General Services
Laboratory Testing: Sample Taken at Our Clinic, Analyzed at a Specialist Lab
SoftCare Clinic is not a hospital that runs its own laboratory. It is a women's health clinic. Samples for the tests requested for check-ups and diagnosis are taken here. A group of tests that need a same-day result are run in the clinic. The rest go to a contracted laboratory whose calibration is continuously audited and which is accredited to ISO 15189. Some tests that are not routinely run in Turkey are sent to a contracted laboratory abroad. The result comes back, the physician reads it, and it is presented to the patient.
The short sentence on our homepage says "all laboratory tests are performed." This page opens that sentence up: the work is not running every tube in the same room — it is giving the right sample to the right center.
This text is not a price list or a test menu. Whether to come fasting, and which panel is requested for whom, belongs to the physician.
Where is the sample taken, where is it analyzed
Two things should not be confused. Taking the sample is one act: a vein, a urine cup, a swab. Analysis is another: an instrument, quality control, a report.
The sample is taken at SoftCare, at our clinic in Fulya. A woman does not have to be sent to a separate laboratory queue. Fasting status, medication, cycle day, pregnancy — these are asked before the sample is taken. A hormone drawn at the wrong time will read wrong even on the right instrument.
Where the analysis goes falls into three groups.
1. Quick tests read in the clinic
A group of tests that need to be clear the same day, such as a complete blood count and urinalysis, can be run within the clinic itself. The aim is not to send out a blood count that people are waiting on. This does not mean the clinic is a full-scope accredited laboratory.
2. Contracted laboratory — ISO 15189
Biochemistry, hormone, serology, coagulation, vitamin, infection panels and most of the check-up go to a contracted laboratory. ISO 15189 is the international standard under which a medical laboratory's technical competence and quality management are approved by the relevant accreditation authority. It is not about the brand of instrument; it is the ground on which that instrument's calibration, internal quality control and staff competence are audited. SoftCare does not simply pass the result along as a raw sheet of paper. The report that comes back is read against the clinical picture and explained to the patient.
3. Contracted laboratory abroad
Tests that are not routinely run in Turkey, or that require a reference center, go abroad. One example is the non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT). It screens for the risk of trisomy 13, 18 or 21 in the fetus using cell-free fetal DNA circulating in the mother's blood. It is not diagnostic; a high-risk result is followed by a diagnostic test. Shipping, cold chain and report language depend on the contracted center's own protocol. The word "abroad" does not mean every panel is sent out.
Why not every tube is run in the clinic
A laboratory is not simply a second room next to the gynecology examination table. Keeping continuous calibration, external quality control, sufficient sample volume for rare tests and instrument maintenance all under one roof is not the right target for every boutique clinic. Rather than growing each function in-house, SoftCare hands the work to a center that specializes in it. For the patient, the difference is not having to travel to a second address. The sample is taken here.
What the physician asks for, what the lab reports
A check-up panel and a panel ordered for a specific complaint are not the same thing. Thyroid ordered for fatigue, beta-hCG ordered for a missed period, androgens ordered for hirsutism, screening ordered in pregnancy — each has its own reasoning. The laboratory provides a reference range. A value outside that range is not, on its own, the name of a disease. Interpretation belongs to the physician.
A result can be seen in the patient portal. The number seen there does not replace the explanation. Anemia, a hormone level and an infection marker can all sit on the same report; which one changes the treatment is discussed at the visit.
What commonly goes wrong before the draw
- Thyroid and some biochemistry tests require fasting; do not arrive having already eaten unless the physician said otherwise
- Prolactin rises with a sleepless, stressful morning
- The cycle day the sample is drawn on shifts FSH and estradiol
- Biotin, high-dose vitamins and some medications interfere with immunoassays
- For NIPT, missing gestational week or multiple-pregnancy information should not be sent along with the sample
These are not recorded as laboratory error. This is also why the sample is taken at the clinic: the question is asked there.
Which panels are commonly requested
This page does not sell a menu. Commonly seen headings are: complete blood count and urinalysis; fasting glucose and HbA1c; iron panel; thyroid (TSH, and free T4 if needed); beta-hCG; FSH, estradiol, prolactin, androgens; hepatitis and HIV screening panels (if the physician requests them); Vitamin D and B12; coagulation tests; pregnancy screening and NIPT. Which of these applies to you is not chosen from this list.
When not to wait
- Heavy bleeding, fainting, shortness of breath — clinical assessment first, testing second
- Suspected pregnancy plus pain — not NIPT, but urgent ultrasound and beta-hCG
- Fever with foul-smelling discharge — do not just send a urine sample and wait at home
The SoftCare approach
The sample is taken at the clinic. Tests that need a quick turnaround, such as a complete blood count and urinalysis, can be run on-site. Other tests go to a contracted laboratory accredited to ISO 15189. Tests that are not routinely run in Turkey, such as NIPT, go to a contracted laboratory abroad. The result comes to the physician and is then presented to the patient. No instrument showroom is set up here; the work is handed to a center whose calibration is audited.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the blood test done at the clinic?
The sample is taken at the clinic. Some tests (complete blood count, urinalysis) can be run there. Most go to a contracted, accredited laboratory.
What is ISO 15189?
It is the technical competence and quality standard for medical laboratories. It is not SoftCare's own laboratory certificate; it is the accreditation of the contracted center.
Who explains the result?
The laboratory prints a number. Interpretation and the plan belong to your SoftCare physician. A result seen in the portal does not replace that explanation.
Is NIPT diagnostic?
No. It screens for the risk of trisomy 13, 18 and 21. If risk is high, a diagnostic test is discussed.
Does every test go abroad?
No. Only tests that are not routinely run in Turkey, or that require a reference center, are sent.
Should I come fasting?
It depends on the panel. You will be told at your appointment. Eating without being told can disrupt some tests.
Do I need to go to a separate laboratory?
Not for taking the sample. Rarely, a test with special conditions may require a repeat sample at the laboratory's own unit; this is the exception.
Is this the same as a check-up?
No. A check-up is about which packages are set up. This page is about how the sample is taken and where it is analyzed.
This page is for information only. The tests requested, fasting requirements and interpretation of results are specific to each patient. SoftCare Clinic, Şişli, Fulya Nişantaşı, Istanbul.
Medically reviewed by Op. Dr. Şükrü Sanus, Obstetrician & Gynecologist · Last medical review: