Make sure your slide has been labeled to identify it as yours, somehow, before you leave the exam room. Your provider will know whether or not there has been a history of an unusually high number of inaccurate results. Ask if your provider has faith in the particular lab in question. If you can afford it, it may be worth it to pay for the cost of having the test read at a lab you trust. Check Out the Lab HMOs often give laboratories large volumes of business in exchange for lower rates.
Mistakes can result.
Federal law dictates standards for laboratories. This includes both qualifications for lab personnel and limits on how many Pap tests a full-time work can read. In theory, this is supposed to protect women. In reality, violations of these standards still occur and errors result. Checking the labs yourself is a very time-consuming task and is best done as a project of a women's or health consumers group.