More in Test reports & design
Where to find it
MenuTest Report › Result
Formulas are written once in Masters › Test Formula (chapter 2). A formula names other tests in curly brackets, for example {Total Cholesterol} - {HDL Cholesterol} - ({Triglycerides} / 5). On the Test Report screen, E-Lab puts each test's result in its place and works out the answer.
Get a calculated result
- Fill the inputs first
Type every test the formula uses. Each must be a number. - Step into the formula row
Move into the empty Result cell of the calculated test. The answer appears, rounded to 3 decimals. - Check the answer
Read it once. It is a normal result now and can be overtyped.
When the formula stays blank
- An input is missing, blank or not a number. The result stays empty, with no message.
- An input test is in a group you unticked in the group list. Unticked groups cannot feed a formula.
- A test named in the formula was renamed in Test Master. The name in curly brackets must match exactly.
- The cell was not empty when you stepped in. The formula runs only on an empty cell.
In a real labThe technician types cholesterol 210, then notices HDL was misread and corrects 52 to 42. LDL still shows the old figure. She clears the LDL cell, moves out and back in, and the new value appears. One habit fixes it: after any input change, clear the calculated cell and step in again.
CautionA formula does not recalculate by itself when an input changes. Clear the calculated cell and step into it again.
Default values
A Default Value in Test Master is written into the result when the Patient Entry is saved, and an empty result shows it again when the report opens. Use it for answers that are normal for most samples, such as "Absent" or "Nil". Keep it to your lab's approved wording.
Good to knowA default value fills the row, so the row counts as done. If your lab must see each value before release, leave Default Value blank for those tests.
Questions people ask
Does an empty input count as zero?
No. Any blank or text input leaves the calculated result empty.
Can I use Hb and HbA1c in the same lab without trouble?
Yes. Names are matched as whole names inside the curly brackets.
I changed a test's name. What breaks?
Every formula that uses the old name. Open Test Formula and update it.