A lab review clients can read: what to put in the client report
By Alina Radu, founder of Sera · November 10, 2026
A client lab report should let the client see what was measured, when, and how each result sits against a range you can name, without you in the room. Put in the draw dates and labs, each marker with its value and unit, earlier results for the same marker, the range you compared it with and what kind of range that is, what changed between tests, and what happens next. Keep the wording descriptive: what a result is, not what it means for the client's health.
I build Sera, a lab-review workspace for practitioners, so read the last section with that in mind. Everything before it works in a word processor.
Why the report matters
A client who leaves a consultation with no written record can be left with fragments: "something about iron", "the thyroid was fine". A month later they may not be able to tell their doctor which result you meant, or why the next test is planned.
A written report fixes that. It is also the part of a lab review the client can see, keep and take to someone else. That means it gets read without you there to soften or explain it, so every sentence has to stand on its own.
What to put at the top
Start with the facts a doctor or another practitioner would need to trust the rest:
- the client's name, and the date of the report
- the period it covers, for example "results from March 2024 to March 2026"
- each panel included, with its draw date and the lab that ran it
- anything that affects how the results read: fasting or not, time of day, cycle day for cycle-dependent hormones, recent illness
- your name, role and contact details
Use the draw date, not the date the results arrived. If two panels came from different labs, say so here, because it explains why some intervals and units differ further down.
What to show for each marker
For each marker you discuss, the client should be able to find the value, the unit and the date, the range you compared it with and where that range comes from, any earlier results for the same marker, and a plain note on what the marker measures.
Keep the unit the lab printed. If one lab reported vitamin D in ng/mL and another in nmol/L, show each as reported and say so. The numbers differ by a factor of about 2.5 (vitamin D range page), and a client comparing them unaided will think something changed.
Show earlier results whenever you have them. One value says little on its own, and a short series often answers the client's first question ("is this getting better?") before they ask it. A small chart or a row of dated values is enough.
Say what kind of range it is
This is easy to leave out, and it does most of the work of keeping the report educational. "In range" means nothing until the client knows whose range. The common kinds are covered in more depth in where optimal lab ranges come from.
| Kind of range | How to label it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| The lab's reference interval | "The lab's range" | The interval printed on the report |
| A guideline threshold | Name the body | HbA1c: the ADA puts the prediabetes threshold at 5.7%; NICE and Diabetes Canada draw the line at 6.0% (HbA1c) |
| A practitioner target | "A target I work with", and its source | Vitamin D: 50 to 80 ng/mL is a functional target that sits above what mainstream bodies recommend (vitamin D) |
A marker entry written this way might read:
Vitamin D (25-hydroxy): 34 ng/mL, drawn March 14, 2026 at Quest. Six months earlier it was 22 ng/mL. The US National Academies consider 20 ng/mL sufficient for most people. The band I work with, 50 to 80 ng/mL, is a functional target used in integrative practice, and it is higher than mainstream recommendations.
The entry names each range and who set it, and it doesn't claim the client is deficient or say why the number rose. Those facts are from the vitamin D range page. For a target, it helps to be open about how strong the evidence is. The ranges library gives each band an evidence grade, which is a quick check before you put a target in writing.
Record what changed
If the client changed something between tests, put it in the report with its dates: a new supplement, a diet change, a medication started by their doctor, a period of illness. Write it next to the results it might relate to, as a fact, not as a cause. "Started vitamin D in October 2025" beside the March result is enough. "The supplement worked" is a conclusion, and one result can't support it. Reading a marker before and after a change covers why.
Say what happens next
End with what the client can act on, inside your scope:
- Results to take to their doctor. List them by name, with the value and date, so the client can hand the page over. The reasons to refer are in explaining lab results within your scope of practice.
- Retests. Which markers you'd like to see again, and roughly when, so the next panel can be compared with this one.
- Conditions for the next draw. Same lab if possible, same time of day, fasting if the last one was.
- Questions for the next session.
Wording that stays educational
The same rules apply in writing as in conversation, and explaining lab results within your scope of practice has example sentences for a high, a low and a borderline result. A few habits matter most in a written report, because nobody is there to correct a misreading:
- Describe the marker in general ("ferritin reflects iron stores"), not the client's body ("your iron stores are low").
- Name a range before you compare a result with it.
- Leave out any sentence that names a condition, a cause or a treatment.
It's also worth one line near the top saying what the report is: a summary of results for education, not a diagnosis, prepared by you in your role. Check the exact wording your professional body or insurer expects.
What to leave out
- Colors with no labels. Red and green read as "bad" and "good". If you use color, say what each one means and which range it reflects.
- Every marker on the panel at equal weight. A long panel can be summarized, with the full results attached for reference.
- Units converted without saying so.
- Supplement or treatment plans, unless they're within your scope and you've chosen to give them in writing. Even then, keep them separate from the results so the results section stays descriptive.
Where Sera fits
Sera's client reports are PDFs for any date range you choose, with your practice's logo and no mention of Sera. Each result is scored against optimal and sufficient bands whose sources and evidence grades are published, in the unit the lab reported. In the app, interventions are marked on the trend charts, so what changed sits beside the results it might relate to. It doesn't diagnose or recommend treatment, so the clinical judgment and the wording around it stay yours.
It's free for three clients with no card, and new accounts come with two example clients, Jane and John Doe, if you'd like to see a report before using your own. There's a 3-minute tour if you'd rather watch first.
Alina Radu is the founder of Sera and a software engineer. The idea started with her own Hashimoto's tests, scattered across years without the big picture.