The preexamination testing phase occurs first in the laboratory process. This phase may include specimen handling issues that occur even before the time the specimen is received in the laboratory. Significant errors can occur during the preexamination phase with specimen handling and identification. Therefore, the preexamination phase must have rigorous control measures to avoid unwittingly allowing problems or errors to travel further "downstream."
The second phase of the laboratory process is the examination phase. This phase includes what is usually considered the "actual" laboratory testing or the diagnostic procedures, processes, and products that ultimately provide results.
The postexamination phase is the final phase of the laboratory process. This phase culminates in the production of a final value, result, or in the case of histology, a diagnostic pathology report.
