Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Help with referrals/orders

I think I am making this unnecessarily complex. This wasn't too horrible at first (I see uninsured patients so we don't order much) but as my volume picks up, it's getting to be more than an annoyance. I am a solo doc in a micropractice (no staff except my long-suffering husband who I don't have to pay but has no medical training and limited job duties since he's also caring for the kids). Why is this not as simple and obvious as prescribing? I'm assuming once I figure this out, sending orders will be easy too.

So here's the process I currently use:
Click on "Orders" button on lower right hand screen
Click on "Referrals" tab
See blank screen and no apparent way to add anything
Click "Send Orders" button
Go to my messages, add in the actual information for the order (which I have no templates for and so have to type from scratch every time), print to updox, and fax where it needs to go.

What I want to do is have templates for everything I order a lot and send it directly while I'm in the note without having to go into messages. Do rapid streps and urine dips and all that sort of thing have to end up in my messages as well?

This looks like it might also be a path into some sort of tickler system...is that the case and if so, how does it work?

Can I electronically send labs from the orders as well? Is that something you talk to AC about getting set up or the lab?

Help!
Thanks

Robin (and Tim),

Welcome to AC and to the user board.

"Orders" in AC is a bit of a mess. It is one of the aspects of the program that both the company and users agree needs improvement.

To address your specific questions:
1. When you click on the "referrals" tab, it should bring up a list of all of the providers in your "Practice Rolodex". Perhaps you have not entered anyone there. Put in some of the docs you want to refer to. Now when you click the "Referrals tab" you can select the doctor, put a comment in the right column (if you wish) and "print orders" direct to Updox. No need to involve messages at all.

2. You will not need to go to your messages while in a note; you just go to "Orders". You can edit the lists in each tab of orders so that these will act as the templates you are talking about (you just check them and they go on the order sheet).

3. "A path into a tickler system"...well, yes and no. I think you are talking about "Reconciling orders" which is a process that should be made easier by an EMR, but AC doesn't yet do that.

I wrote a long post about a year ago laying out some thoughts about orders and reconciliation. It is a complex topic (as it stands now in AC) so I am not sure if you want to get involved with it now. (And what I describe is only my view). If you choose to read more, here it is.

4. What you are talking about is a bidirectional interface, where you not only send orders, but also receive them. I don't know of anyone who has successfully done this in AC, but hopefully someone will speak up now and explain how they do it.

If any of this is not clear or requires elaboration, please feel free to ask.