each row records what was done and when, when the result came back, what you were told the result was, who told you and what was agreed next — so nothing quietly disappears between a sample being taken and somebody reading it.

Anyone having tests more than occasionally, patients waiting on results from more than one department, and relatives or carers chasing results on somebody else's behalf.

What this helps you track

• Every test and scan in one dated list, with where it was done
• How long each result took to come back
• The result as it was reported to you, in the words you were given
• Who explained it, so you know who to go back to
• Whether you have a copy of the report, and what the agreed next step is

How to use it

1. Write your details and your practice at the top so the sheet can be handed over as it is.
2. Add a row when a sample is taken or a scan is done, before you have any result at all.
3. Fill in the date the result was given to you — the gap between the two dates fills itself in on screen and in the workbook.
4. Write the result in the words it was reported to you in, and put down who told you.
5. Tick the copy column when you have the written report, and use the next step column for the date of whatever was agreed.
6. Take the log to appointments so that a question about an old result has an answer attached to it.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Does the sheet explain what a result means?

No. There are no ranges, no reference values and no interpretation on it anywhere. The result column is for the words you were given by the person who gave them to you, and any question about them goes back to that person.

What is the days column?

The number of days between the test being taken and the result reaching you. It is useful when a result seems to have gone astray and you need to say how long you have been waiting.

Should I write the numbers down or just what I was told?

Whatever you were given. If you were handed figures, copy them exactly; if you were told in words, write the words. Copying accurately matters far more than choosing between the two.

Why record who explained the result?

Because results are often given by whoever is available, and weeks later nobody remembers who said what. A name in the column turns a vague recollection into a person you can ask again.