In Ontario, most routine blood test results are ready within 24 to 48 hours of your visit and are sent to the provider who ordered them; at Bio-Test they also appear in the patient portal. Tests sent to a reference laboratory, such as some hormone, allergy and genetic tests, take from several days to a few weeks. Your provider, not the lab, reviews and explains the result.
How long do blood test results take?
Turnaround depends heavily on the type of test. General guidance looks like this:
- Routine chemistry (glucose, electrolytes, kidney and liver panels): often the same or next business day
- Common bloodwork overall: roughly 24 hours is typical
- Cultures (for example, to grow and identify bacteria): usually several days, because the organisms need time to grow
- Cytology (cell-based tests): commonly 5 to 10 business days
- Other specialized or send-out tests: longer, depending on the test
These are general expectations, not guarantees. Some tests are batched, sent to reference labs, or require additional steps, all of which can extend the timeline. Weekends and holidays can also add time, since many specialized tests are processed on business days only.
How do I get my blood test results?
In Ontario, results almost always go to your ordering provider first. Your doctor, nurse practitioner, or other provider reviews the results in the context of your health and follows up with you, especially if anything needs action. This is by design, so that results are interpreted correctly rather than read in isolation.
Beyond your provider, results may reach you through:
- A patient portal, where you can view your own lab results once they're released
- The Ontario Laboratories Information System (OLIS), a provincial repository that authorized providers use to access lab results
- Your provider's own patient portal or a direct call from their office
At Bio-Test, you can view your results through our patient portal, and results are also available to your provider through OLIS and provider portals.
Why don't my results show in hospital MyChart?
This surprises many patients. If you have bloodwork done at a community lab, those results may not automatically appear in a hospital's MyChart or a hospital-based portal. Hospital portals typically display tests performed within that hospital's own system. Community-lab results flow to your ordering provider and into provincial systems like OLIS, but they don't always populate a separate hospital portal. If you're checking a hospital MyChart and don't see your community bloodwork, that doesn't mean the results are missing, they're simply held in a different place. Ask your provider, or check the lab's own patient portal, to find them.
What should I do while I wait for results?
If you're waiting on results, a few steps help:
- Ask your provider at the time of ordering how long the tests typically take and how they'll share the results.
- Give routine tests at least a business day or two before following up.
- For specialized tests like cultures or cytology, expect several days to a couple of weeks.
- If a reasonable amount of time has passed and you've heard nothing, contact your ordering provider's office rather than the lab, since results are released to and interpreted by your provider.
For more on accessing your results, see our reports and results page.
How do I get my bloodwork done at Bio-Test?
Most bloodwork at Bio-Test is walk-in, no appointment needed, and first-come, first-served. Bring your Ontario health card and your requisition. Typical bloodwork turnaround is around 24 hours, with routine chemistry often the same or next business day. You can view results through our patient portal. We have 11 locations across Ottawa-Carleton and Eastern Ontario; book online or just walk in, and home visits can be arranged by request for a fee.