# How to track lab reports, so none sit unseen

> Your team tells Kyrra when a test is sent and sends a photo when the report comes back. Kyrra saves it to the patient and can let the doctor know.

Source: https://kyrra.in/guides/track-lab-reports/ · By Kyrra · Published 2026-11-05 · Updated 2026-11-11

To track lab reports with Kyrra, someone tells it on WhatsApp when a test is sent: the patient, the test and the lab. When the report comes back, they send a photo or the PDF. Kyrra saves it to the patient’s record and can let the doctor know it’s in. Anyone can ask which reports are still pending.

## What goes wrong today?

A test goes out. The report comes back to the front desk, or to a phone, or to an email nobody checks. It sits in a pile until the patient comes back and asks. Sometimes it never reaches the doctor at all. It is the same story as [a lost patient file](/blog/lost-patient-file/), one page at a time.

## How does it work with Kyrra?

**When a test goes out:**

1. Whoever sends the sample tells Kyrra. “Ravi’s blood test sent to the lab today.” Or in Tamil: “Ravi blood test innaikku lab-ku anuppiyachu” (Ravi’s blood test was sent to the lab today).
2. Kyrra saves it as pending, linked to Ravi.

**When the report comes back:**

1. Someone sends a photo of the report, or forwards the PDF, and says whose it is.
2. Kyrra saves it to the patient’s record and closes the pending test.
3. If the doctor asked to be told, Kyrra lets them know it’s in. One message sets that up: “Tell me when a report comes in for my patients.”
4. If the doctor wants a follow-up, reception can ask Kyrra to phone the patient to book it.

| Who | Sends | What Kyrra does |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse or lab staff | “Test sent for Ravi” | Marks the test pending |
| Front desk | Photo or PDF of the report | Saves it to the patient, lets the doctor know |
| Owner or doctor | “What’s still pending?” | Lists reports not yet back |

## What does the owner see?

Every test sent, every report back, and every report still pending, in one list. You can ask “which reports have been pending for more than three days?” and chase the lab before the patient chases you. You can also get the pending list every morning at a time you choose, so nothing waits until someone remembers to look.

## Who decides what a report means?

The doctor. Kyrra keeps the report with the patient and makes sure the doctor sees it, and it phones the patient only when someone on your team asks.

See also [how to write consult notes from a voice note](/guides/consult-notes-from-voice/) and [how to hand over patients between doctors](/guides/doctor-handovers/). New to Kyrra? Read [about Kyrra](/about/).

## Questions owners ask

### Who reads the report?

The doctor. Kyrra saves the report to the patient and lets the doctor know it’s in. It gives no medical advice.

### How does a report get into Kyrra?

Someone sends a photo of the paper report or forwards the PDF on WhatsApp, and says which patient it is for. Kyrra saves it to that patient’s record.

### What formats does Kyrra read?

Photos of paper reports, PDFs and spreadsheets.

### How do we know which reports are still pending?

When a test is sent, someone tells Kyrra. Anyone can then ask “which reports are still pending?”, and the owner can get that list every morning.

### Can Kyrra tell the patient their report is ready?

When someone on your team asks, Kyrra can phone the patient to say the report is ready or to book a follow-up visit. The call never carries anything medical beyond the visit itself.

### What if a patient mentions symptoms on that call?

If a patient mentions pain, bleeding, swelling, fever or trouble breathing, the treating doctor hears at once.