Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Tracked Data

Does anyone know if lab data will now be imported into templates in newer versions. Since most of our pts are diabetics, tracking is so critical. Right now, there is a lot of time involved in entering the data by hand.

Vicki,

Do you have an interface for your lab?

Yes. At least the labs are imported into the chart, but they do not yet populate tracked data. That would save soooo much time.

Vicki

Labs imported via interface and tracked data are two separate things. You should be able to see trends if your labs are imported electronically. You can see with the screenshot there are two values for the patients HgbA1C.

By importing labs are you referring to an interface or scanning them in?

Thanks Marty!! Appreciate your help.

I can't ignore this opportunity to add my wish that a "Review" button be added next to the Print button on the bottom of II that would add the following text to Plans, just like you sent a prescription:

"The patient's recent HemoglobinA1C of 8.5% (High) on 1/24/2013 was reviewed with the patient. The increase from the result of 7.8% (High) on 06/12/2012 was discussed."

I want to spend my time reviewing labs with the patient, and an increasing, out of control HgbA1C is major, rather than spend my time typing all those facts.

If you highlight something else, say a CXR where there aren't any digital "facts", the Review button would add:

"The patient's CXR report received on 1/29/2013 was reviewed with the patient."

I could then add further comments on what changes in treatment are being made. This is what programming could do for us.

Like your idea Dan.

Marty,

Is there a way to turn the imported labs into tracked data? I know that you can see the past values in the imported items view, but how about being able to import it into tracked data section/have it done automatically so that a chart can be seen?

Is that possible?

Asutosh

Then what is the point of tracked data. should we be using it at all? We are manually entering since we do not have interface at this time and have to manually examine and write it on paper to get into pt documentation. waste of time

Hi Betty,
It is a big time investment that we do because of the chronically ill patients-esp with diabetes, cholesterol, and kidney disease. We are a part of a research study that asks us to do this. I also use it to track when mammograms, paps, colonoscopy are due.

The tracked data is one of the reasons that we are considering another emr-the time it takes my MA to do this is CCRRAAZZY.

One partial solution.

If it is data in an downloaded lab from the lab interface, you can print out a list of previous results. For example, if you want their HA1C,

1)just go to the most recent lab where that was taken.
2 Highlight Just That Test.
3) go to the top and on the little menu click "for this test" and then "show results for this test only".

It will give you a list of all of the patients HA1C results. You can print this, but you cannot graph it or export it to Excel. Not ideal, but you can get the list.

Of course, this is useless for tracking mammograms.

That's a good idea Wayne. We enter the labs by the name so that they come out as a flow sheet. To make it work I have to put Lipid 1, Total Lipid 2, HDL, etc so that they come out together on the flowsheet. It is a pain, but at least it is easy to find.

Betty, Vicki & Asutosh,

Have you considered using an excel file for tracking all your labs? Instead of using Tracked Data, you can make a spreadsheet and import it directly to the IMPORTED ITEMS section (drop & drag). This idea I got from Leslie.

We did this before we got the interface for our labs. Although it's still a pain to enter (like tracked data), all results were easily visible on one page.

Thanks Marty

I tried to make this comment earlier but for some reason, it would not post. I review everything that comes into the office myself and sign off. I enter that items that I track into tracked data at that time. It takes me a couple of seconds, almost no time at all. I track a lot of stuff...diabetes data,mammos, paps, colonoscopies,lipids, etc. I think that your MA is working the clock. There is very little time involve in tracked data function. Surely it isn't worth delegating for me. That was the beauty of AC for me. As I lost employees, they did not need to be replaced because I could easily pick up some of these quick tasks.