Labs - Frequently Asked Questions

This quick guide answers frequently asked questions about labs in VieCure. It covers the difference between ordering and collecting a specimen, adding lab orders, finding and printing lab results, and printing specimen documents.

 What is the difference between "Send Order" and "Collect" on the Lab Specimen Collection screen?

Lab orders (other than MDL tests, which go to the Task Worklist) land on the Lab Specimen Collection screen first. Nothing is sent to the lab at the moment the order is placed. The screen has two independent buttons:

1. Send Order — Sends the electronic order to the lab company where one applies. The row is tagged Ordered. What happens in the background depends on the row's Destination (for example an electronic order, label-only handling, or no electronic order at all).
2. Collect — Records the on-site specimen draw. Select one or more rows, click Collect, complete the Collect Specimen window (Collection Date is required; also Destination, Access, Collection Facility, Specimen Type, Cap Color, No Charge, Lab Comments) and confirm. The row is tagged Collected and charge capture runs.
3. The two actions are not a sequence. A row can be Ordered only, Collected only, or both, and shows Planned until either happens. When No Charge is checked, only the lab test charge is suppressed; the collection charge still drops.

 A patient was already seen by the provider and needs add-on lab orders. How do I handle it?

Add-on labs are ordered like any other lab order (from the order entry form or by adding the lab item to the patient's plan). The new non-MDL lab order then appears on Lab Specimen Collection, where you use Send Order and/or Collect (see "What is the difference between Send Order and Collect on the Lab Specimen Collection screen?").

 A patient has a visit but no lab orders. How do I add them?

Lab orders can be placed from the order entry form or added to the treatment plan. In the order form, the Add to Plan checkbox works for lab items. Once ordered, the lab appears on Lab Specimen Collection. If a patient has no lab orders, the Flowsheet should show a "No Lab Orders" message.

 How do I find lab results a patient had drawn yesterday (including outside labs) and see them in the flowsheet?

1. Open the patient chart and go to Treatment Plans & Results, then the Results tab.
2. Review the Results Flowsheet. Results that arrive electronically from the lab are stored and appear here, and the lab order's status badge changes to Resulted in Order History and on the Plan Flowsheet.
3. To see individual lab orders, click More, then View Results, then Lab Orders.

If a result arrives on paper or by phone, click More, then Enter Results and fill in Order Number, Lab Facility Name, Date, Time, Ordered By, Tests, Specimen Info and the component values, then click Save.

 How do I print lab specimen labels (and patient labels from the day's schedule)?

From Lab Specimen Collection, after you collect a specimen, the Specimen Collection Record opens automatically. Click Print (bottom right, next to Close) to print it. You can also select one row and click Collection Record to reopen it. A Lab Requisition Form can also be printed for the selected tests.

Printing directly to a label printer (the Collect and Print button and label printer field) is not currently available in the Collect Specimen window.

 How do I print previous lab results, and where do reference ranges and critical values show?

1. Open the Results tab, click More, then View Results, then Lab Orders.
2. Check the box for each lab order you want. Print Selected is disabled until at least one order is checked; Clear Selected clears your selection.
3. Click Print Selected.

Each selected order prints on its own page(s) with the facility header and patient banner (name, date of birth, patient ID), the order details (order number, lab facility, date, time, ordered by, tests, specimen info, comment, created by, verified by) and the results. Results are grouped by a test panel with these columns: Components, Result, Flag, Units, Min Range, Max Range, Critical Min, Critical Max and Comments. This is where reference ranges and critical values appear in print.