Orders Guide- Following up on outstanding orders & referrals

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Overview

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What does Close-the-Loop mean?

Close-the-Loop is a feature that helps your practice follow-up on a patient’s orders and referrals.

• Orders and referrals are marked as ‘Outstanding’ until someone updates them to ‘Fulfilled’ when the test results or consult notes are added to the chart.
• You can also set a reminder to appear in your Practice Home Reminders inbox if an order hasn’t been marked as ‘Fulfilled’ by the date you choose.

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What are the benefits of the Close-the-Loop feature?

The Close-the-Loop feature marks unfulfilled orders and referrals as ‘Outstanding’ so you can easily see which ones need follow-up. You can also attach test results or consult notes to these items to keep everything organized and ensure care moves forward smoothly.

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Set Up

There are two versions of the Close-the-loop experience that you can request. One option lists all of a patient’s outstanding referrals and orders together under the Outstanding Items chart section for easy access. The second option only shows the Close-the-Loop status when you scroll to each order and referral in the Chronological Record or Reports dialog. More details about this distinction can be found in the workflow instructions below. To request the Close-the-Loop feature, click I need help -> Contact Elation Support and specify which version of the feature you prefer.

• **Option 1:**Please enable the Close-the-Loop feature. I want outstanding orders & referrals to always appear in the Outstanding Items section of my patient charts.
• **Option 2:**Please enable the Close-the-Loop feature. I do not want outstanding orders & referrals to always appear in the Outstanding Items section of my patient charts.

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Workflow Instructions

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Viewing outstanding orders and referrals

Unfulfilled orders and referrals show the Outstanding status before their name. The label is visible both in the Chronological Record and Reports dialog. If you’ve opted for the feature that groups all of a patient’s unfulfilled referrals and orders in the Outstanding Items section, then the status will appear there too.

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Using reminders for outstanding orders

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Setting reminders to follow up on outstanding orders

To set a reminder to follow up on an outstanding order:

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Viewing a reminder

Reminders will appear in the assignees Practice Home Reminders inbox if an order isn’t marked as ‘Fulfilled’ by the reminder date. Additionally, assignees can view reminders in the Requiring Actions section of the patient’s chart.

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Updating a reminder before it’s delivered

To update a reminder before it’s delivered:

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Postponing a reminder after it’s delivered

To postpone a reminder after it’s delivered,

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Marking orders or referrals as fulfilled

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Automatically associating electronic lab results with electronic lab orders

If your practice eOrders lab tests, we’re able to automatically update the status to fulfilled when the results arrive in the patient’s chart. If your practice faxes lab orders, use the instructions below to manually mark the lab order as fulfilled once you receive the results.

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Manually associating a faxed or uploaded report/result with outstanding orders and referrals

For faxed or uploaded reports or results, manually attach them to the right orders and referrals to show that these have been completed. To do this:

Linking a report that was already filed to the chart

To link a report that was already filed into the chart to an outstanding order or referral:

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Marking orders or referrals as canceled

To mark an order or referral as canceled when they’re no longer valid:

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Searching for patients with outstanding orders or referrals

Use the Patient List report to identify which patients have at least one outstanding order or referral in their chart: Use this report to:

• Check the Order Status and Next Appointment columns to find patients who need to schedule a follow-up.
• Review any outstanding orders or referrals and follow up as needed.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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What happens if a report was linked to the wrong order or referral?

If a report was linked to the wrong order or referral:

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An order or referral was canceled but the patient still completed it. What happened?

Canceling an order or referral doesn’t automatically notify the facility or patient. If you need them to know it’s canceled, please contact them directly. Update a canceled order or referral to fulfilled by following these steps:

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How do I update the reminder preferences after signing an order?

To update a reminder before it’s delivered:

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What types of records can be used to fulfill an order or referral?

Any report category can be attached to an order to fulfill the order. The following documents can be attached to a referral to fulfill the referral:

• From the Fax Inbox, attach any report category, including Consult Reports.
• From within the patient’s chart, attach any report category, visit notes, non-visit notes, direct messages, letters, or letter receipts.

Can I remove the ** Outstanding label without attaching a report?** To use the Close-the-Loop feature effectively, make sure you store a copy of the report or results in the patient’s chart after a patient completes an order or referral. You need to attach the report to the open order or referral before you can mark it as ‘Fulfilled’.

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Related Articles

• Lab Orders & Results Introduction
• Lab Orders & Results - Using the electronic Lab Order Form
• Lab Orders & Results - Managing electronic lab results
• Letters & Referrals Introduction- Sharing clinical data outside of Elation
• Fax Inbox Guide- Managing inbound electronic faxes and uploading documents
• Patient Chart Guide- Uploading documents directly within the patient’s chart
• Report Category Guide- Categorizing patient documents
• Patient List Report Guide- Searching your patient panel