Home Forums Discussions Problems a (hopefully) simple request

I am trying to decide if it would be worth getting the lab interface.
Currently I just get the labs faxed in to updox, manually imported, and sent to me for sign off.
I do not know how the sign off would be for labs imported via hl7 interface
I tried looking in AC website but I could not find screenshots (Request for AC, add some screenshots, not just for the labs interface, but other interfaces)
If someone knows of a link that shows what the window / screen looks like, I would much appreciate it posting it
Or perhaps someone who uses an hl7 interface for labs could post a screenshot of the signoff window / screen?

Thanks,

I dont know of screenshots, but we feel the interface is worth it though now that Updox is available it is slightly less so.

With the interface, labs import directly into the charge. You get a message in your inbox, where you can then click on the labs, review them and sign off. The labs are imported as structured data so that you can acutually go into the labs and print off, say, all of a patient's hemoglobin a1c or all of his cholesterol results. Unfortunately, you cannot go into Reports and run a custom report based on a lab results, say all patients with HA1C over 7.0. Maybe they will add that in the future.

Thanks!
I just need to know how much it would slow ME down, if at all.
I guess it is a trade off between less work for staff and more work for me? I am not sure.

I think it would probably be less time for the staff and the same amount of time for you. Since the lab goes straight into the chart (most of the time), you would just need to review it as you would if the lab were faxed.

Reviewing ALL faxes that come from UpDox (which some physicians do) does add more work. Other people have structured workflow so that the staff filters it out first. Less work for the provider.

I used both the Labcorp & Quest lab interfaces for a few years, but I gave up in September 2014. While the labs are automatically placed into your Messages to be signed off and are structured data (as Wayne described above), there are several issues with AC's implementation:

-- both Quest & Labcorp had to place their software onto my main computer to implement the lab interface. In the case of Quest, this took a visit to my office.
-- the download isn't automatic, I have to manually click on a menu item to start the download. While the labs are downloading (a few minutes), AC cannot be used for anything else.
-- if there is any discrepancy in patient name (spelling or initial), AC displays an error, and you must match the incoming lab to your patient list. Like the occasional mismatch in the electronic pharmacy refill requests.
-- If you print out or provide a PDF to patients, the formatting of Labcorp or Quest's report is lost, and the resulting plain text printout is both unattractive (IMHO) and lengthy (a 2 page lab can spread to 5 or 6 pages).
-- Labs are filed into the Imported Items at the bottom of the list of labs with the latest on top (instead of the usual chronologic order). So non-interface labs and interface labs are out of order. WTF?!

Wasn't saving much time (over Updox) and too many negatives.

Here are some screenshots:

Display of lab in Imported Items window:



PDF display of same lab:



Sorting of non-interface and interface labs in Imported Items window:

Dear John,

If you are still trying to do MU
Keep the odd labs in a separate folder
Lab non interface
Otherwise it counts against you for MU scoring

Every thing John said is true. The only one we really have an issue with is 4) the printout is very lengthy indeed. That said, we rarely print them out since we send the labs and an explanation (including instructions, if any) directly to the patient on Updox.

Gerardo,
Firstly, salute to an AC veteran of 2004. My problem with the lab fax system was that, for one lab order, I would receive at least 5 different partial reports. That lead to multiple faxed documents/results which I would just dump in one folder until all the results were in. Then, I would call the lab to have the lab fax it in a single fax so that it could be filed, or I would combine all the .pdfs. My lab interface is with our local hospital system, Asante. (I do not have any other interfaces.) Initially, it was the same issue, the labs would come over piecemeal and completely inundate my inbox. That could not work. After speaking with the tech folks, we arranged for the labs to be sent over only when all were complete. This has made my life so much easier. All the other inputs from the board are well taken. But for me, MU apart, the labs need be sent over when all are done (instead of trickling in), otherwise it is a total deal breaker.

My question to other colleagues: Can the other interfaces do the same? ie, send all over as one message instead of trickling in with each individual report.

Thank you in advance.

Thanks for the tip Sunil!

Zak, I have received partial labs from the lab interface (such as a UA, then later the culture), but without repeating the already transmitted report.

With Quest and Labcorp, you can choose if you want preliminary results. You can do this even w/o an interface. Once we found out about it we selected final results only.I for some reason you need to see a patient's preliminary results, you can just log onto their website and view (or download) them.

Thanks for your responses!
It seems that it is as I feared. Less work for staff, same or more from me.
But I learned something new: I too get partial results from quest and labcorp
I will ask them to only send a report when all the labs are completed.