The Short Version
A good lab kit reminder is short, friendly and specific: it names the kit, says it hasn't come back yet, and makes help easy to ask for. Send a gentle nudge a few days after delivery, a second about a week later and a final check-in after that, then hand any kit still missing to your care coordinator. When results arrive, the patient hears that they're in and gets times to book, while the results themselves go to the ordering provider for review.
Why Lab Kits Stall
The patient meant to do it. The kit is on the bathroom counter, or in a drawer, or still in the shipping box. Nobody forgot on purpose. But in a functional or longevity practice, the whole plan often waits on that kit. No kit, no results visit. No results visit, no plan.
Without a system, your care coordinator becomes the lab courier, scrolling through orders in Rupa Health or your chart in Cerbo to see which kits are overdue. A steady set of reminders takes that off her plate. If you're thinking about the bigger picture, our guide to AI software for functional medicine practices covers what else to automate first.
The Templates
Swap in your own practice name and sign-off. Keep the tone warm and the message short. Every template leaves clinical questions to the provider.
When the kit ships
Hi [First name], your [Kit name] is on its way from [Practice name]. When it arrives, the instructions inside the box walk you through each step. If anything is unclear, just reply here and our team will help. We're looking forward to going over your results together.
A few days after delivery
Hi [First name], just checking that your [Kit name] arrived safely. Whenever you're ready, the instructions in the box have everything you need, and the return details are inside too. Reply here if you have any questions or need a hand.
About a week after delivery
Hi [First name], a friendly reminder that your [Kit name] hasn't made it back to the lab yet. Once it does, we can get your results visit with [Provider name] on the calendar. If something got in the way, or you'd like a replacement kit, reply and we'll sort it out.
Final check-in
Hi [First name], we noticed your [Kit name] still hasn't come back, and we want to make sure you're not stuck. Someone from our team will reach out shortly to see how we can help. You can also reply here anytime.
When the kit is received by the lab
Good news, [First name]: the lab has received your [Kit name]. We'll let you know as soon as your results are in. No need to do anything else for now.
When results are in
Hi [First name], your [Kit name] results are in and on their way to [Provider name] for review. Here are a few times to book your results visit: [Booking link]. [Provider name] will walk you through everything then.
When a patient asks "Are my results back?"
Hi [First name], thanks for checking in. Your [Kit name] is currently [Status: on its way to the lab / at the lab / resulted and with [Provider name] for review]. We'll message you the moment there's an update, and [Provider name] will go over the results with you at your visit.
Cadence and Timing
A simple rhythm works for most practices:
- Shipped: one note when the order goes out.
- A few days after delivery: a gentle nudge.
- About a week after delivery: a clear reminder with an offer to help.
- After that: a final check-in that tells the patient a person will reach out.
- Received and resulted: status notes, then a booking link once results are in.
Stop the reminders the moment the lab receives the kit. Nothing erodes trust faster than a "please send it back" message after the patient already did. That means each kit needs to be followed from order to result, not just sent a fixed series of messages on a timer.
Send reminders during reasonable daytime hours in the patient's own time zone, and use the channel they already answer you on, whether that's your patient portal in Cerbo or Practice Better, text or email.
What Goes to a Person Instead
Templates handle the routine. Some moments need your team:
- A kit still missing after the final check-in. Your care coordinator calls, asks whether the patient still wants the test or needs a replacement, and lets the ordering provider know if the plan should change.
- Any reply that asks what the test is for, whether to skip it, or how they should prepare. Those go to the provider or a clinical team member, not a template.
- A patient who sounds worried, confused or unwell. A person reads it and responds.
- A lost, damaged or expired kit. Someone on your team decides how to replace it.
- Results. They are routed to the ordering provider for review, always. The patient hears that results are in, never what they say.
A simple rule keeps it clean: the software tracks the kit, sends the reminders and books the visit. Your providers own everything about the test and the results.
Where Tabflows Fits
Tabflows is AI software plus a dedicated tech team that sets up and runs this workflow for you. It works alongside the tools your practice already uses, such as Cerbo, Practice Better, Rupa Health and Elation, following each lab order from kit to result and sending the right reminder at the right time.
When results land, they're matched to the right patient and routed to the ordering provider for review, and the patient gets times to book the results visit. Anything unusual goes to your care coordinator with the context attached. See how it works on Tabflows for Functional Medicine.
Every kit back before the results visit, without anyone on your team chasing it: that's the goal worth setting.
FAQs
What should a lab kit reminder say?
Keep it short and friendly: name the kit, say it hasn't come back yet, point the patient to the instructions that came in the box, and give them one easy way to ask for help. Leave out anything about what the test means or why it matters clinically. That conversation belongs to the provider.
How often should we remind a patient to return an at-home lab kit?
A gentle note a few days after the kit arrives, another about a week later, and a final check-in after that is a steady rhythm for most practices. After the final reminder, the kit should go to your care coordinator to decide on a personal call rather than another automated message.
What do we do when a functional medicine lab kit is never returned?
Stop the automated reminders and hand it to a person. Your care coordinator can call, ask whether the patient still wants to do the test or needs a replacement kit, and let the ordering provider know if the plan needs to change. The software tracks the kit; your team decides what happens next.
Can software send lab results to patients automatically?
It shouldn't send results or explain them. Good software tells the patient their results are in, routes the results to the ordering provider for review, and offers times to book the results visit. Only the provider explains what the results mean.