Laboratory Test Results

Laboratory Tests can be entered directly into the patient’s electronic file, provided that the laboratory sends the test results to the practice in the HL7 format. The HL7 format is mandated by the Federal government through Medicare’s Meaningful Use requirements.

To enter the Lab Results, click on the  button at the far right at the top of the Objective window. The Lab Reports window (figure 69) opens.

                   Figure 69

When the Lab Test Results arrive electronically in the practice, save them to a location on the office computer. This could be on the Desktop or in any file or folder that is practical.

To import the HL7 file into the patient file, open the Lab Results window and click on the Import icon  at the upper left of the Lab Results window. This will open a browser to search and select the HL7 file from the location it was saved to on the computer or office network.

Once the Lab Results have been entered in the patient file, there is the option to get information about each individual item on the Lab Result report. Click on the item and then click on the Lab Test Information button in the lower right corner. Provided that the computer is connected to the internet, this will open a link to the Medline Plus service of the National Institutes of health. There is the option of reading the information on screen in either English or Spanish, or printing it to give to the patient as educational material.