Home Forums Discussions Problems Patient instructions on order forms

OK, can't figure it out.
I need to add patient instructions to Orders (e.g. fasting, get this done in a certain time line).
Other than printing a separate patient patient instruction page, is there a way any one has worked out to keep on same page as the lab order.
Adding as a comment to the individual lab order risks fasting being missed for lipids mixed among other non-fasting labs CMP, CBC, UA, etc.
The time line instructions change.

Roger, I pre-print a stack of patient lab instruction pages and put them in the exam rooms. It goes over the lab addresses, hours, fasting instruction, ways to get results, etc. I give them out with each lab requisition. I don't think what you are looking for currently exists in amazing charts, but soon will become moot anyway as we will be electronically submitting lab requests in a few years (but will still need a printed patient education page). No need to have to have amazing charts print this out.

Thanks, Ken
So, the good old fashioned way!

Looking for AC to print this out, as that is where I will be "living"

We already do electronic labslips through Quest and Labcorp. Their IT people came to the office and set it up on our computers. We also direct the patients to the respective websites to schedule their appointments. We send confirmations of the labslips through the UPDOX patient portal. This way the patients are never waiting around the office for a labslip! Technically, they can just show up at a drawing station, supply their name and personal info, and their labslip is stored in a holding bin in the lab computer. We send the confirmations to the portal for those who still like to have a piece of paper in their hands.

Roger, I may not fully understand, but when I want a patient to get a f/u H&H, or some other lab, Xray eyc, I just place the comment "in three weeks" in the column to the right of the order and it prints out on the order sheet. The patient takes this with them and shows up for the test or the lab on the specified date.

Tom

Tom, you are understanding fully.
I just often order multiple tests, and as a neph, many lab orders, just didn't want the fasting for lipids lost amongst the "comments" for all the other, nor wanted to repeat fasting for each (CMP, CBC, iron, urine chem etc).
Just being lazy.

I will add patient ed forms with the instructions I want and print them at the same time.

I do remain unclear about the e-orders for lab, but we do not yet have any connectivity locally to test on yet.

Roger,
Now Tom understands...let's see if I do.
Am I correct that you would like the slip to say something like:

"CBC
CMP
Lipid profile
**Patient must fast for 4 hours"

If so, create an order, the text of which is "**Patient must fast for 4 hours"
And click that as the last order in the list.

Jon, thanks.
Had not fully considered that.
2 ignorance based questions:
1) does that (free text non-orders) generate any issues with e-ordering (To lab)?
2) any issues with order reconciliation (Just looking at the "Reconciling Orders" thread)?

Roger,
I don't use electronic ordering so I cannot answer the first question. I would imagine that there must be some ability to communicate free text...
Order reconciliation is currently a mess, and not very functional (I think even Dr. Bertman agrees with that). I would imagine it would be easy to automatically "reconcile" any order that you see for fasting, etc.
Not very substantial answers, I know.

Jon,
Your suggestion to create an order with text needed is brilliant! I was adding fasting in comments, and it did not look very good. The extra line is much better. This is one reason why this board is so nice, sharing these good ideas. Thank you.