eStar changes and updates announced

Routing Communications

As a general practice, all eStar users who send communications (e.g., print/mail, faxes, In Basket messages, etc.) are responsible for locating the correct recipient or adding them in the system. Following this process will help reduce communication-related errors, such as failed faxes.  

Once a recipient is selected or found, his/her communication preference icon (mail, fax, or In Basket) is visible beside the name and should not be changed. When manually entering a recipient, users should verify all fields are accurately completed. 

View the Tip Sheet “Routing Communications” (available within Learning Home Dashboard and Hubbl) for more information.

Associating Diagnoses with Charges

Beginning Sept. 12, eStar will now require that there be an associated diagnosis for each professional charge. This change will ensure proper billing, streamline the clinician workflow, and prevent unwanted errors when clinicians sign encounters. 

Upon signing the encounter, clinicians will receive an error if charge is selected that does not have an associated diagnosis. An error message will direct them to visit Charge Capture section. From there, they can view the “Dx” icon to see if the charge has an associated diagnosis (non-interlocking circles indicate lack of diagnosis). If not, the clinician can click the charge to associate a diagnosis. 

View the Tip Sheet “Associating Charges with Diagnoses” (available within Learning Home Dashboard and Hubbl) for more information. 

Authorizing Clinician Required for Orders (Outpatient)

Beginning Sept. 12, residents and fellows in the outpatient setting will be required to enter authorizing clinician name when entering orders. This is to help ensure a clinician is making the final decision regarding appropriate results routing. It will also prevent clinicians from receiving results for patients not under their care.

A new dialog box will appear when the resident/fellow enters order for outpatient and clicks “Sign”. The dialog will ask that the resident/fellow enter the name of the authorizing (attending) clinician before the order can continue. The resident/fellow will only have to enter this information once per patient encounter (though it will need to re-entered if a neweStar session is opened for the same encounter).

Please note that the new workflow is independent of the clinician designated when the patient checked in for visit. Additionally, the authorizing provider is an eStar designation necessary for proper billing and results routing and is not the same as the co-signing provider (requirements for co-signatures for order have not changed). 

The change does not alter existing results routing conventions. Ordering clinicians (e.g., resident/fellow) will receive both normal and abnormal results, while the attending/authorizing clinician will receive only abnormal results. 

View the Tip Sheet “Outpatient Resident-Fellow Authorizing Provider Update” (available within Learning Home Dashboard and Hubbl) for more screenshots and more information.