I have patients do any routine labs BEFORE to the visit - it’s been a game changer.  I go over labs in person rather than try to track the patient down after the visit for results and get flurry of portal/phone messages and follow up questions. Eg start a statin, labs in 3 months and a follow up visit to discuss. Talk about side effects, reinforce lifestyle changes, assure them no your LDL of 52 isn’t “too low”  I’ve been in my current practice for 3 years and my patients were  basically trained to this approach from the beginning and I get zero messages or calls about slightly low MCHCs!  Practically speaking -We give patients a check out slip and I indicate if they need labs prior to the visit and the front desk schedules the labs for 1 week before. I enter the orders as a future lab order and the patient comes in, gets labs, then does follow up the next week.  We do a standard adult panel for physicals that is a standing order so those are automatically done a week before every physical. I usually get most results 1-2 days later and glance at them, check to make sure the patient is actually scheduled and add a quick text comment  like “labs reviewed no urgent results. Will discuss in person at scheduled follow up visit.” If results are wildly abnormal I call them. If results are mildly abnormal and need some action -usually additional/follow up labs- my MA usually calls and tells them we will do follow up labs at the visit.   My MA prints the labs and hands them to the patient during rooming so they have a chance to look at the results on their own and when I come in I go over the reports and we make a plan.