🎞️ View video tutorial: Triaging incoming electronic lab reports - staff
We recommend that front-end staff review and organize incoming lab reports several times daily to ensure results are reviewed in a timely manner. All incoming lab reports must be reviewed by a provider. Staff should ensure that all labs are assigned to the correct patient and provider. For more information, refer to Viewing electronic lab reports.
📌 Note: Depending on your configuration:
If a provider's license number matches the one on the report, it will go into their inbox or if no match is made, the report goes into a shared default inbox.
All labs go to one shared inbox.
Steps
1. From the main menu, click Inbox.
📌 Note: If a lab result has not been matched to a patient record, a red question mark icon appears to the left of the patient's name.
2. Click the lab report to open it.
3. Confirm that the lab is assigned to the correct patient.
4. If the lab is not matched to a patient, search for the patient or add a new patient and then assign it to the patient.
📌 Note: If the lab is not matched to a patient, a red banner appears at the top of the report. For more information, see Managing unmatched lab reports.
5. To add Tags, a Description, or change any report details, click Doc info in the top right. etc.
6. To assign a new Owner, click Doc info.
💡 Tip: Select Notify New Owner to send the provider an inbox message with the file attached. For more information, refer to Updating files from your inbox.
7. If the lab is not in the correct provider's inbox, to share it with them for review, click Share > Forward > search for the provider and click Forward.
💡 Tip: If the lab has abnormal results, click Mark Urgent to make the inbox item stand our for the recipient.
8. Click Mark Done.
📌 Note: Marking the lab as done only marks it done for the Inbox it is currently in. It does not affect the lab in the other users' inboxes.
9. Continue assigning lab results to patients and forwarding to the appropriate provider for review until all lab results are dealt with.
10. Once the provider reviews the lab results, they may send you a message indicating that they would like to see the patient. Click to read the new message.
11. To quickly open the patient's chart, click the lab result then click the patient chart icon.
12. Call the patient to book an appointment. You can easily see the patient's phone number in the demographic header.
13. If you are not able to reach the patient, leave an internal message for staff to see that you left a voicemail, etc. Click the original message > lab result > Comments > type your note/comment. The comment is left directly on the lab result for reference.
14. Once the patient calls you back, you can leave another comment saying that the patient is aware or that you booked the appointment.
📌 Note: Depending on your clinic workflow, once booked you may send the provider a message letting them know. The provider can always reference the comments in the lab.
For more information, see Reviewing incoming lab reports (providers).
Updated January 27, 2025