A renal function panel could be ordered when a patient has risk factors for kidney dysfunction such as high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, elevated cholesterol, or a family history of kidney disease. A renal function panel may also be ordered when someone has signs and symptoms of kidney disease, though early kidney disease often does not cause any noticeable symptoms. It may be initially detected through routine blood or urine testing.

Renal function panel results are not diagnostic but rather indicate that there may be a problem with the kidneys and that further testing is required to make a diagnosis and determine the cause. Results of the panel are usually considered together, rather than separately. Individual test result can be abnormal due to causes other than kidney disease, but taken together with risks and signs and symptoms, they may give an indication of whether kidney disease is present.