Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Linking Labs

Is there any way to have the printed lab requests be linked to the diagnoses? When I try to link them on the 'Write Orders' menu and hit the 'Print Orders' tab -- they are never linked, however, when I 'Send Them' to my inbox, I can print that out and they are linked. Just wondering if there is something I'm not doing correctly to avoid this extra step. Thank you.

The way it prints an order is to print all the diagnoses on the top and the labs below. There is no way to put the diagnoses next to each test.

Thanks for the response Steven. I'll likely just "Send Order" to myself and print out that message as then the labs are each linked individually to a diagnosis.

If I only have one diagnosis with multiple labs for that diagnosis, I guess I can just directly print that order.

It is confusing - I know most docs when they handwrite an order they write dx codes next to each lab, eg CBC - 401.9, BMP-401.9, 250.02....

Right now there is no way to do this and I just sent an e-mail to one of the programmers explaining how labs expect that on their reqs. Hopefully that can change in the future. My lab is accommodating and figure out what dx go with what labs - I put 4 dx and then orders for all labs and they figure it out.

Steven, I don't know if you've tried the "Send Order" to yourself option because it does give your linked code to the lab you order that way. Here is what it looks like in my Message Inbox:

Ordered/Advised: - BMP (Basic Metabolic Panel) ICD9 Codes (401)
- CMP (Complete Metabolic Panel) ICD9 Codes (401)
- Lipid Panel ICD9 Codes (272)
- Hgb A1c ICD9 Codes (250.00)


I will likely just print this out and send it to the lab. It is a few more clicks then the 'Print Orders' screen but I like having the items linked up correctly.

I know this works, the programmer at AC says they were running into problems with the linking - I think it works this way because the codes you entered were linked because of ASSOCIATED ICD 9 CODES in ADMIN functions, but if you quick add labs and don't go to the effort of all the associated ICD-9s it won't separate them and just put them all after each lab.

He did say that a release that they are working on will address this (also working on e scrip refills and workflow). I think it is still a bit of a work in progress, but continues to get better.

Wait a minute-- labs will accept a basically "typewritten" requisition with the list of tests on it? Thought you had to use their lab request forms. I assume this isn't Quest or Labcorp you are referring to.

I use a hospital (paml) and they have no problem with typewritten orders. You need to check, but many draw stations will take a prescription blank with lab orders - they may try to bluff you into using form and if you are drawing in your office and packaging for them they may make you use their reqs, but you have to ask

I always print my own order and it goes to several different labs. One picks up labs drawn in my office. The v5 order message system has great potential but I am having difficulty figuring out how to fit it into my work process. I am thinking that it would be useful if the view order area were able to be accessed from my sign off window. I would like to be the one who is responsible for seeing that the labs/tests I order all come back when I am signing off. Currently we import test into a labdoctor mailbox. I have sent the "order" to a nursing mailbox. Perhaps the missing link is that I should be sending the orders to labdoctor too. We will try this today. This is a really useful feature but working it into work flow so that it improves our process is challenging....or I'm missing something. Right now we can only view orders when we are outside patient chart and that is a tedious way of reconciling orders and tests results.