> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.elationhealth.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Lab Orders & Results - Managing electronic lab results

> Learn how to receive and review electronic lab results from lab vendors connected to Elation.

## Overview

### What are electronic lab results in Elation?

Electronic lab results are test results that are formatted as individual data points, known as structured data. This structured test data is sent directly from the lab vendor to your patient charts in Elation through an interface.

### What are the benefits of receiving structured lab results in Elation?

Structured lab results:

* **Improve data accuracy** - Uses standardized vocabularies to eliminate transcription errors.
* **Enhance data organization** - Stores results in a standardized format, making it easier to review and trend over time.
* **Reduce paperwork** - Minimizes the need for faxed or printed reports, streamlining workflow efficiency.

### How can I receive electronic lab results in Elation?

Electronic lab results can be transmitted to Elation once a lab interface is activated for a lab vendor. Follow the [set-up steps below](#Set-up) to set up this type of interface for each of your lab vendors.

## Set-up

<Steps>
  <Step>
    [Set up lab vendors (mandatory)](https://help.elationhealth.com/articles/Managing-lab-vendors)
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Workflow Instructions

### Receiving electronic lab results

Once an interface between your practice and a lab vendor is live, the lab vendor will automatically send lab results electronically to the patient’s chart.

Electronic lab results are routed to patient charts by matching first name, last name, date of birth, and sex at birth and assigned to the Ordering Provider for review and sign off. If the interface is unable to find an exact patient match, then it will automatically create a new patient chart in Elation to house the lab results.

By default, lab vendors will send the electronic report once all tests are finalized across a single lab panel or lab order, but you can ask a lab to send partial results if preferred.

### Viewing electronic lab results in Elation

View electronic lab results in any of the following places:

* In the Practice Home **Reports** inbox of the Ordering Provider if the report is unsigned.
* In the patient’s chart under **Requiring Action** if the report is unsigned.
* In the patient’s chart under the **Reports** -> **Lab** tab regardless of whether it's been signed.

#### Viewing electronic lab results on the Practice Home

Unsigned electronic lab results will appear in the Practice Home **Reports** inbox of the Ordering Provider. Results are listed in order of your sort preferences, either **Oldest First** or **Newest First**. Reports with abnormal results will show the corresponding test names in red t (shown in the image below).

Click the patient's name to open their chart and view the full report.

#### Viewing electronic lab results in the patient’s chart

Unsigned electronic lab results will appear in the **Requiring Action** section of the patient’s chart. You will see the following details in Requiring Action:

* The date of the report.
* The Provider or Delegate the report is assigned to.
* The date and time the results were collected.
* **Sign Off** options, including the options to sign off and attach the Report to a new Patient Letter or Provider Letter.

Click on the name of the report to open the full report view to see the following details:

* Report details:
  * **Requisition No.** - The unique lab order ID assigned by the lab vendor.
  * **Order by** - The name of the Provider that ordered the tests.
  * **Vendor** - The name of the lab vendor.
  * **Document Date** - The date of the report.
  * **File Received** - The date the report was transmitted to Elation.
  * **Collected** - The date the lab specimens were collected.
  * **Completed** - The date the test results were completed.
  * **Status** - The status of the results
  * **Accession No.** - The unique ID assigned to the lab specimens associated with the results.
* Test result details:
  * The test name and test value.
  * The last 3 values for the same test from previous results, if available. Trending only occurs among results from the same lab vendor and requires the test to have a LOINC code — a value sent by one vendor doesn't trend together with the same test sent by a different vendor, and a value without a LOINC code won't trend at all.
  * Abnormal test results - Look for abnormal test results in red, bold text.
  * The reference range for the test - Position your cursor over the test value to see reference ranges, if available.
  * Any notes as shared by the lab.
* A PDF version of the report - Click the **Download PDF version of report** button at the bottom of a report to download a PDF version of the report. Only some lab vendors (e.g. Quest and Genova Diagnostics) send the PDF version of the report along with the electronic version. Consult your lab representative if you have any questions about this behavior.

### Signing electronic lab results

Any Provider Level User can sign off on any electronic lab results, even if the results are assigned to a different provider in the practice. Staff Level Users can sign off on electronic lab results if they were delegated sign off permissions. [Click here for instructions on how to reassign lab results to a Delegate](#reassign).

To sign off on electronic lab results:

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Locate the electronic lab result in the Practice Home or patient’s chart.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Click **Sign Off**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Moving an electronic lab result to a different patient chart

To move an electronic lab result to a different patient’s chart:

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Locate the electronic lab result in the Practice Home or patient’s chart.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Click **Actions** → **Refile to Other Patient Chart**.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Search for the patient’s chart by their name and then select their name from the search results.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Click **File**. The report will now appear in the other patient chart.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Reassigning electronic lab results to a different Provider or Delegate

To reassign electronic lab results to a different Provider or Delegate for sign off:

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Locate the electronic lab result in the Practice Home or patient’s chart.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Click **Actions** → **Reassign to Provider** or **Actions** → **Reassign to Delegate**.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Search for and select the name of the Provider or Delegate you want to assign the report to.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Click **Assign**. The report is now assigned to a new Provider or Delegate.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Removing a duplicate or incorrectly filed electronic lab result

If a lab result was filed to the wrong chart entirely, use [Refile to Other Patient Chart](#moving-an-electronic-lab-result-to-a-different-patient-chart) instead of removing it. Removing a result only makes sense when the result itself — not the chart it's filed in — is the problem, such as a true duplicate within the same chart.

To remove an electronic lab result from a patient's chart:

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Locate the electronic lab result in the Practice Home or patient’s chart.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Click **Actions** → **Remove**.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Confirm the removal.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  If you remove a lab result by mistake, recover it from **I need help** → **I accidentally deleted a note or report**, or from the [User Activity Log](/articles/User-Accounts-Guide-Viewing-activity-logs-for-users-in-your-practice).
</Note>

### Exporting lab results to visit notes

To export lab results to a visit note:

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Open the lab report in **Reports** → **Lab** **Reports** window.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Use any of the workflows below based on what you’d like to export:

    * To export a single test value, position your cursor over the test value and click **Actions** and choose one of the export locations.
    * To export all abnormal values, go to the bottom of the report and click **More Actions** → **Reference All Abnormal Values in Note**.
    * To export multiple test values:
      1. Click the **star** next to each value you want to export.
      2. Click **More Actions** → **Reference All Starred in Note**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  If you use one of the 2-column visit note formats, you can also click **Import Labs & Associated Problems** in the note to import a patient's active problems along with their associated lab values, instead of exporting values from the Lab Reports window one at a time.
</Note>

### Managing duplicate charts created when receiving electronic lab results

Electronic lab results are routed to patient charts by matching `first name`, `last name`, `date of birth`, and `sex at birth`. If the interface is unable to find an exact patient match, then it will automatically create a new patient chart in Elation to house the lab results.

Charts that Elation automatically creates show a pink banner at the top to indicate they were auto-generated. If you find that it’s a duplicate of an existing chart, [you can merge it](/articles/merging-duplicate-charts), along with the lab results, into the patient’s actual chart. Once you merge the charts, Elation routes that patient's future results from the same lab vendor to the correct chart, as long as the vendor keeps sending the same patient details it used before.

<Note>
  If the vendor later sends different identifying information for the patient (for example, a changed name spelling), a new duplicate chart can still be created.
</Note>

### Sharing electronic lab results with patients

Manually share electronic lab results with patients via their Patient Passport account. [Click here for instructions on how to manually send patients their lab results via a Patient Letter](/articles/elation-patient-passport-an-introduction#attaching).

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How do I prevent electronic lab results from creating new patient charts for patients that do not belong to my practice?

Sometimes lab vendors may accidentally send you a report for a patient that is not yours or send you a report for a patient that is no longer active in your practice.

If the interface is unable to find an exact match based on the patient’s first name, last name, date of birth, and sex at birth, then it will automatically create a new patient chart in Elation to house the lab results. This feature cannot be disabled.

If the patient has an existing chart then you can merge the charts together by following the instructions in [this article](/articles/merging-duplicate-charts).

If the patient does not belong to your practice you can choose to delete the patient chart at your discretion.

### Why do lab reports from the same order show different dates?

A lab report's **Document Date** reflects when that specific report's results were collected, not the date the original order was signed. If a lab vendor splits one signed order into multiple collection trips — for example, because not every test could be drawn on the same day — each trip usually comes back as its own separate report, with its own Document Date matching when that portion was collected. Check the **Collected** field on each report to confirm exactly when that report's specimen was drawn.

### Does Elation call or send an alert to my practice when a critical lab result comes in?

No. Elation does not place phone calls or send automatic alerts when a critical result is received. The lab that runs the test assigns the critical or abnormal designation and sends it along with the result — Elation then displays it in the patient's chart, with abnormal values shown in red and unsigned results placed in the ordering provider's **Requiring Action** queue for review.

If your practice wants an automated alert outside of the chart, that would need to be built as a custom integration using Elation's API. See [Self-Service API Credential Management](/articles/self-service-api-credential-management) to get started.

## Related Articles

* [Lab Orders & Results Introduction](/articles/Lab-Orders-and-Results-Introduction)
* [Lab Orders & Results - Managing lab vendors](/articles/Managing-lab-vendors)
* [Lab Orders & Results - Using the electronic Lab Order Form](/articles/Electronic-Lab-Order-Form)
* [Practice Home Guide- Checking for requiring action items](/articles/check-for-your-offices-daily-to-do-list)
* [Chronological Record Search Guide- Searching for records in the patient's chart](/articles/using-the-search-tool-in-your-patient-chart)
* [Letters & Referrals Guide- Sending messages to patients & corresponding with third party professionals](/articles/how-to-send-a-fax)
* [Document Tags for Visit Notes & Reports Guide](/articles/tag-reports-and-notes-with-document-tags)
* [Patient List Report Guide- Searching your patient panel](/articles/find-patients-with-elations-patient-list)
* [Patient Chart Guide- Uploading documents directly within the patient's chart](/articles/filing-documents-to-a-patient-chart)