Accession Number Column added for Diagnostic Dept

The diagnostic department now has the Accession number column added to their schedule orders report. The reason this was put there, is that often times in the department an order might be scheduled, but then unscheduled after its been checked in and given an accession number. If the tech then gets the message that the order needs to be canceled, their actions depend on knowing whether or not the order has already been checked in once. If it has been checked in, they need to reschedule it and cancel it using the cancel/undo button.

If the order is on the schedule orders report and has not been checked in, it will not have an accession number and can be cancelled by the floor or by the tech using ancillary orders.

"Schedule Orders" button function

In conjunction with a patients scheduled orders now appearing on the control/transport sheet you also have access to a "sched orders" button on your tool bar. What this button does is launch a worklist that shows all of the existing orders for patients that need to come to radiology.

So, for example, if you have an order for a CT that you want to schedule, but want to make sure that the patient doesn't have any unscheduled orders for elsewhere in the medical imaging department, you can launch the list and find out. Simply sort the list on the patients name and see all their orders lumped together.

A slicker function would be to right click on the patient name column header and filter on the patients name. Then you will only see the patient that you are interested in.

Using this list along with having the "scheduled appointments" appear on the transport/control sheet should help eliminate extra trips to the unit for inpatients.

Patients "Other Appointments" now on Control Sheet

In order to reduce the amount of trips patients take to radiology, we have now included the patients other scheduled appointments on the control/transport sheet that prints when you "check in" an appointment.

Keep in mind that only the scheduled orders for the day will print on the page. Orders that are not scheduled will not appear.

This is a good safety net that allows transport staff to ensure efficient movement of patients.

There is also a second safety net which allows technologists to determine if a patient has other medical imaging orders that have not been schedule but might be able to be done during the same visit to radiology. See the post titled "Schedule Orders" button function.

Administration "routes" updated

Stemming from several requests from the medical imaging department, the Pharmacy team has made several adjustments to the available "routes" for various medications and contrasts commonly used in our departments.

You should be able to select an appropriate "route" of administration for every item that currently lives on the medical imaging order set. If you have never used the order set to enter orders for contrast or medications, you should know that it is available. Instead of using "order entry" you would use the "order set" activity and use order set 1512. This opens a pick list of all the commonly used contrasts/medications in the department. It is just an alternate way of finding the item you are searching for.

If you have questions about that, contact your super user or feel free to comment here on the blog.

Next Step with Daily Chests

Many of the diagnostic techs had a chance this week to review the Daily Portable chest revamp proposal. That was the first step of getting this proposed workflow from the idea stage to production. Now that we have cleared that hurdle, we need to present our plan to the group that represents unit clerks. That will be happening early next week.

The bottem line is that the old workflow was causing many problems, the new workflow seems like it will be an improvement but it will not be put in practice until we do some more groundwork and get everyone involved properly educated.

Thanks for all of the ideas about how to make improvements....

CT Dept Schedule Orders Filter Removed

As requested by the department the "expected imaging date" filter has been removed from the CT schedule orders report. What this filter did is allow only the exams that were to be done that day to display. Now all existing orders will display regardless of when they are to be performed. You may still do a manual filter by right clicking on the Expected Date column header and choosing "filter". Select only the day you wish to display. A purple dot will appear in the column header to let you know that a filter is currently in place.

thanks.

Searching for topics on this blog

This is a searchable blog. If there is something specific that you are looking for, simply use the "Search" box. As more and more posts get added, they fall off the front page, but using the search tool is a good way to find past posts pertaining to your interests.

Thanks.

*Alert to Techs*

Do to the build that is being done on the Dean side of Radiant you may soon see several new departments show up as choices when selecting your Tech Work List. What this means is that when you click on "settings" you will see many more departments that didn't previously exist. They will be alphabetical and will likely begin with DHS so you can simply ignore them.

Thanks.

Refresher on Cancelling

A couple of reminders on cancelling orders.

*Once you check in an order, you have released a "child order" and only a tech may now cancel that order.

The "what do I do if...." refresher.....

What do I do if .....

......I want to cancel an order that has been checked in? Since the order has been checked in, you need to cancel the "child order". This is the order that has the accession number attached to it. Since it is checked in, it appears on your tech work list. Find the cancel/undo button and click it. Select that you want to cancel the "order" and accept. This cancels the arrival, the appointment AND the order.

What do I do if.....

......I want to reschedule an appointment, but the order has been already checked in? The scheduled order appears on your tech work list. Find the cancel/undo button and select that you want to cancel the appointment. The order (for inpatients) will then jump back to your schedule orders report with the same accession number. It will stay there until you reschedule it. When you reschedule, your accession number remains the same.

What do I do if....

.......I cancelled the appointment of a checked in order, thinking it was going to be rescheduled, but now I want to cancel it? This one is slightly more complicated. When you checked in that order, you released a child order with an accession number. Thats the order that needs to be cancelled. Therefore, you should avoid using ancillary orders or verify orders for cancelling checked in orders. That only cancels the parent and the message that was sent to PACS by checking in, never gets updated. So, what you need to do is to reschedule that order (with the accession number) with the intention of cancelling it from your tech worklist. Simply reschedule it by adding it on to your schedule and use the cancel/undo button to cancel it.

What to do if .....

....I need to cancel an order that has NOT been checked in? Since this order has not been checked in, it has no child order to cancel. Therefore once you cancel the appointment for that order, either the floor or you may technically cancel the order. If it is you who does the cancelling you may do so from ancillary orders.

****There is a Visio that has been given to your department explaining these scenarios. If you would like to see it, ask your supervisor.****

Thanks...and happy cancelling!

Order Mode Selection for ordering Contrast/Labs

Order Mode Selection

Scenarios:

1. Ordering Contrast: In all cases of ordering Contrast use the mode “Per Protocol No Cosign Required”

2. Outpatient Lab Orders (with comment from Ordering MD): When an MD sends a message in a comment field to order Labs, use the mode “Per Protocol”. This sends a cosign message to the MD.

3. Radiologist orders Labs during exam: If a radiologist wants additional Labs ordered during an exam, use the mode “Verbal with Readback”. This will send a cosign message to the radiologist.

4. Non Dean Provider sends written order for Labs: Use mode Written Order No Cosign Required”. Send written order to Medical Records to be scanned in.



We will not be using the order mode “Standard” for any scenario In Medical Imaging.