Initiate an Order
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Note: The Order Entry menu appears only if you can place orders with your current lab. For information about changing your lab, see Changing the Lab. |
a If the Order Entry page appears, go to step 2. If the Check-In Queue page appears, click Call Next Patient to call the next patient or healthcare professional in the queue.
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Notes: • If a patient appears in the Check-In Queue, but there is no check box next to the patient's name, it indicates that the patient has either scheduled an appointment for the current day or selected the Walk In Now option, but has not yet arrived and checked in at the facility. (If the patient checks in outside of the specified time limit, they will be removed from the queue and treated as a standard walk-in patient.) • If a patient appears as “1NN” in the Check-In Queue, it indicates that they used an assisted check-in option, rather than completing the standard check-in process. After calling the patient you must manually search for them in order entry, since they have not yet provided their name, date of birth, and phone number. • Under normal circumstances, you should always use Call Next Patient, rather than Call Selected Patient, to maintain the order of the queue, as well as the accuracy of the estimated wait times. • The Check-In Queue page appears only if your current facility supports this feature. For information about changing your facility, see Changing the Facility. |
After you click Call Next Patient, a Call as dialog box appears, reminding you to use only the first name and last initial of the patient or healthcare professional.
b Call the patient or healthcare professional, and then click OK to close the dialog box.
The Order Entry page appears and the system searches for the patient based on the name and date of birth that the patient provided at the Check-In kiosk. If the correct patient is found, click that patient on the Patient Search - Advanced Results dialog box and then go to step 2.
If the information provided by the patient is correct, but the patient is not found, click Add New Patient, provide the required information, and then go to step 2.
If the information provided by the patient at the Check-In kiosk is incorrect (for example, if there was a typo in the patient’s name), click Cancel on the Patient Search - Advanced Results dialog box. On the Check-In Queue page, click Order Entry and then go to step 2.
Tips for Using the Check-In Queue
• The queue automatically refreshes every 30 seconds. You can also refresh it manually by clicking Refresh.
• To bypass the patient queue, click Order Entry. This enables you to retrieve or add a patient who did not sign in via the Check-In kiosk.
• To indicate that you are currently assisting customers in the PSC lobby (front-of-house), click the Turn Front-of-House ON link. When you are finished assisting in the lobby, click the link again to turn it OFF. (It will also turn itself OFF automatically the next time you call a customer using Call Next Patient or Call Selected Patient.)
• An audible doorbell sound is played each time a patient is added to the Check-In Queue and the queue is refreshed. You can override this option, as needed, by clicking the Turn doorbell OFF link.
• If the patient taps the Help button on the Check-In kiosk, they are checked in automatically (and anonymously), and HELP REQUESTED appears below their name in the Check-In Queue. After you have assisted the patient, click the Help link, which changes the message to Help Provided.
• If the patient uses a 3-finger swipe on the Check-In kiosk, they are checked in automatically (and anonymously), and a Visually Impaired message appears below their name and in the Actions column in the Check-In Queue. In addition, an audible chime sound is played when the queue is refreshed. (The chime sound cannot be turned off.) After you have assisted the patient, click the Help link, which changes the message to Help Provided.
• If a patient appears in the Check-In Queue as “1NN” (meaning they used an assisted check-in option), you must manually search for them in order entry, since they have not yet provided their name, date of birth, and phone number.
• If the # Patient Service Reps list appears above the Check-In Queue, click the number of servers (phlebotomists) that are currently serving patients, to help ensure the accuracy of the calculated average wait times. This value should be updated throughout the day, as needed.
• If a patient has scheduled an appointment and has completed the preregistration process electronically prior to arriving, the Check-In Queue displays Appointment (Pre-Reg) in the Visit Type column. When you call this patient, you will be notified if there is no need to verify the patient's demographic or insurance information that appears within eLabs prior to filing the order.
• If a patient selects the Wait where you want option on the Check-In kiosk, a Text Requested status appears below their name in the Check-In Queue, indicating that they must be notified by text message. When you are ready for them, click the Text link in the Actions column, which sends a text message and changes the patient’s status to Text Sent. If the text is not successful, you can call the patient using the phone number displayed, and then click the Phone link to indicate that you have done so.
• For Schedule @ Check-In and Enhanced Check-In facilities only, an Enable link appears in the Actions column for a patient prior to their appointment time becoming activated in the queue. If you are ready for the patient now, click Enable to activate their check-in and then call them as you normally would.
• When you file a pending order for a patient that requires multiple specimens to be collected at specific time intervals, you are prompted to enter the number of specimens to collect and the time to wait after each collection. After collecting the first specimen, click Start Timer in the Actions column for that patient to begin the countdown to the next collection time. A timer appears in the Actions column and you are prompted for each collection. After the final collection, click Done to complete the process and to remove the patient from the Check-In Queue.
• To enter a note regarding a patient who is currently in the queue, click Note in the Actions column, type a note, and then click OK. The note appears in the Actions column for the corresponding patient.
• If the patient has been waiting more than a certain amount of time (the defined wait threshold), the patient appears in red in the list to indicate that they are overdue.
• Clicking Call Next Patient always retrieves the next appropriate patient, even if that patient does not currently appear in the patient queue (for example, if the queue has not refreshed yet).
• A customer at the top of the Standby list may be called by clicking Call Next Patient if there is enough time (for example, 10 minutes) before the next servicable customer’s appointment time.
• If you click Call Next Patient or Call Selected Patient but the patient is temporarily unavailable, click Cancel on the Patient Search - Advanced Results dialog box, and then click Requeue in the Actions column on the Check-In Queue page. This ensures that the patient will be called later when you click Call Next Patient.
• When a medical professional checks in, MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL appears below their name in the Check-In Queue, the Visit Type column displays Drop Off /Pick Up, and the Patient Search dialog box does not automatically open when you select them from the queue.
• If the patient has checked in, but is temporarily unavailable to be called or if the process of servicing the patient has to be temporarily stopped (for example, to call the patient’s physician), click Pause in the Actions column. This ensures that statistics regarding patient wait times and service times are not inappropriately skewed. If you click Pause for a patient who is not currently being serviced, that patient will not be called when you click Call Next Patient. When the patient is once again available or service can resume, click Resume.
• If a patient enters their phone number when they check in using the Check-In kiosk, it is automatically saved for the patient within eLabs when you retrieve them from the Check-In Queue.
• After you retrieve or add a patient from the queue, you cannot subsequently remove that patient or search for a different one. To work with a different patient, click Cancel on the Order Entry page.
• If the patient leaves without having a specimen collected, click Remove in the Actions column to remove the patient from the queue. When prompted to confirm the deletion, select the appropriate removal reason from the list and click OK.
• To restart one or more of your facility’s Check-In kiosks, click the Show Restart iPad link. From the drop-down list, select the desired device and click Restart iPad. When prompted, click OK to confirm the restart. For an iPad that is displaying an alert message, you may also be able to restart the iPad by clicking a link within the message.
• To view a PDF document containing a list of common questions and answers about the Check-In functionality, click the FAQs link at any time.
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Notes: • If you can access only one lab, the Lab list does not appear. • Changing the lab here affects only this order. When you complete the order, your current lab is automatically selected in the list once again. • If you change the lab after you have begun placing an order, a message advises you that some data might be lost. Click OK. Patient demographic information is retained, but the client, insurance carrier, and tests are reset. |
3 If the Request Accession Number check box appears but you do not want to request an accession number for this order, clear that check box. (To use accessioning, leave this check box selected.)
Whether you select or clear this check box, you might still see accession-related prompts when you file the order.
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Notes: • If you subsequently specify a client that does not support accessioning, this check box disappears, and a message advises you that the order will not use accessioning. • You can change this setting later on the Verify Order page (as described in step 7 in Complete the Order). • If one or more tests are sent to a lab other than the one you are currently accessing (as described in Specify a Test), accessioning will not be used, even if this check box is selected. |
4 Do one of the following to specify the client:
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Note: To search for a patient by patient ID, you must specify the client first. You can omit the client if you want to search by patient name or Health ID (as described in Retrieve or Add a Patient), but you will have to specify the client before you can file the order. If you are using a bridge and omit the client when searching for the patient, the carrier name used by the external system might not be converted to the mnemonic used by Quest Diagnostics, and you might have to add the insurance information manually (as described in Add or Edit Insurance Information). |
• Type the client name or number. In the Client box, type the first few characters of the client’s name or number. A list appears with up to the first 25 matching clients. As you continue typing, this list displays more similar matches. When you see the appropriate client in the list, click that client.
You can also type the complete client number and then press Tab. (When you press Tab, the client appears in the Client box.)
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Note: If the lab requires verification, a Re-Enter Client box appears on the Order Entry page. If you type a complete client number in the Client box and press Tab, that client number is masked, and a red asterisk (*) appears next to the Re-Enter Client box, indicating that it is now required. Type the complete client number in that box and press Tab. If the two numbers match, the client appears in the Client box, the red asterisk no longer appears next to the Re-Enter Client box, and that box becomes inactive. If the two numbers do not match, an error message appears, the Client box is cleared, and you must repeat the process of typing and verifying the client number, or choose the client from the list or the Client Search or Physician Search dialog box (as described later in this procedure). If you realize that you typed the original client number incorrectly, click If you searched by client number and the client has been converted to another lab, a message displays indicating the client’s new number and lab. |
to the right of the Client box. The Client box is cleared, and you can try again to specify the client.• Search for the client. Click 
next to the Client box.
In the Search By list, click the appropriate item (Name, Number, or Phone), type at least three characters in the adjacent box, and then click Search. The Client Search dialog box displays a list of up to 200 clients that match the specified criteria.
If more than 200 clients match the specified criteria, a message appears at the top of the dialog box. To limit the search, you can type more characters and click Search again.
When you click a client in this list, the Client Search dialog box closes, and the chosen client appears in the Client box on the Order Entry page.
• Search for the client by physician. If a physician was previously associated with one or more clients, you can retrieve a list of those clients by searching for the physician. To do this, delete any information that appears in the Client box, and click
At the top of the Physician Search dialog box, do one or more of the following, and then click Search:
• To search by physician name, NPI, or UPIN, click the appropriate item (Name, NPI, or UPIN), and type one or more characters in the adjacent box. If you are searching by name, you can optionally type the first three letters of the physician’s last name, followed by a comma and the first letter of the first name, omitting any spaces. For example, to search for Dr. Ann Jones, you would type jon,a.
• To search by state, click the appropriate item in the State list.
• To search across the entire eLabs system (as opposed to associated clients only), select the National Physicians check box. (If you select this check box, you must type at least three characters of the physician name, NPI, or UPIN to perform the search.)
The dialog box displays a list of up to 200 physicians that match the specified criteria. If more than 200 physicians match the specified criteria, a message appears at the top of the dialog box. To limit the search, you can type more characters and try again.
When you click a physician in this list, the dialog box closes, the selected physician appears in the Physician box on the Order Entry page, and the associated client appears in the Client box.
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Notes: • You can specify only a client for which an administrator has enabled orders. • If the client you searched for has been converted to another lab, a message will display indicating the client’s new account number and lab. |
5 If an order entry message appears, review the message and then click Close.
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Tip: If you need to see this message again later, click |
in the bar with the buttons.6 If the specimen will be collected where the patient resides, select the Home Draw check box.
If the specimen is being collected at the PSC or physician office, leave this check box cleared.
7 If the test was ordered by a physician, and the appropriate name does not automatically appear in the Physician box, type the first few characters of the physician’s name, NPI, or UPIN, and click the physician in the displayed list.
If there are more than 25 matches, either continue typing the complete name or number, or scroll to the bottom of the list and click the link to search for more physicians.
• If you continue typing, this list displays more similar matches; when you see the appropriate physician in the list, click that physician.
• If you click the link, the Physician Search dialog box appears, prepopulated with your search criteria. Click Search to display the list of physicians based on the same criteria. You can also modify your search criteria, as needed, before clicking Search.
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Notes: • You can type information in the Physician box only if you specified a client. • You can always specify a physician by name. You can specify a physician by NPI or UPIN only if that information exists in eLabs, and only if the lab supports it. For example, if the lab does not support NPIs, typing an NPI will not display any matching results, even if the physician has an NPI. • PECOS appears after the NPI or UPIN if the physician is enrolled with PECOS or if their enrollment is pending. If you • A physician might be required, depending on the lab, client, or insurance carrier. • For information about adding or removing physicians for a client, see Manage Physicians. |
Alternatively, do one or more of the following:
• View the physicians associated with the client:
a Click
The Physician Search dialog box displays an alphabetical list of the physicians, including the physician’s name, NPI and UPIN (if any), and the name of the associated client. To view additional client information, position the pointer over the Client number. (NPIs can appear on this dialog box even if the lab does not support them.) A PECOS indicator displays next to physicians who are enrolled or whose enrollment is pending.
b To narrow the list, do one or more of the following, and then click Search:
• To narrow the list by physician name, NPI, or UPIN, click the appropriate item (Name, NPI, or UPIN), and type at least one character in the adjacent box.
• To narrow the list by state, click the appropriate item in the State list.
• To expand the search to the entire eLabs system (as opposed to just the selected client), select the National Physicians check box.
The dialog box displays a list of up to 200 physicians that match the specified criteria. If more than 200 physicians match the specified criteria, a message appears at the top of the dialog box. To limit the search, you can type more characters and try again.
c Click the appropriate physician in the list.
The selected physician appears in the Physician box on the Order Entry page.
• Search for the physician in eLabs:
a Select the Search National Physicians check box.
b In the Physician box, type the first few characters of the physician’s name, NPI, or UPIN.
A list appears with the matching physicians. If there are more than 25 matches, either continue typing the complete name or number, or scroll to the bottom of the list and click the link to search for more physicians.
• If you continue typing, this list displays more similar matches. (After you have typed all of the physician’s last name, you can type a comma and begin typing the physician’s first name.)
In the list, the physician’s name is followed by that physician’s NPI (if any), UPIN (if any), PECOS indicator (if they are enrolled or their enrollment is pending), state, and zip code. (NPIs can appear in this list even if the lab does not support them.)
• If you click the link, the Physician Search dialog box appears, prepopulated with your search criteria. Click Search to display the list of results based on the same criteria. You can also modify your search criteria, as needed, before clicking Search.
c Click the appropriate physician in the list.
If you are an IOP or a PSA facility and the physician is not already associated with the specified client, the physician is added to that client automatically after you file the order, unless the client is a house account. (If you are a PSC employee, this does not apply.)
• Type the physician’s name. If Bill Type is set to Client
When you type the physician’s name, you can use any format, and it is not necessary to include the physician’s NPI or UPIN. However, it is recommended that you use the LastName,FirstName format
This information is used only for this order. To use this physician again in the future, add the physician as described previously.
8 If the test was requested by someone other than a physician (such as a physician assistant), in the Non-Phys Prov list, click the provider’s name.
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Notes: • If the lab or client does not support orders from non-physician providers (NPPs), the Non-Phys Prov list does not appear. • For information about adding or removing NPPs for a client, see Manage NPPs. |
9 In the QLIS # box, type the eight-digit Quest Diagnostics laboratory information system identifier code.
This number appears on the labels that you have been provided.
If you are creating a standing order, you do not have to type a QLIS number, and any number that you do type will not be retained. However, you must type the QLIS number when you file each order that is part of a standing order.
This box appears only if your lab requires it.
10 If you did not already retrieve or add the patient via the Check-In Queue, go to Retrieve or Add a Patient.
If you already retrieved or added the patient, go to one or more of the following sections, depending on what is appropriate for this order:
• Specify Standing Order Details
• Have Additional Copies of the Results Sent
• Add or Edit Insurance Information
• Add or Edit Guarantor Information
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Notes: • If the client is a house account, you must have the test results sent to at least one additional recipient (typically the patient or the patient’s physician). For more information about house accounts, see House Accounts. • If you added a new patient, verify that Bill Type is correctly set. • If Bill Type is set to Insurance, insurance and guarantor information are required. • If Bill Type is set to Patient, guarantor information is required. (If Relation is set to Self, the patient demographic information is automatically used as the guarantor information.) |
If you do not have to complete any of those tasks, click Next and go to one of the following sections, depending on what is appropriate for this order:
• Verify Insurance Eligibility
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Notes: • Eligibility verification occurs only if your user account was configured by an administrator to perform this action, and Bill Type is set to Insurance, and the patient’s primary or secondary carrier has provided eligibility data. • If the Bill Type is Insurance and eligibility verification occurs, a message will appear and you will not be able to continue if the insurance carrier is known to not pay for Quest Diagnostics testing. To continue, click Edit and change the Bill Type to Patient, or follow your usual procedure for turning away the patient if they do not agree to pay. • A diagnosis might be required, depending on the client or insurance carrier. |
