Hemoglobinopathy Evaluation Test
A hemoglobinopathy evaluation looks at the different types of hemoglobin present in the blood. Clinicians use it in screening and evaluation contexts to help understand hemoglobin, the protein red blood cells use to carry oxygen.
About this test
Hemoglobin is the protein inside red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. People make different forms of hemoglobin, and the mix of those forms is largely inherited.
The evaluation is done with a routine blood draw at a patient service center. A phlebotomist collects a small sample from a vein, usually in the arm, and sends it to the laboratory, where techniques such as hemoglobin separation are used to identify the different types.
Who might consider this test?
- Others consider it when exploring questions raised by a routine blood count or by symptoms a clinician wants to understand better.
Test details
| Quest code | 35489 |
|---|---|
| Methodology | Electronic Sizing and Counting/Cytometry • Capillary Electrophoresis followed by, if necessary, High Performance Liquid Chromatography |
| Sample type | 1 full (5 mL) EDTA (lavender-top) tube |
| Collection | Quest patient service center |
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Additional details
What this evaluation looks at
The evaluation looks at the types and proportions of hemoglobin in a blood sample. Because everyone inherits the pattern of hemoglobin they make, examining that pattern helps a clinician understand the hemoglobin a person carries. Laboratories use methods that separate the different forms so they can be identified and described.
It also helps to remember what this evaluation is, and is not. It is a way of characterizing hemoglobin types, used within screening and evaluation, rather than a standalone verdict. Findings are interpreted by a clinician, who considers them alongside a person's history and other information before drawing conclusions.
How it's often used alongside other information
A hemoglobinopathy evaluation is frequently read together with a complete blood count and iron studies, since these describe the size, number, and health of red blood cells and can add helpful context. Family history and ancestry also inform how a clinician approaches the findings, because inherited hemoglobin variations are more common in some backgrounds than others.
Read together, these pieces give a fuller picture than the hemoglobin types alone. This evaluation is used within screening and broader assessment, and a clinician weighs the whole picture rather than any single result on its own.
Order online and a physician order is included — no doctor's visit and no insurance needed. Your sample is collected at a Quest Diagnostics patient service center.
Laboratory results should always be interpreted by a licensed clinician who knows your health history. This page is information about a test, not medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
What does a hemoglobinopathy evaluation look at?
It looks at the types of hemoglobin present in the blood and their proportions. Hemoglobin is the protein red blood cells use to carry oxygen, and the pattern a person makes is largely inherited.
Is this evaluation a diagnosis?
No. It is used within screening and evaluation to characterize hemoglobin types, not as a diagnosis on its own. A clinician interprets the findings alongside family history, ancestry, and other markers.
Why do family history and ancestry matter here?
Inherited hemoglobin variations are more common in some backgrounds than others, so a clinician considers family history and ancestry when interpreting the findings and deciding whether further conversation is helpful.
How is the sample collected?
Through a routine blood draw at a patient service center. A phlebotomist takes a small sample from a vein in the arm and sends it to the laboratory, where the hemoglobin types are identified.
Is this evaluation used in family planning?
It can be part of those conversations, since the variations are inherited. People often review the findings with a clinician, and sometimes a genetics professional, to understand what they may carry and pass on.
How much is a Hemoglobinopathy Evaluation test?
$229, paid once at checkout. The price includes the physician's order this test requires and sample collection at a Quest patient service center.