The nation depends on public health laboratories to conduct critical and complex tests to keep our country safe from emergent threats, environmental contaminants, and food-borne illnesses. Accurate data and efficient turn around time for results is crucial. Electronic Test Orders and Results (ETOR) enables laboratories and health care providers to directly exchange standardized test orders and results across different facilities and electronic information systems using agreed upon standards. The sooner laboratories receive and process test orders, the faster they can return results — essential for surveillance, outbreak and public health emergency response and early intervention — leading to better patient care. ETOR is quickly becoming standard protocol across clinical laboratories, and is increasingly being defined as a required business need for providers.