Signed Imaging/Radiology Orders Required Nov. 1
BWH’s new policy of requiring all imaging and Radiology orders from ordering providers in ambulatory BWH Radiology practices, Faulkner practices and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to be signed before the examination is performed takes effect Nov. 1 following a transition period that began in September. There is no change for ordering of inpatient or emergency department imaging examinations.
Ambulatory imaging exams will not be performed without signature. All imaging orders for these ambulatory practices must be signed by a nurse practitioner (NP), physician assistant (PA) or physician before the exam is performed. There is one exception: the requested examination is a clinical emergency and the requesting provider is not immediately available. Such requests must be signed within 24 hours of the exam’s completion.
NPs and PAs may order Radiology exams as before. They must specify an associated physician in the order, and the order must be co-signed by an associated physician within 48 hours of the exam’s performance. This physician will be billing provider and used for pre-authorization. Both the physician and the NP or PA will receive a copy of the radiology report. Orders entered by non-clinical support staff will not be performed until co-signed by the associated physician; NPs and PAs cannot co-sign these orders.
E-mails will be sent daily at 5 p.m. to any physician who has outstanding unsigned orders. The e-mail will contain a link to the complete unsigned orders worklist in Percipio. Enter your user ID and five-character BICS key. The default screen is set to “Unsigned Orders Worklist.” You will have the option of signing all unsigned orders or selecting individual orders for signing.
Percipio is accessible through desktop Start menus, and through a secure Web connection without VPN access at https://percipio.partners.org To sign orders from LMR, enter Percipio from any patient record, select “Worklist” on the left, and then “Unsigned Orders.”
When a physician logs onto Percipio, the system will default to the physician’s list of unsigned orders. There are many shortcuts Percipio users can set up to make ordering more efficient. To set up these shortcuts, or arrange for training for individual physicians or practices, please email Percipio@partners.org