We just went to an electronic medical record and we send all staging
forms to physician's offices. Here's why; we use HBOC horizon patient
folder and I was told that we would have to program the deficiency
system for staging forms, which they thought would be very time
consuming. In other words the computer would have to look for a check
mark in any of the "T" boxes, then any of the "N" boxes and so on. We
are able to scan in completed forms, but there just didn't seem to be an
easy way to scan in blank forms and then let them complete on line.

There is another facility in our state that has the same HBOC system,
and when we visited them they were doing the Dr office thing also.

We started out having pathology send out the forms with the reports,
but we recently changed because there were a few problems...and the
registrar really has the most complete picture.

Here's our process:
1) Registrar picks up path reports
2) Casefind, check to see if new prim or recurrence
3) Send out to managing physician's office if this is the most
definitive surgery (our breast surgeons were complaining about multiple
forms so we just changed this). We have a cover letter and a return
envelope*
4) Record in the excel file name of patient, date sent out, Dr sent
to. If this is not most definitive surgery I record those names in red
so I know I'm waiting for more path reports before I send out form
5) Every week I just check over the list and make calls if I need to
on overdue forms (we have 90 days from dischage to scan in a form).

*we use a bar coded system, which means we must have the original with
the bar code. Bar codes can not be copied. So getting a fax from the Dr.
won't work. However, we are looking into a system where we print out a
sheet of labels with bar codes, and then I could fax, and then put on my
own bar codes.

Sorry so long, it's just a twisted process!

Linda Corrigan