Ordering Lab Tests

To place an order for a lab test, follow these steps:

1. Select the Orders tab.

2. Select the active orders view from the View Orders pane

-or-

select View | Active Orders (includes pending, recent activity).

3. Select Lab Tests in the Write Orders list.

Note: The lab tests order may be labeled differently or may not be available from your Write Orders field.

The Order a Lab Test dialog will appear.

Note: If encounter information has not been entered, the encounter information dialog will appear before the Order a Lab Test dialog. You must complete the encounter information dialog before proceeding.

4. Select the desired lab test in the Available Lab Tests list box.

5. If desired, change the default values for the Collection Sample, Specimen, and/or Urgency fields. If you cannot change a field, the text label (to the left of the field) will be greyed out.

6. Select the collection type.

7. Choose a collection date and time.

8. Complete the How Often? and How Long? fields (if necessary).

9. Select Accept Order.

Note: If you have selected an inpatient order with a collection type of "lab collect" or "immediate collect" and if a continuous schedule was selected (such as QD or QWEEKLY) and a child order falls on a day when the lab cannot perform the collection (for example, weekends or holidays), CPRS displays a message telling the user that the collection type will be changed to "ward collect" or of any such changes to child orders.

10. Enter another lab test

-or-

select Quit.

Note: The Lab Test order must be signed before it is sent. You can either sign the order now or wait until later.