What the requisition is for
The requisition orders LifeLabs’ hereditary cancer panel, a full analysis of sequencing and copy number variants across more than 80 genes, including BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, the Lynch syndrome genes and TP53. Pre-test and post-test genetic counselling are included. It is valid in BC and Ontario, with a test code for each province. The pack includes a patient information form that the patient reads before signing the consent.
The publicly funded route is a referral to a provincial hereditary cancer program, such as BC Cancer’s. The patient information form notes that wait times for those clinics vary.
Who completes it
You complete your details, the consent confirmation, the patient information, billing, and the clinical and family history on page 2. The patient, or their substitute decision maker, completes and signs the genetic testing consent on page 1. If the consent is verbal, you certify that instead.
The usual workflow is the patient reading the information form and signing the consent in the room, or taking the pages home and bringing them back before collection. In Medulla, you can send the patient the genetic testing consent over a secure link before or after the visit. They read it and complete it on the form itself, and their answers land on the same PDF you complete the order on, so LifeLabs receives one complete requisition.
How to fill in the provider’s part
Ordering provider and consent confirmation
Enter your name, billing number, email, phone, institution, fax and address. Signing confirms that the patient consented, received the patient information form and was offered pre-test counselling, and was told they can withdraw consent at any time. Tick the box only if you don’t want the patient to receive results and summary letters directly.
Patient and billing
Enter the patient’s name, phone, date of birth, address, sex assigned at birth, PHN or OHIP number, pronouns and email. LifeLabs prefers to release results to patients by email. Choose private pay, a LifeLabs Store order ID, or a contract account number.
Test-related information
Answer whether the patient has had a hematopoietic stem cell transplant, or granulocyte transfusions in the past two weeks. Then tick the patient’s ancestry.
Reason for testing and clinical history
Tick personal history of cancer, family history of cancer, a known familial variant, or personal choice. For the first three, the form asks for detail. Give the cancers, ages at diagnosis and relationships, and the exact familial variant if one is known. If relatives have already tested with LifeLabs, give their name, date of birth and relationship.
Common reasons it’s delayed
- Provider consent confirmation unsigned.
- Neither the patient’s signature nor the provider’s verbal consent certification on page 1.
- A known familial variant ticked without naming the variant.
- Missing email when the patient is to receive results.
- No photocopy of the requisition included with the samples.
Submitting and who pays
The patient books through LifeLabs and pays at collection. The form asks for a photocopy of the requisition to travel with the samples. LifeLabs’ genetics team contacts the patient to book pre-test counselling, and results and summary letters go to you and, unless you opted out, to the patient.