Overview of laboratory data tools available in a single electronic medical record.

BACKGROUND: Laboratory data account for the bulk of data stored in any given electronic medical record (EMR). To best serve the user, electronic laboratory data needs to be flexible and customizable. Our aim was to determine the various ways in which laboratory data get utilized by clinicians in our health system's EMR.

METHOD: All electronic menus, tabs, flowsheets, notes and subsections within the EMR (Millennium v2007.13, Cerner Corporation, Kansas City, MO, US) were explored to determine how clinicians utilize discrete laboratory data.

RESULTS: LABORATORY DATA IN THE EMR WERE UTILIZED BY CLINICIANS IN FIVE DISTINCT WAYS: within flowsheets, their personal inbox (EMR messaging), with decision support tools, in the health maintenance tool, and when incorporating laboratory data into their clinical notes and letters.

CONCLUSIONS: Flexible electronic laboratory data in the EMR hava many advantages. Users can view, sort, pool, and appropriately route laboratory information to better support trend analyses, clinical decision making, and clinical charting. Laboratory data in the EMR can also be utilized to develop clinical decision support tools. Pathologists need to participate in the creation of these EMR tools in order to better support the appropriate utilization of laboratory information in the EMR.