Laboratory
We have an on-site lab available for our patients. Our lab is open:
- By appointment only
- Monday through Friday
- 6:45am – 3pm
We are able to run many tests here, but there are some tests that may need to be sent to an outside laboratory. The outside laboratory will bill you for their service. It is your responsibility to inform us if your insurance company requires use of a specific lab.
If you have a fasting lab appointment scheduled, here are your directions for fasting.
- Fasting means that for twelve hours before your lab draw, you should only drink plain water.
- Please do not eat anything.
- If you take medication in the morning, please follow your provider’s instructions for the morning of your lab draw.
- In some instances, your provider may have ordered a urine specimen. Please be prepared to give a specimen while at your lab appointment.
Please be aware that we cannot draw blood from minors (under eighteen) who are not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Bone Density Screening
EFP can test your bone density at our office.
It is a safe, painless, and accurate scan using a DXA (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) unit. A bone density scan uses small amounts of radiation to determine the bone density of the spine, hip, wrist, or heel.
While x-rays can detect breaks in bones, they are not sensitive enough to detect osteoporosis until 25 to 40 percent of bone mass has been lost. By this time, the disease is well advanced. Your provider will review the results of your test and make any necessary recommendations.
Home Sleep Studies
At-home sleep testing is an easy, cost-effective means to determine whether you have abnormal breathing while you sleep. Should you need testing, our providers will order the test and send you home with a sleep monitor that you will wear overnight in the comfort of your own bed. Doing this in your own surroundings can mean a more accurate assessment of how you sleep while your oxygen levels, heart rate, and breathing effort are monitored.
This test may be prescribed for you if you have signs of obstructive sleep apnea such as snoring or gasping while sleeping, disrupted sleep, daytime sleepiness, or various abnormal heart rhythms. After the test, your results will be reviewed by a sleep medicine specialist and your provider can then recommend a plan of care.
Liver Function Tests
EFP offers FibroScan testing. FibroScan is a test to assess your liver health. It’s also known as liver elastography and is a non-invasive, quick, and painless test to assess
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liver scarring (fibrosis). As fibrosis progresses, it can lead to cirrhosis, a severe form of liver damage
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fatty liver disease
Liver disease often has no symptoms until significant damage has occurred, so detecting it early is important to allow for intervention and more effective treatment. Your provider will discuss this test with you and order it for you where it is clinically appropriate.