Push Discrete Lab Results to an Encounter Note

Overview

Any lab results that are stored as discrete data in the patient's chart, including any lab results received via an HL7 integration, can be pushed into the text body of an encounter note. This article describes several ways to do that.

Related Articles

• Manually Add Trackable/ Graphable Lab Results Values
• Track Lab Values & Manually Entered Results
• Imported Lab Results
• Text Variables for Chart Parts

Videos

• Adding and Managing Structured Lab Data - Webinar September 2021

Details

There are several different ways to push discrete lab data into the text of your encounter note:

1. Push all of the lab results from a specific lab result document that was received via an electronic lab integration.
2. Push selected lab result values from the lab tracking window.
3. Use text variables within Chart Parts to push values for specific results fields when you run the Chart Part.

1. Push Structured Data Results from Result Document

You can push all of the discrete results that are associated with a specific lab result document into the encounter note at once from the applicable document. Use this method when you want the most current results and want to get all, or most, of the results associated with a particular result document.

To do that, you must first be inside an encounter note. Then, from the note, double-click the Documents header bar on the right to expand that block, if needed. Use the drop-down menu to select the subfolder containing the result, and then click the document containing the results to open it.

Within the document review window, click Push Discrete Results into SOAP Note from the three dots in the upper right-hand corner.

Close the document. In the body of the encounter note, you will see all of the discrete results associated with that specific results document.

2. Push Selected Lab Results from Result Tracking Window

Alternatively, you can use the lab result tracking window to select specific lab result fields that you want to push, and push all of the readings for the selected lab result fields rather than just the most recent reading or the reading associated with a specific result document.

While you are inside an encounter note, place your cursor in the note body where you want the results to go. Then click to expand the Open Orders or tracker area on the right side of the note, and open the lab result tracking window by clicking the graph icon at the top right of the Open Orders block.

In the lab result tracking window that appears, check the boxes to the left of any specific results that you want to push into the encounter note.

• TIP: To select a range of rows, check the box at the top of the range, hold down Shift, and check the box at the bottom of the range.
• TIP: Create filters for your lab result fields to quickly view, and more easily select, different subsets of results fields.

Once you've selected the results fields to push, click the Manage Checked drop-down menu and select Push Fields into SOAP Note. Then close the lab results window.

That will push in all readings for the selected results, along with the defined normal ranges, at the spot in the note where your cursor was.

3. Use Text Variables within Chart Parts to Push Values for Specific Results Fields

Finally, if there are certain results that you regularly want to push into the text of your note, and you do not want to have to select them each time, you can use text variables within Chart Parts to push values for specific results fields when you run the Chart Part.

The syntax for the text variable you would use is:

[[pt_lab:NAME OF LAB RESULT FIELD]]

The name of the lab result field should be formatted exactly as you see it in the lab result tracking window. So, if that is CATECHOLAMINES (URINE), the text variable would be [[pt_lab:CATECHOLAMINES (URINE)]].

That will pull in just the most recent value for the specific result, if the patient has any in their record. But you can add a number in parentheses after the result field name to instead push in a set number of previous readings. That syntax would be:

[[pt_lab:NAME OF LAB RESULT FIELD(#)]] where # = the number of previous readings to push

For example, [[pt_lab:TSH(3)]] will push in the last 3 TSH values for that patient, all in one string instead of separated by line breaks:

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