I would like input on how other users use, or not use, the "orders" put in AC. I am currently using ac version 6.6.7. I would love it if someone told me this has been improved in newer versions of AC. I would upgrade asap.

AC 6.6.7 has a way to write "orders" for patients. These can be Nursing, labs, imaging, referrals, follow-up, patient ed, and "other." My staff usually print orders which are given to patients for labs, xrays, surgeries. Once printed, these "orders" usually just sit in the "order" section without ever being touched again. I recently deleted almost 10 years worth or "orders" which were just clogging the system. Part of the problem is how cumbersome it is to "reconcile" these orders.

Today I decided to try to learn how to use these "orders" to streamline the process and found this feature to be pretty much useless. Maybe someone has a trick on how to use this feature better. If so, please enlighten me.

Some of my issues:

1. As far as I can tell there is no way to look at "pending" or "completed" orders written for a particular patient within the patient's chart. You have to go to AC's main window and click on view -> orders. A list pops up with all orders "pending" for ALL patients. You can select your orders or everyone's orders, and select a date range. (In 6.6.7 there is a grayed out option for "show this patient" but it can't be selected.) There is a sub window that shows you what you actually ordered. Below it is a another sub window where you can "find an imported item (not yet reconciled) button, a "Remove" button, and a small checkbox for "partial results." However, when you click the "Find imported times (not yet reconciled)" button all you are given is a list of the imported items in the patient's chart. There is no "preview" window to show you want the import is actually. So, if you have a lot of imports (I have patients with over LOTS of imports) you are S O L.

3. I guess the easiest option is to just use the "Update order status" sub window where you can select "ordered" "results pending," or "Completed (There are no results pending)" If you click the "update Order" button a window opens that gives you the option to send a message to the physician. The physician will get a message that the order is completed but it would be nice if the message would open the particular import or result.

A suggestion: Since most "orders" usually result in an import (lab, xray, consult, etc) why not set up a way to "reconcile" an order in the import window, perhaps as a right clock drop down option which would bring up the particular patient's pending orders?

Gerardo Carcamo
Surgeon
San Antonio, TX