Home Forums Discussions Feedback and Recommendations Printing orders and prescriptions

I use several printers routinely, and wonder how hard it would be to give more print options with user definable buttons. I already set my windows default printer to the one I use the most, but many other items need to print in other ways. I fax most prescriptions through my network fax while in the room. If someone wants a printed prescription, I need to select print preview and the front desk printer. I print all labs on green paper so patients can remember that I gave it to them. That prints on a different printer at the front desk. XRAY... prints on white paper, some things to ADOBE PDF. It would be great to have at least a couple of different defineable "print to" buttons. Maybe different printers set in preferences for prescriptions, orders,...?

I second this suggestion and have made it myself on several occasions previously.

Leslie

This would make my life much easier!

I current print to two different printers (one is set up with tamper proof paper). In order to switch printers I have to pull up the windows "printers and fax" window and change the default and then print. Then I have to REMEMBER to change it back, otherwise my labs so up on tamper proof paper

Folks,
Although not perfect, doesn't your computer and AC give you that window where you can choose the printer you want??? Sure we have our computers set up to default to the plain paper printer up front, but when Nancy wants to print an Rx she simply clicks on print, the window that allows you to choose what pages and printer comes up, so she picks the printer she wants (our Rx one in the back room across from her main examroom)and Presto a NYS Rx on it's official paper. I even re-named this printer NYS Rx's on all the computers in the office just so it would stand out and scream at us to use it when printing Rx's. It is just about habit for her now.

Now granted having AC remeber for us, which printer is the Rx printer and which one is our plain paper one for all other tasks would be far superior. From the day we first started talking to Jon and AC about having AC print state compliant Rx's two years ago, this has been a wish request of ours. I too like things that take the idiot user, rushed staff and doctor out of the equation such as this. We can hope.

Paul, you are so right. I am very confused. Rainy, do you really go into printers and faxes window and change the default for every print? I think Paul and I can get you home an hour earlier each day. : ) I would guestimate I go into that window maybe once a month. The only time we change a default is if it somehow changes by itself, which does happen.

I think this may be a bit much. I have never seen any program with this feature. Even Word or Outlook force you to click on print and choose a printer. Now each computer can have its own default. And, each printer only needs a few choices. In rooms, I default to the laser jet on the table and have the option of selecting the fax driver or the controlled substance paper. (Nice job Rainy with the printed controlled substances!)

Bert,
SoapWare gave one the ability to choose which printer would print various documents. I could ask to print using hot keys (ctrl+P) and it would print to the printer I set as the default for that form. My PM also has this feature. Superbills are defaulted to the Okidata while appointment lists default to the printer up front and practice management reports default to the printer on my desk.

Leslie

If Bert and Paul could get me home an hour earlier, I would be forever grateful!

I’m looking at the prescription writer right now…and I see two buttons…print to default printer and preview prescriptions. Since I only want to print…that’s what I use. How else am I suppose to …..oh wait, that is what you guys are doing right?

You are going into preview and then choosing your printer…is that correct? I guess it’s the same number of steps, so I’m not sure it would get me home earlier.

Is there another way?

Well, if you're typing this at 5:46 AM, then there is no other way. I would continue the humor, but there is no other way.

I guess all programs, whether PDF, Word, Outlook whatever rely on clicking either the Print preview or Print ellipsis. You don't really ever have to use Print preview, that is only if you want to see the actual formatting first. A lot of programs such as Word, will allow three options. A button which allows one click print directly to the default printer, a print preview button which brings up the page and shows exactly what it will look like, which then has another print button (obviously) which will print directly to the default printer, and then a button which shows the word Print... (ellipsis). This will bring your print window up and allow you to choose a printer. Again, it should bring you to the default printer but another can be selected.

With Amazing Charts on the script writer, you have two options:

Click on the right icon, and it will print directly to your default printer.

Click on the left icon (print preview), and you will see the script (not to actually preview it which you can) but to allow you to see the print drivers window and choose a printer).

The script writer acts the exact same way. I don't know why we don't have that option with growth charts. So, to be brief (my specialty):

When you click on the following icons in most programs like Word:

Print --> prints directly to the default printer
Print... --> brings up printer window to give choices of printers
Print preview --> allows one to see formatting, important say when you go to print a letter. One would like to see where the body of the letter is in relations to the heading, etc. or where the body fits on each page.

When you click on icons in AC:

Print to default printer --> Sort of self explanatory
Print preview --> shows script or lab order and allows choice of printer

I can't think of any reason to go into Printers and Faxes section and change your default printer. That would be way too much and take longer besides, as you say, you have to remember which printer is default.

So, that is pretty much it. Now, I won't even get into what happens after you set your scripts for printing controlled substances where they have to be 4" by 6". Forget the printing to default printer there. That's an entirely other post.

WOW, I was just looking to save a couple minutes a day. (Mostly to keep me from screwing up and printing to the wrong printer.)

There is a freeware called SetPrint that allows you to change the printer on the fly without having to go to the printer monitor. I tried checking the website but unfortunately it no longer exists. Since it's freeware I don't think they will mind if I upload it. It's in the file section. It's excellent... and it's free.

Cool, I will have to check that out. Can't ever have too much software Thanks.

Okay...it was much faster today to print fromt he "print preview" instead of switching the default for when I printed to tamper proof paper. And I didn't print one lab on that paper.

Thanks for the help!

No...I didn't get home eariler...but I was much less frustrated.

Well, that's good. But, based on your times that you post in the AM, you could get to work later.

To take another twist on the Orders thing:

We really get tired or tearing and shredding paper. Especially since the shredder's warp core breached (boom! no more shredding).

Instead of printing out the patient's orders, wouldn't it be handy to send them as a MESSAGE? And we already have a message/email system in AC! Does anyone think this is a good "suggested enhancement" to AC besides yours truly?

Wayne:

I sympathize with your shredder woes. We have destroyed many shredders, especially in the early days.

Consider working out a deal with the hospital to add your small amount of info-hazard in with theirs and have it delivered to a commercial shredding service.

Are you talking about having an option to email an order instead of printing it or saving it to the note?

I am imagining how that would look.

In my mind, you could click on Orders and fill out the form, just like always, but then you would also see a combo box for recipients, and a new button, "E-mail Order".

Alternately, you would click "Email Order", and a little dialogue box would pop up containing the order you just typed, a combo box, and a "Send" button.

Is that what you are imagining?

Using PC-Faxing, you could "Print Preview" your lab order, then select your networked fax machine, send to the lab's fax number, and fax all your labs rather than printing them out.

Alternatively, for your mammo's, bone density's, colonscopy's, etc., message the front staffer whom schedules your tests, and she can read your note (which would have the order in the "Plan" section).

We would love to fax all of our lab and xray orders. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, when we do so, the hospital inevitably will not get them. The patient shows up, no orders are there, and I get an after-hours or weekend call. When our new hospital opens next fall I am hopeful we will have a more direct interface between offices and scheduling.

Leslie

I think the timber industry must be sponsoring the computer industry.

My use of paper has blossomed since my office has attempted to go "paperless." The FAX server appears to work great, but there appears to be gremlins in the telephone lines eating up the fax. Thus we give paper copies of orders, consultation requests, and requisitions to patient.

OK, really, I have the same issues that Leslie has. My FAX server documents the FAX successfully transmitted. However, the other side (consultants, labs, hospital) often claim never recieving the documents. I think it is psychologically easier to deny recieving FAXes than paper. Also, I think it is easier to delete electronic transmission (delete button) than paper transmission (shredder).

@Brian:

Your description is exactly what I'm suggesting.

I hadn't thought about asking the hospital to add us to their contract w/ a commerical shredder. Our office isn't exactly close to the hosptial (well, just 3 subway stops)but it is a thought.

@Leslie: Faxes don't show up. NO JOKE? Do you have the same problem with specialist's offices? Then the patient calls their office asking if their referral has been sent. No? They call your office complaining. But your staff documented when it was sent. We had one patient that went through this several times, all the while basically calling us incompetent. Then she got to the orthopedist who asked her why there were so many referrals for her and it was her first visit. Yeah, his staff never looked when she called, they just said "no."

Wayne:

I think that's a great idea, but in the meantime, I'm going to suggest another workaround! (Blame Bert; he's the one who got me hooked on finding workarounds).

1. Set up an account for the user who is in the lab (I will call it "Lab").
2. For this to work, you have to make sure the patient's chart is closed. If you are ordering lab during an encounter, you will have to forward the chart to yourself until you are done ordering lab, or else sign off on the chart before ordering.
3. With chart closed, bring up their name on the Patient List.
4. Right-click on their name on the Patient List, and choose "Print Order/Requisition Slip."
5. Select "Lab" (or whoever) from the "Ordering Provider" drop-down box, type the lab order, and click "Save without Printing."
6. A notification will appear in the "Lab" mailbox.

Try it out and see what you think. Let me know if this is not clear.

Again, I think it would be superior if we could email the order from within the patient encounter, but this does work.

(By the way - about faxes - I wish we could e-mail all referrals, and add one of those thingies where people have to send you a notification that they read the email).

I'm actually going to try this. But my sister(dr c) will never do it consistantly. But I am curious.

I think this is one of those things that looks complicated when you type it, but is simple in execution. It's too bad we can't post video.

Once you have set up a "Lab" account, all you have to do is:

1. Close any current notes (forward to self if incomplete).
2. Find your patient's name on the Patient List.
3. Right-click on name and choose "Print Order/Requisition Slip."
4. Type order.
5. Choose recipient ("Lab") and hit "Save without Printing."

The order will be emailed to "Lab."

At this point, you can re-open any notes and complete them. The only disadvantage to this system is that any orders you wrote with the note closed obviously won't automatically appear in the note.

Okay, I was showing this to my nurses and thought of a problem...

No ICD-9 codes appear in the body of that email that gets sent.

Hey, wait! Just thought of something --

When the lab tech double-clicks on that e-mail, the patient's record will open. If the note is signed off, they can pull the ICD-9 codes from the note.

AND, even if the note is not complete, any ICD-9 diagnoses the doctor has selected will appear in the Problem List of the Summary Sheet!

Okay, I'll run this past my nurses and see if they can poke any more holes in it.

Okay, there's another way to do this, which might be even simpler:

I just noticed that when all charts are closed and you pop open the "Print Order/Requisition Slip" screen, every diagnosis in the patient's problem list appears in the little diagnosis screen at the bottom, including any diagnosis you have added to your current (incomplete) note.

So, after you have typed the orders you want in the top part of the form, you can copy the diagnoses from the bottom and paste them into the top -- voila! The lab tech will get an email containing the lab order and all current ICD-9 codes.