Glossary
Specimen ID (accession number)
A unique number given to a specimen or order so it can be tracked and matched to the right patient.
What is a specimen ID or accession number?
A specimen ID is a unique identifier given to a sample so the lab can track it and match its results to the right patient. Many labs call the number an accession number, because it is assigned when the sample is accessioned, or logged in, at the lab.
The ID is usually printed as a barcode on the tube label. Analyzers read the barcode, run the tests and send results back tagged with the same ID, so nobody has to retype names or numbers.
Labs use the terms in slightly different ways. In some labs one accession number covers a whole order, with a separate ID for each tube. In others each tube has its own accession number.
Why it matters
- It reduces mix-ups between patients with similar names.
- It links each result to the right order and requisition.
- It gives a clear trail from collection to report.
Specimen labels normally also carry at least two patient identifiers, such as name and date of birth.
How Lab Desk handles it
Each Lab Desk order stores a sample ID, and results from connected analyzers are matched to the right patient and order by that ID before they go to a review queue. See orders and results.
Related terms
- Requisition (lab order): The request, on paper or electronic, that tells a lab which tests to perform for a patient.
- ASTM LIS2-A2: A standard for how clinical analyzers and lab software exchange orders and results.
- HL7: A family of standards for exchanging health information between systems, and the organization that publishes them.
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