Orchard Harvest™ LIS Version 5.5 Press Release
Harvest LIS version 5.5 has enhanced decision-making power, making life easier in the laboratory.
Friday, October 17, 2003. Carmel, IN
With the recent release of Harvest LIS version 5.5, Orchard Software's rules-based technology continues to improve its decision-making power -- simplifying workflow and reducing errors.
Building on the comprehensive feature set of previous versions, Orchard Software's latest release of Harvest LIS, version 5.5, adds advanced levels of process automation to address both the workflow and profitability issues facing today's laboratorian.
Orchard Software's President, Rob Bush, stated, "The laboratory environment is constantly evolving and regular upgrades, based on the input of our clients, improve our LIS and simplify lab workflow."
As an example, Harvest LIS 5.5 offers flexible, lab-defined order splitting rules to automatically segregate procedures requiring unique handling from a consolidated order. Users define rules based on the procedure types (microbiology, hematology, etc.), sample types, storage temperatures, testing locations, or order locations of the procedures within the order. When a defined rule is triggered, Harvest LIS 5.5 splits the consolidated order into multiple, separate orders, maintaining original order entry data with each separate order. This will help reduce errors and minimize re-collections, saving time in the lab and improving patient care.
Orchard Software's Vice-president of Sales and Marketing, Curt Johnson continued, "It is our goal to simplify workflow and reduce errors, and with Harvest LIS' enhanced rules and decision-based technology, Harvest LIS will help laboratories improve efficiencies."
Harvest LIS' newest version offers lab-defined CPT calculation rules to automate the process of modifying billing procedures based on conditions specified by insurance and Medicare. Harvest LIS users can define rules that will automatically replace or append a specific procedure's assigned CPT code(s). As an example, rules can be triggered when an order contains a specific combination of procedures or a procedure that has been previously ordered within a specific time frame. Rules can also be based on the patient's insurance and a procedure's assigned testing location. When a defined rule is triggered, Harvest LIS 5.5 changes or adds modifiers to the CPT code prior to sending the transaction to an interfaced billing system. Modified codes are also included on the Billing Summary Report for users who manually bill. This saves valuable time in the billing department.
Besides very intricate enhancements for current users, some additional features are:
- Separate report headers and report bodies provide greater flexibility in patient reports.
- The automatic report delivery has additional rules that may be used to control routing of reports through printers and the number of copies. Harvest LIS can be configured to continue evaluating rules after one rule has fired, enabling users to direct multiple copies to different printers.
- The Auto Approval Report displays a count of the order choices that have been approved either manually or automatically within a selected date span. This report can be used to track auto-validation pass-through rates.
- Version 5.5 has expanded capabilities for bar code readers, for example, bar coded answers to clinical information questions can be scanned to speed up order entry.
- Additional security group settings provide more specific control of access, aiding HIPAA compliance.
- As with all Orchard Software upgrades, version 5.5 is backward compatible, enabling all current Orchard customers to retain all historical patient and database records.
Orchard Software Corporation (Carmel IN) was founded in 1993. Orchard Harvest™ LIS, is installed in over 400 laboratories across the United States - including all sizes of multi-site and multi-specialty clinics, hospitals, and regional reference labs. To enhance laboratory outreach, Orchard Harvest™ Webstation provides outside users - physicians, clinics, and collection stations - online order entry and results retrieval. To address the challenges of the integration and outreach of multiple labs, Orchard Harvest™ CT and Orchard Copia® unite lab networks under a single web-based lab order management and results delivery system.
For further information regarding Orchard Harvest LIS 5.5 or Orchard Software, contact Kevin Dudley at (800) 571-5835 or email sales@orchardsoft.com. You may also complete our online Request for Information Form.