1. Orders
When will I receive the sample collection kit package?
The Diagnostiki Athinon team aims to ship the kit within 24 hours of receiving your order. Orders received over the weekend are usually processed on Monday.
We ship the sampling kits within Greece using the ACS courier company. The time it takes to receive the sample kit depends on your address, but it is usually 1-2 business days. In addition, after sending your order, you will receive a tracking number, which you can use to see where your order is at any time.
We use DHL or FedEx courier companies to send the sampling kit to Cyprus and other countries. The time it takes to receive the sample kit depends on your address, but it is usually 1 to 3 working days. In addition, upon completing the test purchase, you will receive a tracking number, with which you can see the status of your order.
How can I contact you?
You can contact us daily from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm for your orders by phone at 0030 210 7777654. You can also send us an e-mail at info@athenslab.gr
We will be happy to assist you!
Are the prices on athenslab.gr the same as those of the physical laboratory?
The online store prices are the same as if you came to the Diagnostiki Athinon laboratory, but the offers and discounts may differ.
Is my personal data safe?
Diagnostiki Athinonand athenslab.gr considers any information provided by the user regarding his personal data or his order as confidential. For this reason, we are expressly committed to the non-disclosure, exchange, sale, or disclosure of personal data and customer details.
See more information on the Personal Data & Privacy Policy page
How can I make a test purchase?
You can place your order in the following ways:
Online purchase from our e-commerce website.
Phone order: If you encounter any difficulties with your online order, you can place it by phone at 0030 210 7777654 every day from 08:00 to 20:00, except Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
For more details, visit our How to Order page.
How can I pay for one of my orders?
- Charged to your credit or debit card. To ensure the absolute security of electronic transactions through credit cards, they are made through the security system of National Bank, which is based on the international transaction protection company, which supports a secure transaction environment. Installments are currently not supported
- Online payment via PayPal
For more details, please visit our Payment Methods page.
Can I cancel my order?
You can cancel your order without charge if the products have not been shipped from our lab.
If you change your mind, you can cancel your order even after the sample kits have been shipped.
For more details, please visit our Cancellation and Refund Policy page.
I forgot the password to enter my account
If you can't remember your password to log in, click the Forgot my password link
Are Preventive Tests prescribed via EOPYY (National Organization for Health Care Services)?
No, the Preventive Tests of Diagnostiki Athinon are not prescribed via EOPYY or any other Public Health Insurance Organization.
Do private insurance companies cover Preventive Tests?
Unfortunately, Diagnostiki Athinon is currently not contracted with any insurance company. Therefore, most insurance companies will not cover Preventive Tests. However, some companies' contracts allow covering part or even the whole amount. Ask your insurer about the relevant features of your policy.
2. Sampling
How is blood taken from the finger?
By placing the lancet device on your finger and pressing the button, a hidden needle comes out and pierces your skin. The needle is then safely returned to the lancet. The needle is sterile and single-use, and the lancet device cannot be reused after use.
How much blood is needed?
Typically, we need 10-15 drops of blood for most blood tests. This is equivalent to approximately 0.5 – 0.8 ml.
Does it hurt to take blood from the finger?
Yes, but very little. Taking blood from a fingerstick hurts much less than a standard blood draw using a needle from a vein in the arm. We have tested several different lancet devices and use the one that gives the best results, meaning the least inconvenience for you and a good-quality sample for laboratory use.
What kind of blood tests can be done with the blood sample taken from the finger?
All the tests can be performed with blood collected using the recommended fingerstick method. The only limitation is the number of tests that can be done due to the small sample size. If you choose several tests requiring blood to be drawn, we may need to send you more than 1 collection kit. Diagnostiki Athinon will decide on the number of kits after your order is completed based on the laboratory test needs assessment. In any case, we ensure the number of finger piercings is as small as possible.
With this particular method of blood collection, the classic biochemical tests to check liver function, electrolytes, or general blood count cannot be performed.
What if I can't get enough blood from the finger?
About 10-15% of patients who use the fingerprick will fail to provide enough samples. The most common reason for failure is the imprecise application of download instructions. If, for some reason, it is not possible to donate enough blood with this method of collection, the following alternatives are available:
- Conventional blood sampling. We can send you a blood collection kit so that the blood can be drawn by a healthcare professional (doctor, nurse, etc.) of your choice.
- Retrying. We can send you another sampling kit to take from your finger for a small charge of around 5 €, but you should know that if you have failed once with this method, it is very likely that you will fail again.
- Money return. If obtaining the sample is impossible, then your money will be refunded.
What if I can't get a finger sample at all?
If you fail to obtain a satisfactory sample with the fingerprick (about 1 in 10 people do not) and follow the instructions carefully, a second attempt will probably give the same result. We can send you another free sample kit for around 5 €.
Alternatively, we can consider other blood collection options, such as visiting a nurse, being referred to a public or private hospital or diagnostic center, or arranging for the sample to be taken yourself.
How will I know if you have received my sample?
We will email you a notification when your sample arrives at the lab. Blood is stable for any test offered for about 5-7 days at room temperature, and the first thing the lab will do when your sample arrives is to check its quality. The lab is certified and adheres to strict quality guidelines, so you can be sure your results will be accurate.
If we have not notified you that your sample has arrived after 3-4 days of sending it, please get in touch with us, as we may need to send you a new kit.
I take biotin supplements. Should I stop taking them before the sample is taken?
Many take biotin (vitamin B7) supplements as an adjunctive treatment for various problems. Biotin is found in many multivitamins, especially those aimed at improving hair and skin.
Many people don't know that biotin can affect the results of some (not all) blood tests. Many modern assays are antibody-based, and biotin is used during the testing process to bind the antibody to the biomarker being tested. So, if you have higher than normal levels of biotin, this may affect the method we use for blood testing.
Because the range of tests affected is so broad and the same test can be affected in different ways depending on the type and manufacturer of reagents, taking biotin may affect your test results.
Of course, only people taking high-dose biotin supplements are more likely to be affected. Most research on biotin and its effect on blood tests is based on blood levels of biotin, not the dose taken. Different people absorb and metabolize biotin at different rates, so it is difficult to say with certainty that a specific dose of biotin has a specific effect on blood tests.
As a general recommendation, patients should stop taking biotin supplements 48 hours before blood tests.
3. Test Results
When will I receive my test results?
We understand that waiting for results can be stressful, and we recognize the importance of receiving them as soon as possible.
At athenslab.gr, you will find the time we need to conduct each test. The time is indicated in working days and begins to be calculated from the moment the sample is received in the laboratory. Sometimes, turnaround times can be extended for a variety of reasons, most commonly the need to repeat some tests or to perform confirmatory analyses. This extension can last a few days or even longer in exceptional cases.
If you need the result for a specific appointment, check the test time and estimate the sample transport time.
How will I know my results are ready?
We will notify you via automated email that your test results are ready for download from your profile.
If you think your test results should be ready but haven't received an email notification from us, please check your junk or spam folder. Alternatively, you can log into your account to check the status of your exams. If your results are ready, you will be able to download them.
How will I receive my test results?
You receive the results of your tests by e-mail.
Additionally, you may receive the results of your tests by downloading them in the secure environment of our e-commerce website, specifically through your profile. Comments from the attending physician accompany all Preventive Tests and include an interpretation of what your results may mean.
Are there explanations for my results?
When the tests are completed, the laboratory's responsible physician, who has the knowledge and experience to interpret the wide range of tests we provide, will review them and add comments to aid their understanding. You will also find detailed descriptions of each test at athenslab.gr. Just click on "Discover test".
Please provide us with as much information as possible to get the most out of our services. That's why completing your lifestyle and medical history questionnaires before your tests is essential.
Depending on the test findings, we can refer you for further investigation and treatment to selected partners of the appropriate specialties.
Do you give my results somewhere else, too?
No, your results are not given anywhere else but you.
If you ask, we can also send them to your doctor.
How are reference values derived?
The range of laboratory reference values can be determined by the equipment manufacturers and reagents or by the laboratory that tests the sample. The "normal" range for any given healthy (in terms of the parameter being studied) population is usually the range where 95% of that population will fall within. This means that 2.5% of this population will be below and 2.5% above the normal range.
At the extremes of the normal range, there are regions of overlap where some healthy individuals will have results outside the normal range, and some abnormal (for the parameter being studied) individuals will have results within the normal range. This is why it is recommended to repeat a borderline result in a few days or weeks to see if this result is normal for you or if it has improved or worsened. Many events and conditions can affect test results, such as what you eat, if you have an allergy or infection, or if you have recently exercised vigorously. This is why it is important to repeat some abnormal results.
Why do reference values vary from lab to lab?
Laboratories use different analyzers (medical devices), methods, and reagents, which ultimately have different reference values. This is why you should always check to see if your result is within the reference range and not try to compare different results from different laboratories.
Even when laboratories use the same analyzers, some may use the manufacturer's reference values while others may set their own. The reference values established by each laboratory may be similar but not exactly the same.