Overview

Any lab results that are stored as discrete data in the patient's chart - which includes 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.


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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 results values from the lab tracking window (see Track Lab Values & Manually Entered Results).
  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. You would use this method when you just want the most current results, and you want to get all (or most) of the results associated with a particular result document.


To do that, you will open the lab result document from within the Encounter Note view. Double click on the orange Documents header bar to expand that block, if needed. Use the drop down menu (shown below) to select the subfolder containing the result, and then click on 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 the discrete results associated with that specific results document.



2. Push Selected Lab Results from Result Tracking Window

Alternately, you can use the lab result tracking window to:

  • Select specific lab results fields that you want to push, and
  • Push ALL the readings for the selected lab results fields, rather than just the most recent reading or the reading associated with a specific result document.


While in the encounter note, put your cursor in the note body where you want the results to go. Then open the lab result tracking window by clicking on the graph icon at the top right of the Open Orders block at the right of the note.


In the lab result tracking window that appears, you can 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 your Shift key, and check the box at the bottom of the range.
  • TIP: create filters for your lab results fields to quickly view (and more easily select) different subsets of results fields.


Once you've selected the results fields to push, click on the Manage Checked drop down menu and select "Push Fields into SOAP Note." Then close that 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:


See also: Track Lab Values & Manually Entered Results



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 don't want to have to go and 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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