Clinical biology, in consultation.

Why this consultation is different

Clinical biology is the medical speciality that deals with biological analyses — blood, urine, samples. In Belgium, the vast majority of clinical biologists work in laboratories, without direct contact with patients. At Centre Médical Martine Rixhon, Dr Beckers and Dr Sqalli are among the country's few Clinical Biology specialists who see patients in consultation. That changes everything.

My work consists in turning a laboratory result into a useful decision for the patient in front of me. That's what I do at the hospital, that's what I do here.— Dr Pablo Beckers

Complementary expertise

Your family doctor knows your history, your background, your daily life. They can recognise pathologies, prescribe initial tests, and refer you to the right specialist. Clinical biology evolves fast — new markers, new techniques, new indications. Our role at the centre is not to replace your doctor, but to bring complementary expertise at the right time, to help you understand your results in their clinical context.

A direct link between the test and the consultation

During the clinical biology consultation at Centre Médical Martine Rixhon, you benefit from a complete approach. Dr Beckers prescribes the relevant tests according to your situation. The analyses are performed at the laboratory he directs at CHU Liège, or at an external laboratory depending on the case. He then interprets the results with you, in a direct exchange, and organises what comes next — another prescription, follow-up, referral, or simply reassurance.

This continuity of flow, from consultation to analysis, from result to care, makes all the difference.

Who is this consultation for?

The clinical biology consultation is for anyone in one of these situations:

• You have received test results and wish to understand them in depth, beyond the "normal values" indicated on the paper.
• You are following a treatment whose efficacy or tolerance is measured by analyses (anticoagulants, thyroid treatments, immunomodulators, etc.).
• You have unexplained symptoms despite several normal check-ups, and you are looking for specialist advice on the analyses to deepen.
• You are referred by your doctor for an opinion on a complex check-up or discordant results.
• You wish targeted screening without going through your GP: STIs, liver markers, thyroid panel, ferritin, vitamins, etc.

How does it work?

The consultation lasts about 30 minutes.

1. Welcome by our secretary.
2. Initial discussion about the reason for consultation, your medical history, your treatments, your questions.
3. If necessary, prescription of targeted biological analyses.
4. If you bring existing results: detailed interpretation, perspective, clear explanations.
5. Follow-up recommendations — next blood test, complementary examinations, referral to a colleague, or simple reassurance.
6. Strict confidentiality: everything is protected by medical secrecy.

Some concrete examples

The consultation can cover very varied subjects:

• Abnormal liver panel: elevated transaminases, gamma-GT, bilirubin — what cause, what follow-up?
• Thyroid panel: TSH, T3, T4, antibodies — interpretation and orientation.
• Lipid panel: cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoproteins — cardiovascular risk.
• Anaemia: ferritin, vitamin B12, folates — origin and management.
• Inflammatory markers: CRP, sedimentation rate — complementary investigations.
• Infectious serologies: interpretation of HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, herpes, EBV, CMV results, etc.
• Autoimmune panel: ANA, ANCA, rheumatoid factor — when to consider it, how to interpret it.