Pathology Integration

In this feature we will walk you through the new pathology feature, enabling you to seamlessly order tests and access results within HealthWare

The first step is for the Super Admin to configure the facility’s phlebotomy process in the facility settings. In Admin Mode, navigate to Facility Settings located at the bottom left of the screen.

If the toggle is set to Yes (blue), the facility is configured to use an external phlebotomist, and all new orders will be sent directly to the laboratory.

If the toggle is set to No (white), the facility will follow an internal workflow, where nurses are responsible for collecting the specimen.

Then, for each available pathology laboratory, set the toggle according to your preferred collection process 
Click Save when completed




Once your facility process has been configured, select the floating circular checkmark icon located in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.




Upon selecting the icon, a pop-out screen will appear. From the options in the top right of the screen, select Lab Report.

Please note that only a doctor can create a pathology order, and they must have their pathology lab code saved in their user profile as well as be assigned to the Phlebotomy group.




In the field to the left of the lab selection, enter the patient’s name. If you accessed this feature from within a patient file, the name will already be populated.

The patient’s details will then automatically populate the pathology order form.




On the right, select the pathology lab you would like to request tests from. Once a lab is selected, the form will load.




Complete the following sections:

• Indicate whether the request is Stat or Routine
• Specify if the patient is fasting, pregnant, on thyroid medication, or on anticoagulants

Next, select the required tests for this order by clicking the checkbox to the left of each test name.
Once completed, select Submit Lab Request.





If your facility is configured to use an external phlebotomist for the selected laboratory, and the order requires specific specimens (e.g. stool, sputum, urine), you will be prompted to create a Clinical Instruction when submitting the order. 

The clinical instruction will be prepopulated with the patient’s name and test details. You will need to assign a user or group to attend to the specimen collection.

Once a user or group has been assigned, select Create Instruction




Once the form is successfully submitted, a pathology order is created. 
To view the order, select the briefcase icon in the top right corner, then choose Lab Request from the dropdown menu.




All pathology requests for the facility will be listed here. 

If your facility is configured to use an external phlebotomist for the selected laboratory, newly created orders will have a status of Request Submitted and will immediately display the order number. A representative from the laboratory will then collect the specimen. 

If your facility is configured to use an internal collection process, newly created orders will have a status of Awaiting Specimen. 

All nurses in the phlebotomy group will receive a notification when a new order is created, indicating that a specimen needs to be collected. Clicking on notification will redirect them to this same screen.




When the specimen has been collected, the nurse can update the status to Specimen Collected. When updating the status, the date and time of collection must be specified and Saved

Status updates can only be performed by users in the Phlebotomy group




Once the date and time of collection have been saved, a pop-up message will appear confirming the patient’s name, ID number, laboratory name, and order number.




If you encounter an error when updating the status to Specimen Collected and the order status changes to Request Failed, you can view the reason for the failure by clicking on the hazard icon next to the status.

Once the issue has been resolved, you can double-click on the status field to update the status.




Now that the specimen has been collected and the pathology order is complete, you can view both the request and the results in the patient file.

To access the pathology results, select Investigations from the horizontal menu within the patient file.
The date filter can be used to customize and narrow your view of the results




The results screen will display a Pending status while the results are still being processed.

From this screen, you can view all pathology orders or look up an order number for follow-up with the laboratory by selecting View Requests.

 

This screen lists all orders for the patient. By clicking the + icon on the far left, you can view the tests included in that specific order.
Additional details are displayed, including when the order was created, who created it, its current status, priority, the lab the order was sent to, and any applicable test tags (e.g. fasting, pregnant, on thyroid medication, or on anticoagulants). The order number is shown on the far right.

To return to the results screen, click on View Investigations

 

To view the results of a pathology test, expand each test by clicking the arrow on the accordion.

To view the full results report, select the PDF option in the status row for the relevant order. In some cases, there may be multiple PDF reports available for a single order. Selecting the PDF option will display a list of available reports for you to choose from.

 

If a lab request requires a new specimen, the order status should be updated to Rebleed Required.

The nurse will then need to collect a new specimen and update the status from Rebleed Required to Specimen Collected. The date and time of collection must be entered before selecting Save.

Once saved, a pop-up message will appear confirming the patient’s name, ID number, laboratory name, and a new order number. The original order will be archived, and a new order will be created with the updated order number.

 

Important: For a successful order submission, the following details must be completed in the patient record:

• Patient details, including first name, last name, age, gender, and ID or Passport number, as well as address and contact details.
• Guarantor details – if the patient is not responsible for payment, ensure all relevant information is completed in the Guarantor section of the patient file. 
• ICD-10 codes, which must be recorded in the patient profile

Without this information, the form cannot be submitted




We appreciate you taking the time to read this article. For any additional questions or queries, kindly reach out to Healthware Support.