Lab requests and results window
Learn how to review lab requests and results; post orphans and not requested results, and more.
Before you start
Security
- Lab Change Pending Requests
- Lab Not Requested Lab Work
- Lab Orphan Lab Work
- Lab Post Orphans
- Lab Requests and Results
Important!
- Until resolved, orphan and not requested results do not appear in patient history.
Overview
Navigate to Toolbar > Lab Requests and Results. 
- Adjust display by doing any of the following:
- Select/clear the check boxes for Types to include.
- Select the staff associated with the request or result.
- Select the practice associated with the request or result. Note: This option is available for Multi-location single database (MLSD) configured practices only.
- Change the sorting of information by clicking the appropriate column header. Click once to sort in ascending order or click twice to sort in descending order.
- Click Refresh to update with most recent information.
- With a row selected, do any of the following:
- Right-click on a line item to display a list of available menu options, including Refresh, New, Update, Delete, and Patient Clipboard.
- Click the lookup button to see the list of requested profiles and tests.
- Click Update to:
- Update a pending request
- Reprint an in-clinic lab request form or label
- Resolve an orphan or not requested lab result
- Click Reprint Reg to reprint an IDEXX Reference Lab form or label
- Click Close to exit the Lab Requests and Results window.
Actions
Review the Lab Requests and Results window daily to ensure there are no lingering pending requests and to reconcile orphan or Not Requested results in a timely manner.
In the case of orphan or Not Requested results, the results will not be posted to the patient record until these are resolved. When reconciling these results, you can opt to bill or not bill the client for the test; if you choose to bill the client. The charge is sent to the Patient Visit List.
Frequent Not Requested and orphan results should be evaluated for work-flow variances and to determine whether a review of lab item setup and/or additional staff training is needed.
For detailed information on orphans, not requested and more regarding the Lab requests and results window, visit the following:
- Orphan results
- Not requested results
- Not template results
- Rejected results
- Lingering pending requests: See Pending Requests section in Additional Information below.
Additional information
Orphan results
- All All orphan results will also be displayed because they are not associated with any staff person or practice. Once the orphan result is resolved, it will be filtered accordingly.
- Orphan results are caused by test results that cannot be matched to test request. This can occur when:
- A hand-written lab request form was used.
- Deleting a reference lab request before pickup, but submitting the sample and the form.
- Deleting a request after the laboratory receives the sample, without calling the lab.
- Data was entered incorrectly at the laboratory.
- Client or patient information was changed after placing the request.
- The lab request originated outside Cornerstone. Example: It was submitted through vetconnectplus.com or entered directly into the IDEXX VetLab* Station.
- A different test was run than what was ordered.
- Lab invoice items are linked to wrong profiles.
- To determining how an orphan occurred, you will need to evaluate each orphan result individually:
- Is there is a pending request for the patient?
- Does the client and patient information from the laboratory match the client and patient information on the pending request?
- Was a different test run in place of the requested test? To find this out, compare the list of profiles and tests on the pending request with the results received.
- Check the item setup and verify it is linked to the correct profile:
- Navigate to Lists > Invoice Item > search for the item > double click or click Update.
- On the special Action tab, verify the item is associated with the correct profile.
Not requested results
- The cause of not requested results is more tests being run than there were requests. Not requested results occur when:
- Additional tests were performed directly at the IDEXX VetLab Station, without updating the request in the Cornerstone software.
- Staff contacted the reference laboratory directly to add additional tests, without updating the request in the Cornerstone software.
- A different test was run instead of the requested test. Example: The item was not linked to the correct profile.
- The requested profile contained more tests or different tests than what were run.
- A reference lab request was updated before pickup. However, the original form, instead of the updated form, was included.
- To determining how a Not requested occurred, you will need to evaluate each orphan result individually.
- Compare the list of profiles and tests on the pending request with the results received.
- Identify which results were not part of the profile or test request.
Pending requests
- Pending results will be satisfied when test results are returned and matched to a request. Lingering pending requests happen when fewer test results are returned than were included on the request. Common reasons this can occur include:
- Calling the reference laboratory to cancel tests, without deleting the request
- Not performing all tests ordered at the IDEXX VetLab Station.
- Connection problems that prevented results from being imported.
- Invoice items not linked to the correct profile.
- The laboratory integration has been disconnected, and no results are being imported. Review the Lab Results to determine the last time results were received: Activities > Lab Work > Lab Requests Log.
- To identify the reason for a specific unsatisfied individual pending request, you will need to evaluate each request.
- Compare the list of profiles and tests on the pending request with the list of results received.
- Identify the missing test results and then try to determine why you have not received them. Use the list of common reasons above, as a guideline.
- To resolve pending requests
- If the results are received for the remaining requested tests, the pending request will be removed automatically.
- If you know you will not receive the missing results, manually delete the pending request.
- Open the Lab Requests and Results window.
- Right-click the pending request, and click Delete.
- When prompted to confirm, click Yes. The associated billing items are removed from the Patient Visit List. If the billing items cannot be removed, a message alerts you to validate your charges.
Note: Delete a request only if no results are expected. Deleting a request for which results are later received will cause the results to be orphaned.
Avoiding orphan and not requested results
- Make sure that proper workflows are being followed by the staff.
- Make sure items are linked to the correct profiles.
- Make sure any custom profiles are set up correctly. This applies to in-clinic lab only.
- Minimize the occurrence of Not Requested results by using the auto-billing feature, so a default charge is captured.
- If the same test(s) are continually creating Not Requested results, review the linked profile setup.
- Navigate to Lists > Invoice Item > search for the item > double click or click Update.
- On the special Action tab, verify the item is associated with the correct profile.
Related reports
These Cornerstone reports provide information from the actions outlined in this article. Each report has its own security access under the Reports tab of the Security Setup window.
- Lab Request Status Report
