So, I did a bit of research on the internet and I couldn’t find any information answering the question, “What is the average time it takes for patients to have a blood test?”
Based on my understanding and knowledge of what a patient has to do and go through in order to have a blood test done, I am going to attempt to answer the question. My answer is based on what I know and have experienced in doing this for several years. It’s more or less just general information.
So, what is the average total time it takes for patients to have a blood test? In general, the average time it takes is about 30 minutes to an hour. However, there are a few factors that can affect the average time it takes, like traveling and waiting times.
The blood test itself doesn’t take long. It takes about 5 minutes or so to be done, but the majority of the time is spent in traveling from home to the phlebotomy area and once there, waiting to have your blood drawn.
Let’s talk about traveling and waiting times.
Traveling
In order to have your blood drawn, you have to leave your home and go to the doctor’s office or lab to have it done. The question is, how far is your home from the phlebotomy area? Is it 10, 20, 30 minutes away or is it an hour? The distance you are from the place you are headed, reduces or increases how long it will take for you to get there.
If you live close to the clinic or hospital, then you will get there quickly. If you live far away, then it will take you longer to get there.
Another question is, are you driving or do you have to take a bus? If you are driving, you will no doubt get to your destination quicker. If you have to take a bus, it will take you longer to get to the doctor’s office or lab.
Also, another thing that can lengthen the time is traffic. If there is a lot of traffic, then commuting will take even longer.
So, the location of your home and how far it is from the phlebotomy area and whether your are driving or taking a bus, all affects the time it takes for you to get to the phlebotomy place and have your blood drawn.
Waiting
Once you have arrived at the clinic or lab, you have to wait for your turn. When you get there, you may observe that there are a few people in front of you. Of course, you cannot just go ahead and get in front of them, you have to wait.
There are a few things that will affect your waiting time: How many people are before you? How long it takes to screen or process each person? And, how long it takes to actually do the blood test?
Obviously, the times are going to vary based on how much personal information that is needed from a person and how long it takes to draw blood from each individual.
So, in general if you are the only one there, things will go rather quickly but if there are a few people ahead of you, then you can expect to wait several minutes before having your blood drawn.
If you are doing an OGTT test or a 2HRPP test or a test that requires more than one blood draw, you will be at the doctor’s office or lab for a longer period.
Mobile Phlebotomy
One of the things that can reduce the amount of time it takes for you to have a blood test is a mobile phlebotomist option. If the hospital or lab you are doing the blood tests with have a mobile phlebotomist that is able to come to your home and draw your blood, then it can reduce how long it takes for you to have your blood test done.
The phlebotomist will be coming to your home, so you don’t have to commute. You may have to wait for them as they will be traveling the same distance you would if you were coming to the lab but with this arrangement there are no people in front of you. When he/she gets to your place, only you are the patient.
This is very convenient as it can make things so much easier for you and less time consuming, at least from your perspective.
How Long Does it Usually Take to Get a Blood Test Back?
In general, it takes about 1 to 3 days to get blood test results back. For some tests like culture, for example, it may take up to 5 days or more. It really depends on the test that is being done and the policy of the laboratory.
Some tests can be done the same day or within 24 hours but there are those that take longer. Also, a test may have to be sent to another lab for processing, which would make getting results back take longer.
One can expect to have results back in a couple days for the least, however, it could take longer, like a week or 2 weeks in some instances. Ask your doctor or lab how long it takes to get results back.
Click here to go to a table that shows you how long it takes to get some blood test results.