ECW Users

Documentation that a lab was actually ordered?

2012-01-28T08:57:50Z

Just getting my system set up - so a newbie here.
My question is - after ordering a lab - how do you know if that lab was actually ordered.
Is there a way to tell that the order went through to the lab?

Sorry if this is a basic question - however, our trainer couldn’t give me an answer.

Thanks,

Bill

Prescription timeline/print/transmission history

2012-01-28T21:12:36Z

One really frustrating thing about the prescription system in eCW is that it is well nigh impossible to figure out what the history of medication use is for the patient. For example, the way you find out when refills were done is really clumsy (you have to go into medication history, sort by medication name, and sort out the nearly-identical medications from the identical ones). Generics are listed separately from the identical medication listed by brand (and, face it, the pharmacy will often convert generics to brands when they request refills via eRx), and similar medications are not grouped together so you can see when you switched from one diuretic to another, for example.

I would like the system to allow sorting by generic name and/or class (e.g., put all the beta blockers together, put the ACEs and ARBs and ACE/ARB/diuretic combinations together, etc.), to allow me to see only the dates of fills (and not “TAKING” lines, which don’t actually tell you anything other than the medication was noted in passing), and, importantly, the dates the prescriptions were transmitted/faxed/printed.

Also, there needs to be a way to reprint/retransmit a prescription when needed, without having to create an encounter just for that purpose. I, sadly, can’t seem to remember to transmit every prescription at every encounter in part because the system has very bad “cognitive ergonomics” for me. Clicking “Done” should probably remind us that there are prescriptions and/or lab orders to be transmitted, for example. If I lock the visit note/telephone encounter before realizing this is a problem (or if the fax fails to go through and I need to retransmit it again, or the patient drops the prescription a puddle on the way out of the office and would like it reprinted, etc.) there should be a way to do this.

“Comments” field of Rx and Increase/Decrease

2012-01-28T21:01:15Z

I often use “Increase” as the comment on the prescription entry (and sometimes “Decrease”). The semantics of Increase/Decrease means, to me, that I indent to transmit the prescription to the pharmacy. However, these marks cause the prescription to go “below the line”, i.e., not marked to send to the pharmacy automatically (under “Existing prescriptions not requiring refills”). I always have to click the box saying I really intended to transmit it to the pharmacy.

By the way, is there some way to have a note in the prescription sent to the pharmacy saying that I want to cancel the old dose? Alternatively, is there a way to transmit the “Stop Medication” message to the pharmacy? What I usually do is click on “Refill” and then change the dosage in the Sig Writer when I change the comment from “Refill” to “Increase”.

reviewing labs before visit but publish to portal after visit

2012-01-24T15:34:09Z

Is there any way to put a check box in labs as REVIEWED so it goes off my L jelly bean but only after I see patient, publish to portal. In other-wards, it’s reviewed but not published. And then after seen in office, press one button and have it published.

I typically don’t publish to the portal until after the patient returns to go over the results. Otherwise, many patients will read them as normal and not show up even though they needed that followup.

Configuring More than One Lab to Appear on the Lab Letter

2011-08-30T09:25:53Z

Hi,

We have been trying to use the “new” lab letter feature in version 9.0, overall this will fit the needs of most of our providers. The piece that I am having trouble with is, we can’t seem to figure out how to have more than one lab appear on the configured letter at a time. If you can really only send one lab in the letter at a time we will be sending some Patient’s 6 letters if not more. I would really think there has to be something we are missing…

Is the “configure lab letter” feature really only intended to be configured for one lab at a time for each Patient? Any help anyone has to offer I would really appreciate it.

Thanks!

cc specialists

2011-11-04T08:45:59Z

I am planning on going for PCMH certification next year. I’m trained all my patients to have blood drawn from our office, regardless of who ordered the test. Is there a configuration I can setup where any BW we draw will automatically cc the result to that patients group of specialists? This way, I don’t have to do it on a case by case basis and we don’t have to wait for the cardiologist to call, send the last FLP or urologist please send the last PSA ,etc. I know we can cc providers but I want to setup defaults based on the patient and his group of specilists.

Labcorp interface

2011-10-05T13:42:28Z

I have been trying to set up a labcorp interface and was getting a very poor response from the company. After several attempts I was finally told that labcorp requires $5-6K a month worth of labs from me prior to considering paying for the interface. This was not the case with quest and while it took a while to set up, we had no problems with quest setting up an interface. As a solo specialist, I would not be able to meet the quota for labcorp. Has anyone else had this problem? How much does ECW charge if I decide to pay myself for the interface?

Running a report on Lead Levels above a certain value

2012-01-08T15:20:41Z

I would like to run a report of all patients with a lead level 5 or above. Anyone know how to do this?

reprinting e-req’s

2011-09-02T11:26:24Z

We have patients that we transmit lab orders for electronically, but we also give patient the e-req. Sometimes patient loses those printouts and we like for them to have them in case there are any discrepancies once patient is at draw station. Is there anyway to re-print those req’s, particularly when ordered from a telephone encounter? Right now we are just re-ordering all tests and printing again in a new encounter because we have not figured out how to reprint.

Lab Results Workflow w/ interface

2010-05-20T16:14:02Z

Hi All,

I am wondering what kind of workflow the physicians have with labs after going live with an interface. We just went live with our interface and the physicians are now getting all of these individual lab results in the L jellybean.

Do you assign the labs to the clinical staff to relay lab results or change meds based on results; or do you document on the lab; review them and then create a telephone encounter to assign to the clinical staff?

Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks,
Corrina