Initiate an Order

1 In the menu bar, click Order Entry.

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.

2 Do one of the following:

• If the Check-In Queue page appears, click Call Next Patient to call the next patient or healthcare professional in the queue.

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.

• 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.

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. Call the patient or healthcare professional, and then click OK to close the dialog box.

The Patient Information 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 Patient Information page appears, retrieve or add a patient. Refer to the following for additional instructions:

a In the Search By list, click the appropriate option.

Notes:  

• The Health ID option appears only if you are accessing a lab that supports the master patient database (MPD). For more information about the MPD, see Patient Information.

• To search by patient ID, you must first specify a client.

• The Order option that appears in this list is not used for placing a new order, but rather for retrieving information about a filed, held, or scheduled order. For more information, see Managing a Filed or Pending Order Using the Bar Code.

b Do one of the following, based on your selection in the previous step:

• If you clicked Health ID, type the patient's complete 16-character Health ID (with or without the hyphens) in the adjacent box.

• If you clicked Name, type at least the first 5 characters of the patient’s last name in the adjacent box, unless the patient’s last name contains fewer than 5 characters (for example, Lee). Searching on fewer than 5 characters returns exact matches only.

• If you clicked Pending Orders, type at least the first character of the client name or number in the adjacent box, and then click the appropriate client in the list. (If you specified the client previously, the client name and number are prepopulated when you select Pending Orders.)

• If you clicked Confirmation Code, type the patient's Confirmation Code (received after completing pre-registration) in the adjacent box.

Notes:  

• When searching for a patient by name, you can optionally include a comma and at least the first letter of the patient’s first name (such as pat,a).

• If the lab supports retrieving patients from the MPD, any first name is ignored when identifying matching patients in the MPD.

• If you type fewer than three characters of the patient ID, only exact matches will be retrieved.

• The ability to search for pending orders by client is only available if it has been enabled for your facility or performing site.

c If applicable, to limit the scope of your search, type the patient’s date of birth in the DOB box.

Notes:  

• If you are searching by name, you must specify the patient’s date of birth. If you are searching by Health ID, any specified date of birth is ignored.

• If you are searching by pending orders, this field does not appear.

d Click Search.

The search results appear in the Patient Search - Advanced Results dialog box. For more information about this dialog box, see Patient Information.

Tips: 

• You can control whether or not the search encompasses all of the labs that you can access by selecting or clearing the Search My Labs check box. You can likewise control whether or not the search encompasses labs that you cannot access by selecting or clearing the Search Nationally check box.

• To search for specific text, press Ctrl+f and type the desired text.

• To sort the search results, click the appropriate column heading. You can click the same column heading again to reverse the sort order. If you click to view a patient’s pending orders and then click a column heading, the list of pending orders is collapsed before the search results are sorted.

If no matching patients were found, a message advises you of this. If the information that you specified was incorrect (for example, if you clicked Name and then typed an identification number), search for the patient again using the correct information. Otherwise, add the patient (as described later in this procedure).

e Click the appropriate patient in the search results list.

If the patient appears in the Patient Information area, go to step 3.

If the patient has pending orders, you can either click next to the patient, or anywhere within the row containing the patient, to view and take action on their orders. (For more information, see Working with the Patient Search - Advanced Results or the Patient Search - Pending Orders for Client Dialog Box.)

Notes:  

• The requisition number (Req #) associated with an order may appear in green text to indicate the patient has scheduled an appointment. (You can hover your mouse over the Req # to view the appointment date and time.) The requisition number will be followed by a green “P” in parentheses if the patient has also completed their preregistration for the appointment.

• If a splitter bar appears on the Patient Search - Advanced Results dialog box, and the same patient appears both above and below the splitter bar, and the record below the splitter bar has pending orders (as indicated by a plus sign next to the patient’s record), be sure to choose that record rather than the master patient record. This ensures that the pending orders become attached to the master patient record.

• If you retrieve a patient with an insurance carrier that must change based on the location of the client or facility, a message advises you of the change.

• If the patient’s insurance information does not appear, first specify the appropriate client. If insurance information is associated with that client, it appears automatically. Otherwise, you must add it (as described in Add or Edit Insurance Information).

If the lab supports card scanning, and you have a card scanner and want to retrieve patient demographic information from an identification card with a magnetic strip (such as a driver’s license), follow these steps:

Notes:  

• If the lab does not support card scanning, the Scan ID button does not appear.

• If the lab supports card scanning, and you are accessing an IOP facility, you can show or hide the Scan ID button by selecting or clearing the Use Attached Card Reader check box in your user profile.

a Click Scan ID.

b Swipe the patient’s identification card through the scanner.

If no information appears on the dialog box or if an error occurs, swipe the card again, making sure that the card is correctly positioned and swiped completely.

As soon as the data has been successfully read, the Patient Search - Advanced Results dialog box appears. If the data from the card matches one or more patient records in the system, a list of matching patients appears, along with the data from the card. (For the data from the card, the Client column displays Accept Scanned Patient Demographics.) If no matching records are found, only the data from the card appears. (The amount of available data varies, depending on the type of card swiped.)

c Do one of the following:

• To retrieve existing patient information, click the patient in the search results list.

• To add the patient using the information retrieved from the card, click the patient in the search results list. When the Edit Patient Information dialog box appears, type any required information that was not retrieved from the card, or correct any incorrect information, and then click OK.

The available demographic information appears in the Patient Information area.

Notes:  

• If you swiped a driver’s license, a unique number derived from the license number is used as the patient ID. You can change this later if you use the data retrieved from the card.

• If you retrieve a patient with an insurance carrier that must change based on the location of the client or facility, a message advises you of the change.

• To add the patient without using the information retrieved from the card, click Add New Patient and add the patient as described in the next section.

a Click Add New Patient.

If you clicked Add New Patient after performing an unsuccessful search, the data that you provided appears automatically. For example, if you searched for a patient named Smith who was born on September 21, 1958 and then clicked Add New Patient, Smith appears automatically in the Last Name box and 09/21/1958 appears automatically in the DOB box. (This feature does not apply if you searched by Health ID.)

b Complete at least the required patient demographic information.

Notes:  

• The displayed and required fields vary, depending on the lab, client, and bill type.

• You can type the zip code in either the City or Zip box and then press Tab to automatically complete the City, State, and Zip fields.

• For some clients, a specific sex appears automatically.

c In the Patient Comments box, type any appropriate comments related to the patient (such as which arm to use when drawing blood).

This information does not appear on the requisition and is not sent to the lab; it appears only on this dialog box and in the Comments area after the patient has been added, and whenever you retrieve this patient later. Any changes that you subsequently make in the Comments area are automatically made on the Edit Patient Information dialog box as well.

d Click OK.

3 Do one of the following:

• If the correct patient is found, double-click that patient on the Patient Search - Advanced Results dialog box and then go to step 4.

If the patient has multiple orders pending, all orders for your selected Lab are selected to be completed by default. (You can also select individual orders by clicking to expand the patient’s list of pending orders, clicking the Select check box next to each desired order, and then clicking Select Orders.)

Notes:  

• The Select check box does not appear for patient orders that are filed to a lab that is either not currently selected, or with which your user account is not associated.

• If you search for a patient using their first name, additional patients may found using artificial intelligence (AI) based on a variation of their first name; those search results are highlighted in blue.

• 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 4.

• 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 return to step 2.

4 Verify that the patient demographic information is correct.

If you have confirmed that the displayed information represents the current patient but is not correct, you can edit the existing patient. (If you selected the patient from the Check-In Queue, you can also click Cancel to return to the Check-In Queue.)

To edit the existing patient, do the following:

a Click Edit.

b Update any of the available fields as applicable.

c Click OK to save your changes.

d When prompted, review the changes and click Confirm to confirm the changes as shown. Otherwise, click Edit to return to the Edit Patient Information window to make any needed changes, or click Cancel to continue with no changes to the patient’s demographic information.

Notes:  

• If a Health ID appears, you cannot change or remove it.

• Under some circumstances, if you change an existing patient’s last name, the Key Demographic Field Changed dialog box appears. If it is appropriate to change the existing patient record (for example, if the patient’s name changed due to marriage), click the Update the current patient option button. Otherwise, click the File as new patient option button. Then click OK.

• If you change the patient’s name, the client receives notification of the change through comments on the test results report (if the lines available for comments are not used to provide other information). The comment is included in the first report that is sent for that patient after the change has occurred; subsequent reports do not contain the comment.

• If you retrieved an existing patient who has insurance, and that patient’s carrier is affiliated with a different lab, the lab with which you are placing the order might change. For more information, see Add or Edit Insurance Information.

• Any changes that you make to the patient demographics are automatically saved in the patient’s record when you complete the order.

5 If the Arrival box appears and is not automatically populated with data from the Check-In Queue, type the time that the patient arrived at the facility or the time of the patient’s appointment, as appropriate.

Notes:  

• The arrival time can be no more than 30 minutes in the future.

• You cannot type n to specify the current time.

• If you specify an arrival time when creating a standing or scheduled order, that information is not retained.

6 If the Visit Type list appears and is not automatically populated with information from the Check-In Queue, click the appropriate option:

• Appointment. The patient had an appointment at the facility.

• Walk-in. The patient arrived at the facility without an appointment.

• Drop off. The specimen was not collected at the facility, but rather was dropped off by someone.

• Standby. The patient checked in as a walk-in (that is, they did not schedule an appointment).

Note: If you specify a visit type for a standing, scheduled, or held order, that information is not retained. However, if you click Save SO+Order (as described in Complete the Order(s)), you must provide the visit type for that order.

7 To verify the patient’s identity, ask the patient to provide some form of identification that contains their first name, last name, and a photograph, then select either Yes or No to indicate whether or not you were able to do so. For a list of suggested forms of identification, click .

8 In the Patient Comments box, type any appropriate comments related to the patient (such as which arm to draw blood from).

Any comment that was previously added about this patient appears here automatically.

This information does not appear on the requisition and is not sent to the lab; it appears only on this page and on the Edit Patient Information dialog box. Any changes that you make here are automatically made on the Edit Patient Information dialog box as well.

9 Do any of the following as appropriate:

a Click Attachments at the top or bottom of the page.

Note: The Attachments button appears only if the lab supports this feature. This button becomes active only after you specify a client and retrieve or add a patient.

b In the Attachments dialog box, do one of the following:

• Upload an image or PDF file:

i Click Browse.

ii Locate and select the file.

iii Click Open.

• Scan a document:

i Click Scan Image, or if your scanner supports duplexing, click the appropriate button.

If the attached scanner supports duplexing, you can use the Driver's License, Insurance Card, or Document (2 Sides) buttons to scan a two-sided document, or use Document (1 Side) for a single-sided document. Otherwise, use the Scan Image button to scan one or two sides, as needed.

ii Click Scan Image.

iii If the image is acceptable, click Accept.

The Image Scanning Live Preview dialog box closes.

The Attachments dialog box displays a thumbnail of the uploaded or scanned image along with a larger image. The date and time that the image was scanned and your user name appear next to the thumbnail.

If the image is not acceptable, click Reject, make any appropriate adjustments, and then repeat step b.

c Click Close.

Note: You can view the attached images at any time by clicking Attachments again.

You can also add and delete images up until the time that you save the order. After you save the order, you cannot delete any image associated with it, but you can add new ones.

a In the Insurance area of the Billing Information section, do one of the following:

• If no insurance information appears, click Add Insurance Information.

• If the displayed information is incorrect, click Edit.

• If the lab and client support secondary insurance and at least 1 of the insurance carriers is specified, click the Swap Primary/Secondary button to immediately swap the primary and secondary carriers, if needed.

Notes:  

• You can use only carriers that the client supports. If you cannot choose a particular carrier, the client does not support that carrier. In addition, the chosen carrier might change automatically, based on the location of the client or facility. If this occurs, a message advises you of this.

• If the patient’s insurance ID or group number triggers the use of a different carrier, a message explaining this appears in the Insurance area after you click OK.

• The Swap Primary/Secondary button does not appear if the selected performing site only allows a primary carrier.

b On the Add/Edit Insurance Information dialog box, do one or more of the following:

• Select a favorite carrier. If groups of favorites appear on the left side of the dialog box, click the appropriate group, and then click the insurance carrier.

• Select a carrier from the list. In the carrier list on the right side of the dialog box, click the appropriate one. (You can type a letter in this list to jump to the carriers whose name begins with that letter.)

The name of the carrier is followed by its mnemonic in brackets. In some cases, the city, state, and zip code of the carrier appear to help you choose the appropriate one.

If the carrier does not appear in the expected place in the list, it might be in the system under a slightly different name. (For example, Blue Cross and Blue Shield might be listed as BCBS.)

• Search for a carrier:

i In the Carrier box, type at least two characters of the carrier’s name.

Depending on the configuration of the lab and carrier, you might be able to search for other key words as well, such as the carrier’s mnemonic, address, or other terms.

ii Click Search.

All standard carriers that match the specified text appear in the dialog box.

If more than 15 matching carriers were found, click More to see the additional carriers.

iii Click the appropriate carrier in the list.

Notes:  

• If the carrier does not exist in the system, you might be able to request that it be added. For more information, see Requesting a Custom Carrier.

• The selected carrier might change automatically, based on the location of the client or facility. If this occurs, a message advises you of the change.

c On the right side of the dialog box, respond to the prompts.

The information that you are prompted for varies, depending on the carrier.

d If the lab and client support secondary insurance, and if the patient has secondary insurance, click Secondary in the list in the upper-right portion of the dialog box and then repeat steps b–c for the secondary insurance carrier.

Notes:  

• If the lab or client does not support secondary insurance, the Secondary option does not appear in the list.

• If at least 1 of the insurance carriers is specified, click the Swap Primary/Secondary button to immediately swap the primary and secondary carriers, if needed.

e Click OK.

f Do one of the following:

• Use the original lab. If orders for the selected carrier can be placed only with your current lab, that lab remains selected in the Lab list in the Order Details area (if that list appears), and no lab information appears in the Insurance area. Go to step .

• Use the primary lab. If the selected carrier uses a different lab as its primary lab, and you can access the primary lab and client, that lab is automatically selected in the Lab list in the Order Details area, the client automatically appears in the Client box, and the name of that lab appears at Defined for in the Insurance area. To use the primary lab and client, go to step .

Notes:  

• When an order is automatically routed to a different lab, a custom message might appear in yellow below Defined for.

• If the carrier is configured to route orders to a lab that you cannot access, or if the defined client is inactive, does not support ordering, or does not support the defined carrier, a message appears in the Insurance area, and the order is not automatically routed.

a In the Guarantor area of the Billing Information section, do one of the following:

• If no information appears, click Add Guarantor Information.

• If the displayed information is incorrect, click Edit.

b Provide the appropriate information about the guarantor.

If Relation is set to Self in the Order Details area, then Relationship is automatically set to Self on the Edit Guarantor Information dialog box and the patient’s demographic information automatically appears.

If you select the Use Patient’s Address check box, the patient’s address and telephone number appear automatically, and any changes that you make to the address or telephone number on this dialog box automatically update the order. Likewise, any changes that you make to the patient’s address or telephone number in the order automatically update the guarantor information.

If you clear this check box, any changes made to the address or telephone number here are not applied to the order, and any changes made to the address or telephone number in the order are not applied to the guarantor information.

c Click OK.

10 In the Order Information section, review the orders selected for the patient, do any of the following (as needed), and then click Continue to Order Details.

• To select or unselect individual orders, select or clear the check box in the Select column of the desired order.

• To select or unselect all pending orders, click either Select All Orders or Un-Select All Orders at the bottom right.

• To create a new order, click Add manual order at the top-right. (For more information on creating a manual order, see Add or Update Order Details.)

11 You may be presented with a dialog box prompting you to read a message to the patient and obtain their consent to receive emails from Quest Diagnostics. If the patient consents, type their email address in the box and click Accept. If the patient declines or is not present (for example, for a drop-off), click Remind Later. (If you click Remind Later, the prompt will appear the next time the patient presents at the PSC.)

If the patient previously provided consent, the Email Verification dialog box displays, prompting you to verify the email address currently on file. You can verify the email address, update the email address, select Patient Not Present, Unsubscribe, or Resubscribe.

Notes:  

• If a patient is unsubscribed, the system is not able to display this. The Email Verification box displays after the specified date range if the patient provided consent in the past.

• For patients under the age of 18, you are prompted to ask for the email consent from the patient’s parent or guardian.

12 Do the following as appropriate:

If there are significant discrepancies between the data provided in the order and the data provided by the carrier, or if an IPA message has to be displayed, the Eligibility Verification dialog box appears. (For more information about eligibility verification, see Eligibility Verification.)

The data from the order appears in the User Entered column, and the data from the carrier appears in the Eligibility Returned column.

Note: Even if the Eligibility Verification dialog box does not appear, the message Acceptable Match appears on the requisition if eligibility verification was performed and the information in the order matches the information from the carrier.

Do one of the following:

• Proceed with the order as is. If no information about this patient is available from the carrier, or if the carrier indicates that the patient is not currently covered, but all of the information about the patient and carrier is correct, click Continue.

• Identify the correct information. If there are discrepancies between the information in the order and the information from the carrier, follow these steps:

a Click the option button next to each piece of information that you want to use.

For example, if there are discrepancies with the patient’s address and zip code, you might click the option button in the User Entered column for the address and the option button in the Eligibility Returned column for the zip code, depending on which information is currently accurate.

You can also click Select All to select all of the option buttons in a particular column.

b Click Continue.

Notes:  

• If the patient’s first name as specified in the order does not match the first name provided by the carrier, this is not flagged as a discrepancy. The first name from the order is always used.

• If the patient is the guarantor (that is, if Relation is set to Self), any changes to the patient’s last name or address are made to both the patient and guarantor information. If the patient is the guarantor’s spouse or dependent, any changes to the last name affect only the patient information; any changes to the address affect only the guarantor information.

• Modify the patient information. If the carrier is incorrect, or if you need to change any of the displayed information manually, follow these steps:

a Click Edit.

b Make any appropriate changes by clicking Edit in the Patient Information or Insurance area, click OK, and then click Next.

If you change the patient’s first or last name, date of birth, zip code, primary carrier, primary insurance ID, secondary carrier, or secondary insurance ID, eligibility verification takes place again. If you do not change any of that information, eligibility verification does not occur again.

13 If the patient has open invoices with Quest Diagnostics, the number of invoices and total amount due might appear in an Open Invoice popup window. A minimum amount due, as well as any pending payments (if applicable), might also appear. Share this information with the patient. You might be prompted to collect a payment when you click Continue. A letter about the open invoices can be printed as well.

If the patient has a valid payment exception on at least one order being processed, select the Patient has a payment exception allowed check box and then select the reason:

• STAT indicates that the physician wants to have the test completed as quickly as possible.

• Re-collect indicates that there was a problem performing the original test, and the physician wants to have the test performed again. In both cases, this information might be written on the paper requisition or appear in the Comments section for a pending order. It might also come up in conversation with the patient.

• Patient Not Present appears only for PSC employees who set Visit Type to Drop-Off. Choose this option if the specimen was dropped off by someone other than the patient, or if the patient has already left the facility.

• HMO Patient indicates that the patient is a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) or Independent Practice Association (IPA) managed care patient.

14 Go to Add or Update Order Details.