SureLabs?
SureScripts is very good. I ask the patient which pharmacy to send the the prescription to, put that information into the EMR and off it goes. Good. My question is what it will take for a parallel system to be developed for laboratory and other test orders.
Doc: Which lab do you use for your blood tests?
Patient: Quest on Sesame Street
Doc: Ok. I'm sending the orders for your tests there.
Surescripts was created by pharmacists/pharmacies to connect the prescribers with the dispensers. They merged with RxHub recently, but the goal is still to provide connectivity. My impression is that all pharmacies are likely members of a handful of larger corporations/groups which might just keep things manageable. My impression with labs is that there are thousands - commercial/hospital/group-owned, etc - all doing their own thing, all interested to rake in the money - none interested in unifying the process. I don't think we'll see an interconnected/unified lab interface system between the hundreds of EMR vendors and thousands of labs anytime in our lifetime.
Using an EHR? Yes - eClinicalWorks
Disclosure: Owner/practicing partner of Aquidneck Medical Associates, Inc. Contracted as the Case Management Physician Advisor at Newport Hospital (a Lifespan affiliate) and as an advisor for BCBS of RI to help facilitate HIT integration in community practices
Right--to do this currently requires separate interfaces between each practice and each lab. If e-prescribing were like this--each practice maintaining its own interface with each pharmacy separately, there would be no e-prescribing. Rather, there is a SureScripts clearinghouse which directs traffic among all practices and all pharmacies. What I am envisioning is a clearinghouse for lab orders (perhaps but not necessarily results also) instead of the current reality in which an individual practice can in theory set it up with individual labs.
Using an EHR? Yes - Practice Partner
Disclosure: None
When we went live with our EMR we set up electronic interfaces with 3 labs and 2 imaging centers, basically covering the majority of testing in our community. Quest, Lifespan, Eastside for labs and XRA, Lifespan for imaging. The interfaces were quite a chore to set up, it took a lot of time and effort, but it was well worth it - results come into the patient's record populated in the appropriate section. Trends can be followed, quality reports can be produced - none of which is possible with faxed reports. Back to your point regarding sending lab orders - we actually chose to not set up bidirectional interfaces at this point. We print the order and hand it to the patient or fax it to the testing center. One of the main problems is that interfaces in our EMR could not handle future dated orders, something integral to our workflow. That being said, I know that many are using bidirectional interfaces succesfully. Also, I presume it depends upon which EMR you are using as to whether the interfaces are simply a flip of a switch or not - and whether there are added fees involved.
Using an EHR? Yes - eClinicalWorks
Disclosure: Owner/practicing partner of Aquidneck Medical Associates, Inc. Contracted as the Case Management Physician Advisor at Newport Hospital (a Lifespan affiliate) and as an advisor for BCBS of RI to help facilitate HIT integration in community practices