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SO005 Pathology Order Set

  • Updated
Standard Order Category: Category 2
Who should fulfill this SO? SO Analyst
Link to the SO request form: http://communitysystems.vch.ca/published/UR_-_Pathology_Set_(VCH).pdf

Reminder to please follow the Standard Order Guidelines on top of the specific instructions outlined below.


Background
Prerequisite: Requester to Complete the SO Request Form
Prerequisite: Approval from Clinical Informatics
Fulfillment Instructions
     Add a New Order Set
     Update an Existing Order Set
     Delete an Order Set
Appendix: Investigation/Investigation Sets Items Definitions

Background

Add, modify or delete pathology order sets. 

Notes:

  • Users know this as Pathology Sets, rather than the technical name Pathology Order Sets. All external documentation, like the SO request form, will be referencing this area of impact as Pathology Sets.
  • As per ATP, the Radiology Order Sets SO is retired as of Nov 17 2025

Prerequisite: Requester to Complete the SO Request Form

If a request was received for this Standard Order but without using the SO request form, send the form's URL link to the requester. After receiving the form submission, ensure all the mandatory fields are completed before proceeding. If not, discuss further with the requester.

Prerequisite: Approval from Clinical Informatics 

Clinical Informatics approval is required. Once the requester has completed the SO request form and the main SO JIRA has been created:

  • Set the JIRA status to Waiting for Approval
  • Attach the SO Request Form to the JIRA
  • Create a subtask for SO005CIS Approval for EMR-XXXXX, where EMR-XXXXX is the JIRA ID. Assign it based on the CIS based on the Clinical Informatics Specialist (CIS) - Matrix

Fulfillment Instructions

Create a subtask for SO005 Implementation for EMR-XXXXX, where EMR-XXXXX is the JIRA ID. Assign it to yourself. Note: do not create this subtask earlier while waiting for CIS Approval; create it only once CIS has approved. If this is not followed, this will report inaccurate metrics for the monthly performance reports.

Add a New Order Set

  1. Sign into EMR DEV using an account with a Sys Admin or Support Analyst role
  2. Open a New Encounter for either a client (PARIS ID 148 or 84484)
  3. Click Pathology in the action panel
  4. Go to the Find tab and search for the item(s)
  5. Double-click the item to add it to into the middle panel
  6. Repeat the step above until all desired items are in the middle panel.
    Note: To create a set in proper order, add tests in original order (top to bottom). Do not add them in reversed order (bottom to top). Although the order shows wrong when creating the set, it will be correct after the set is created.
  7. Right click the middle panel and select New Set and enter details as outlined in the SO request form
  8. Click Save & Close
  9. Close the New Encounter window without save
  10. Go to Maintain > Investigation > Sets to open Investigations window
  11. Confirm new set and its items
  12. If all is good, repeat steps in Profile EMR Production
  13. Reminder: complete deployment steps in VTM after completing in production. This will ensure the Self-Training environment contains this work upon next refresh. Use the generic ADMIN user account to do so.
  14. Reply back to the requester's email, notifying the request's completion.

Update an Existing Order Set

  1. Sign into EMR DEV using an account with a Sys Admin or Support Analyst role
  2. Go to Maintain > Investigations > Reference List to open Investigations window
  3. Click Open Sets to open the Investigation Sets window
  4. In the Investigation Sets window:
    1. Find and select the set that needs to be modified
    2. Highlight any items that need to be removed in the set and click Delete
  5. In the Investigations window, set Filter Type to Pathology and Department to find the item
  6. Drag the item from the Investigations window, drop it into the Investigation Set window underneath the set that needs to be modified
  7. Confirm the changes you've made
  8. If all is good, repeat steps in Profile EMR Production
  9. Reminder: complete deployment steps in VTM after completing in production. This will ensure the Self-Training environment contains this work upon next refresh. Use the generic ADMIN user account to do so.
  10. Reply back to the requester's email, notifying the request's completion.

Delete an Order Set

  1. Sign into EMR DEV using an account with a Sys Admin or Support Analyst role
  2. Go to Maintain > Investigations > Sets to open Investigation Set window
  3. Right-click on the desired Investigation Set and select Delete
  4. Select Yes when the alert window pops up: Do you want to delete the selected set
  5. Confirm the Order Set is no longer available
  6. If all is good, log into Profile EMR Production using your Support Analyst account
  7. Take a screenshot of the Order Set and save it in the SO folder as a file with a descriptive name, including the word backup within it
  8. After saving the backup from EMR Support, repeat all other steps done in the EMR DEV environment into Profile EMR Production
  9. Reminder: complete deployment steps in VTM after completing in production. This will ensure the Self-Training environment contains this work upon next refresh. Use the generic ADMIN user account to do so.
  10. Reply back to the requester's email, notifying the request's completion.

Appendix: Investigation/Investigation Sets Items Definitions

1. Short Name

Used for display in lists and dropdowns where space is limited. Must be unique within each Department. Shown in investigation selection lists, ordering windows, and investigation sets.

2. Group Test

Not directly related to Investigation Sets. The checkbox sets the IsGroup flag on the investigation. Investigation Sets are separate objects (IBInvestigationRefGroup) that link multiple investigations. The IsGroup flag doesn't appear to affect printouts; the Group field (see #6) is what affects printouts.

3. Order Code

Unique identifier used for:

  • Import/export (Jaffa format)
  • Finding investigations when processing external data
  • External system integration (HL7, NZE orders)
  • Must be unique system-wide
  • Numeric-only codes are reserved for system use

4. Result Code

Stored in the database but has minimal active usage. May be used for external result reporting or future functionality. Not prominently used in current workflows.

5. Category

Yes — Category determines form compatibility. When set to SOPLR (scsi_InvestigationCategory_SOPLR), the investigation can be used with the SOPLR Order Form. Other category options exist and may be used for different order form types or organization. For existing SOPLR investigations, the Name field becomes read-only.

6. Group

Organizational grouping using a Short Code category. Used on printed order forms (SOPLR, NB Standard Lab Order Form) to group related investigations. The GroupDescr appears on printouts in uppercase. Different from the "Group Test" checkbox — this is a Short Code reference for display/organization.

7. Patient Cost

Appears in the ordering window and is used in price calculations. It does not automatically trigger:

  • End of Encounter items
  • Unprocessed items
  • Claims
  • Invoices

It is informational/reference only. Billing must be done separately through financial modules.

8. Total Cost

Stored but has minimal active usage. Likely intended for internal cost tracking (vs. Patient Cost which is patient-facing). Not prominently used in ordering windows or calculations.

9. Information Tab

Not just notes. The Information tab contains RTF text that can be printed on order forms. When "Print Instructions" is enabled (e.g., on SOPLR forms), the Information content is included in the printout in the "Info/Instructions" section. It serves as both a notes section and functional content for printed forms.