xLAB Order Entry Help System
Order Entry provides a means to enter Patient Demographic information, Encounter information and sample orders into your xLab. In addition previously entered patients can be easily found, edited and new orders placed. Order entry is also customizable (see OrderEntry Setup) to set which fields appear and which fields are required.
Patient, Encounter and Samples
It is important to understand the relationship between Patients, Encounter and Samples.
- Patient - Patient specific demographic information. Name, address, etc. Each patient in xLab has one patient demographic record.
- Encounder - Also know as Visit, Encounter represents a specific patient visit. Things like Insurance carriers, billing type, etc. are visit specific entities. Each patient can have any number of visits in xLab.
- Sample - Sample is the information regarding a specific sample draw including a unique Sample ID, Draw date and time, test requestsm, etc. Each vist can hace one or more samples.
So in summary, a Patient may have one or more Encounters (Visits) and each Encounter (Visit) may have one or more samples. Note: If you do not want to using the xLab Billing Report there is no reason to complete the Encounter Tab. xLab automatically completes the required Encounter fields so you don't have to. If, on the other hand, if you intend to utilize the xLab Billing report, you will need to complete the encounter tab.
Important Patient Demographic Fields
- Patient MRN - MRN (Medical Record Number) is unique to each xLab patient and cannot be duplicated. While patients may have the same name, sex and even DOB, they can never have the same MRN. It also important to remember that most all EMR systems utilize MRN (along with Patient name and DOB) to uniquely identify patients. For xLab users that do not intend to utilize an EMR interface (where a specific MRN is required), xLab can automatically create a MRN for you.
- DOB - While DOB may not be set as Required (see OrderEntry Setup) whenever possibleDOB should be supplied (as well as Sex)
- Sex - Like DOB may not be set as Requred but should be entered whenever possible. Reference Ranges checking depend upon Data Of Birth as well as Sex to calculate the appropriate range.

Important Encounter Fields
If you are not utilizing xLab Billing Report or a Billing Host Interface, there is limited or no information you need to supply for the Encounter. xLab will automatically complete any required fields. If you utilize Height and/or Weight for any calculations you will obviously need this information completed.
- Visit ID - Typically let xLab automatically assigne a Visit ID. Visit ID is unique for each Encounter.
- Admit Date/Time - This is defaulted to the Data and Time the visit is created but you may manually enter it as well
- Type - In Patient, Out Patient, etc.
- Billing Type - If you are using the xLab billing report or a Billing interface you will need th billing type.
- Guarantor Information - The details of who is guaranteeing payment of the service
- Primary Insurance - The Primary insurer (if third party billing)
- Secondary Insurance - The Secondary inserer if any (if third party billing)

Important Sample Information
- Accession - A unique number identifing this sample commonly called Sample ID. Unless there is a specific reason to manually enter an Accession, let xLab automatically assign one.
- Ordered - When the sample requiest was ordered, by whom for which Provider.
- Received - When the sample was received by the lab
- Collected - Is/Was the sample collected, when, by whom and where.

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