NOTE: This is an update of an article published last July, with updated information on laboratory work.
GO2 Partners is an essential business, and we’re working with many of the other businesses on the front line of the crisis gripping our nation and the world.
While many of us are trapped at home helping stop the spread of the virus, medical professionals are working tirelessly to ramp up the testing necessary to track COVID-19 and prevent future outbreaks.
GO2’s ExpressReq™ program is one way we are helping the clinical and diagnostic laboratory business scale their testing program to meet current needs. With ExpressReq’s™, labs and hospitals have access to requisitions within 48 hours. The specification options include:
- Customized one-part, two-part or three-part COVID-19 requisitions;
- Requisitions include barcoded labels with laboratory grade adhesive;
- Unique Identifiers for each participant ensuring accuracy.
With custom forms, as well as barcode labels linked to the patient, labs can focus on the critical testing work. Custom requisition forms increase efficiency in the labs, helping boost accuracy and keeping skilled employees focused on critical work, rather than paperwork.
A Close Look at Custom Requisition Forms
A requisition form, or requisition or req form, is a written and formal request for a service or product. Often, procurement cannot be completed until there is a requisition form in place. This provides a standardized process for procurement and a record of the transaction.
For laboratories, a lab requisition form is a written request for a medical test or procedure. It is written by a doctor or medical facility, and then fulfilled at the lab. The documentation will include sensitive medical information, as well as:
- Patient data;
- A record of the ordering physician or medical facility;
- Test information;
- Specimen information;
- Billing information (as needed).
Mistakes and Costs of Laboratory Forms
Because of the sensitive information on the req form, and the need for accuracy in medical testing, mistakes on lab forms can be very costly. As the pace and need for lab testing has increased, so has the risk of mistakes.
Patient information is protected by HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations. This protects and safeguards an individual’s personal health information. The form must balance the need for patient information and the need to protect that information, otherwise the lab and doctor can be subject to a fine.
The testing facility and the doctor must communicate through the lab form. The doctor needs to provide instructions the lab will use to carry out the test. Test results also need to be securely and efficiently passed along after the test. Missing or incorrect information can lead to delays or PII (Personally Identifiable Information) violations.
Errors and mistakes can lead to fatal flaws in patient testing; and worse cause a systemic data breach—triggering a lawsuit.
Custom Requisition Forms: A Solution for Clinical Labs
One way for labs to reduce mistakes and increase efficiency is with custom requisition forms.
A custom requisition form is printed for a specific customer or client, automatically including pre-determined information. For example, client specific testing information or instructions could be pre-printed on the form. Other client preferences can be added like a logo or additional data points the client values for internal purposes.
Even patient information can be pulled from a database and included on a form when using a qualified print provider, minimizing the amount of data entry needed for a collection.
Custom Req Forms with GO2 Lab Media
Many labs are limited on the customization they can offer a client because of outdated dot matrix overprint technology. Laboratories struggle to successfully implement a complex custom req form program without adding costly inventory. The lab doesn’t have the equipment or expertise to accurately produce complex high-quality custom requisition forms.
ExpressReqs™, a custom requisition form solution offered by GO2 Partners, provides just-in-time, flexible custom requisition options for labs. Using a wide variety of templates and the label designs, clients can order the forms they need when they need it, making new market/client roll outs quick and easy.
Orders are typically filled within 24 – 48 hours. Sequential numbers are assigned prior to production to prevent any occurrence of duplicated numbers. The ExpressReq™ print on demand solution includes a comprehensive quality control program to any catch errors before they reach the lab.
Contact GO2 Lab Media today to learn more about custom requisition forms and the ExpressReqs™ program.
