What is eOrdering with Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS)?
Elation and Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS) have partnered to bring you a bidirectional interface to make the process for ordering labs more efficient for your practice.- You will now be able to submit orders for labs to DLS directly within Elation without manually printing and faxing the order.
- We built DLS’s laboratory compendium and ask-on-entry prompts directly into the lab requisition form, to ensure that your practice is always selecting a DLS-specific, DLS-approved lab test to be performed.
Requesting Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS) integration & managing lab settings
The Labs settings page allows you to manage your preferred lab vendors. You can add Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS) as a vendor and then click I need help -> Contact Elation Support and notify Elation that you would like to set up an integration with Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS). Please reference Labs Settings Guide for more information on the Labs settings page.
Managing order sets
The Lab Orders settings page contains:- Lab Order Settingsfor default lab vendor, bill type and test sorting
- custom Lab Order Sets created for any lab vendor with eOrdering, such as Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS), as well as Lab Order Setsfor manual lab requisitions for regular lab vendors.
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Due to the nature of structured order compendiums, you will only be able to select from DLS’s compendium database and will not be able to create or select lab tests created by your practice.
Adding new order sets
To add new order sets- click the “+ Add Lab Order Set” button
- enter a Name for the order set
- search for and select the appropriate lab Tests
- select diagnosis (Dx) codes commonly related to this order set (as needed)
- click “Save”
No two Order Sets can have the same name, regardless of if they are for different lab vendors.
Editing or removing order sets
To edit an existing Order Set- click on the pencil icon next to the order set
- make any edits as needed
- click “Save” to save your edits.
Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS) Order Form overview
To create an electronic lab order for Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS), click on “Orders” >> “Lab Order” at the top of the patient’s chart.Lab vendor & site
You can add specific Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS) locations to the Labs settings page (“DLS” >> “Details” >> ”+ Add a location”) to select from when printing a requisition out for patients. However, you do not need to select specific DLS locations (e.g. “DLS San Francisco, 123 Street”) to successfully send a DLS order electronically for patients to complete the order. All DLS locations will have the electronic order on file. For multi-provider practices, you will see an option for DLS for each provider in the practice in the Lab dropdown to ensure that lab results associated with the order make it back to the correct provider in the practice. This is because DLS uses a unique identification code for each provider on the interface; even for providers in the same practice. For example, if Dr. John Smith, Dr. Jane Doe and Dr. Bob Jones all work in the same practice, there will be 3 DLS options for the practice to choose from.In-house lab draws
If your practice collects specimens in-house, select the “In-House-Draw” option on the “Any Site” menu in the lab requisition form. Use the “Collection Date” and “Collection Time” fields to enter relevant information for the electronic order and/or requisition printout.Tests
Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS) electronic ordering in Elation uses the DLS compendium database for test selection. The database is supplied and maintained by DLS and is updated on a monthly basis. You will not be able to create your own tests or select previously created lab tests from your database.Diagnoses
The Dx field will auto-populate if an order set with associated diagnosis codes is selected, or you can utilize our search function by typing out the name of the problem or diagnosis and selecting from the returned results.Bill Type
You can select the patient’s method for billing in the Bill Type field on the lab order form. The dropdown shows Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS)‘s required selection options. Depending on the selected Bill Type, Elation will send associated details in the electronic order to DLS. These may include insurance or guarantor information. These are the various Bill Types and their uses:- Third Party= Bill the Patient’s insurance information on file
- Patient= Bill the Patient directly
- Client= Bill my practice
- Worker’s Comp= Bill the patient’s worker’s compensation payer
- Special Billing= Allows you to designate that you have some kind of special discount code or code that you would like to associate with this order. Add the code to the Lab Instr field
Sending the order electronically to Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS)
When completing a lab order, you will have the option to either send the order electronically (“eOrder”) to Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS) or print the lab requisition and hand it directly to the patient.We recommend making sure the patient has the following information on file in their chart when you send an order electronically to DLS to ensure a smooth experience for the patient. Review the Patient Demographics Guide- Managing patient insurance article for additional instructions on how to manage patient insurance in Elation.
- Patient’s full address
- Guarantor information
- Insurance Name
- Insurance Address
- Insurance City
- Insurance State
- Insurance Zip
- Group ID
- Member ID
Printing requisitions and specimen labels
The requisition form can be printed directly from the chronological timeline, or from the Lab Reports view.- To print from the chronological timeline, hover over the lab order, click “Actions” >> “Print” or “Print Specimen Labels”.
- To print from the Reports tab, select the desired lab order, then click “Actions” >> “Print” or “Print Specimen Labels”.
Reordering, changing, and canceling electronic orders
Previous lab orders can be easily re-ordered by hovering over the order from the chronological record or from the Reports tab and clicking “Actions”, then “Reorder”.Receiving Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS) test results
Once a patient completes a lab order and the results are finalized, DLS will send you the test results directly through Elation. For more information about receiving electronic test results, see the Lab Reports- Viewing results from lab interfaces article.Close-the-loop feature
Being aware of outstanding orders is vital to prioritizing patient outreach efforts and informing future care plans, which is why we have incorporated an optional set of features that will help your practice keep track of outstanding orders. Learn more about the Close-the-Loopexperience and how to request access in the Orders Guide- Following up on outstanding lab, radiology or other orders article.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What if the test I am looking for is not available?
The directory of all tests available (compendium), is supplied and maintained by Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS). Elation EHR updates our DLS compendium on a monthly basis. We recommend trying to search for the test using different terms (ex. the Complete Metabolic Panel is known as “Comprehensive Metabolic Panel” for DLS) If you continue to have trouble finding the test, type the order code DLSEMRMISC in the Tests field and select the test called EMR Type-in Test(s) (DLSEMRMISC). A new field will appear for you to free text the lab test you want to order and a DLS Team member will attempt to find the matching test for you or call your office to clarify what you entered if there are any questions.How can I create a lab order for patients without insurance?
If you choose “Patient” as the Bill Type then you do not have to enter insurance information for the patient. The patient would then be expected to pay at the lab center.Why can’t I see or select my existing Order Sets?
Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS) requires you to use tests (compendium) from their database. You cannot use your old order sets because those tests are not tied to the DLS compendium. You must create new order sets for DLS eOrdering.My staff can not see the option to eOrder. Why?
Only authorized staff delegates will see the option to eOrder. To add an authorized staff member, providers must navigate to “Settings” >> “User Settings” >> “Authorized Staff Delegates” and add the staff member as an Authorized Staff To Sign Orders. Learn more about staff delegates in this article.How do I link a lab order for a visit note?
To include an order in a visit note, please follow the steps below. Please note the visit note must be created prior to initiating the eOrder:- Open a new visit note.
- Start a new lab order and complete the Lab Order Form.
- Click “eOrder” or “eOrder & Print”.
- The lab order will be referenced and linked in the visit note.
How do I set a default lab vendor?
To set a default lab vendor, go to the Lab Orders settings page and select a default lab vendor under Default Lab Vendor.How do I find the electronic orders placed for a patient?
Lab orders are logged in the Chronological Record in the patient chart by the date the order was placed. To filter for all the lab orders placed for a patient, click into the search bar within the patient chart and click on “Type”. Afterwards choose “Orders” from the drop-down.How do I place a future order?
To place an order to be performed in the future, please enter the date that you would like the order to be completed on in the “do test on” field.What does the “Check Medicare Eligibility” button do?
If Third Party (e.g. Insurance) is selected for a patient’s Bill Type, you will notice a blue “Check Medicare Eligibility” button appear. This link will show up any time Third Party (e.g. Insurance) is selected, regardless of whether or not the patient chart has Medicare insurance on file. If you click the “Check Medicare Eligibility” button, Elation will run a quick check with DLS’s Advanced Beneficiary Notice service to see if the patient has Medicare Coverage for the lab tests and diagnosis(es) selected in the order. If results are returned and the patient is not covered, we will display the estimated cost for the tests and generate a printable Advanced Beneficiary Notice (ABN) form.I have seen canceled lab order results appear in Elation. Why am I receiving canceled order results?
Canceled order messages will appear in Elation when:- your practice cancels the lab order placed to DLS
- there are multiple orders for the same test placed for a patient
- Example: If multiple orders exist for the same test due to a standing glucose order and comprehensive panel that also includes the standing order test, you will receive a canceled lab order result for one of the duplicate tests.
- the test was not run due to quality issues with the specimen taken