Results Management in RXNT
Review every result, act on every finding, and communicate the plan clearly.
This workflow explains how providers and clinical staff should receive, review, route, document, communicate, and follow up on laboratory, imaging, pathology, diagnostic, and outside results inside RXNT.
← Return to RXNT CenterWorkflow Purpose
Results management ensures that diagnostic information does not remain unread, unaddressed, or disconnected from the patient’s plan of care.
Every result must be reviewed by the appropriate provider, evaluated for clinical significance, linked to a clear follow-up plan, communicated to the patient when required, and documented in the patient record.
- Confirm the result belongs to the correct patient.
- Identify the ordering provider and associated order.
- Review the complete result and abnormal indicators.
- Determine the required clinical action.
- Communicate results and instructions to the patient.
- Create and track follow-up tasks when needed.
- Document all review and communication activity.
- Confirm the result is resolved and no longer pending.
Critical Standards
Confirm the patient’s full name, date of birth, ordering provider, and test information before documenting or communicating a result.
Clinical staff may route and communicate provider instructions, but they must not independently diagnose, interpret, or create a treatment plan beyond their role.
Critical, life-threatening, or time-sensitive findings require immediate provider notification and documented action.
The record should show who reviewed the result, the decision made, who contacted the patient, the instructions provided, and what follow-up remains.
Results Management Overview
Receive Result
Confirm the result is attached to the correct patient, order, provider, and date.
Review & Prioritize
Identify critical, abnormal, urgent, routine, incomplete, or unmatched results.
Provider Action
The provider interprets the result and documents the clinical plan.
Communicate
Notify the patient using the approved method and provide provider-directed instructions.
Track & Resolve
Complete follow-up tasks, repeat testing, referrals, treatment, or scheduling and confirm closure.
Results That Require Management
Lab Results
Review completed bloodwork, urine testing, cultures, pathology-related laboratory findings, and other interfaced or manually received lab results.
Imaging Results
Review X-ray, ultrasound, mammography, CT, MRI, DEXA, and other radiology reports for findings and recommended follow-up.
Pathology Results
Review biopsy, cytology, Pap testing, surgical pathology, and other tissue-based results requiring diagnosis-specific follow-up.
Point-of-Care Results
Document and review rapid tests, urinalysis, glucose, A1C, pregnancy testing, EKG findings, and other testing completed in the clinic.
Outside Results
Review results received by fax, portal, scanned document, specialist report, hospital record, or external laboratory system.
Missing or Unmatched Results
Identify ordered tests that have no result, results that cannot be matched to an order, or records routed to the wrong provider or patient.
Critical Results
Treat critical values, urgent imaging findings, serious pathology findings, and other high-risk results as immediate escalation items.
Stable or Expected Results
Routine or expected results still require provider review, appropriate patient communication, and documentation of the plan.
Repeat Testing & Monitoring
Track repeat labs, surveillance imaging, medication monitoring, chronic disease testing, and other future result-related work.
Critical Result Rule
Critical or potentially life-threatening results must never remain in a routine inbox or task queue without immediate action. Notify the responsible provider at once, document the notification, follow the provider’s instructions, and continue escalation until responsibility is clearly accepted and the patient safety plan is established.
Patient Communication Standard
A result is not fully managed merely because it was reviewed. The patient must receive the provider-directed result message, recommendations, treatment changes, follow-up timeframe, and warning signs when applicable. Document each contact attempt and the final outcome. Never leave a vague message containing sensitive clinical details.
Results Management in RXNT
Review every result, act on every finding, and communicate the plan clearly.
This workflow explains how providers and clinical staff should receive, review, route, document, communicate, and follow up on laboratory, imaging, pathology, diagnostic, and outside results inside RXNT.
← Return to RXNT CenterWorkflow Purpose
Results management ensures that diagnostic information does not remain unread, unaddressed, or disconnected from the patient’s plan of care.
Every result must be reviewed by the appropriate provider, evaluated for clinical significance, linked to a clear follow-up plan, communicated to the patient when required, and documented in the patient record.
- Confirm the result belongs to the correct patient.
- Identify the ordering provider and associated order.
- Review the complete result and abnormal indicators.
- Determine the required clinical action.
- Communicate results and instructions to the patient.
- Create and track follow-up tasks when needed.
- Document all review and communication activity.
- Confirm the result is resolved and no longer pending.
Critical Standards
Confirm the patient’s full name, date of birth, ordering provider, and test information before documenting or communicating a result.
Clinical staff may route and communicate provider instructions, but they must not independently diagnose, interpret, or create a treatment plan beyond their role.
Critical, life-threatening, or time-sensitive findings require immediate provider notification and documented action.
The record should show who reviewed the result, the decision made, who contacted the patient, the instructions provided, and what follow-up remains.
Results Management Overview
Receive Result
Confirm the result is attached to the correct patient, order, provider, and date.
Review & Prioritize
Identify critical, abnormal, urgent, routine, incomplete, or unmatched results.
Provider Action
The provider interprets the result and documents the clinical plan.
Communicate
Notify the patient using the approved method and provide provider-directed instructions.
Track & Resolve
Complete follow-up tasks, repeat testing, referrals, treatment, or scheduling and confirm closure.
Results That Require Management
Lab Results
Review completed bloodwork, urine testing, cultures, pathology-related laboratory findings, and other interfaced or manually received lab results.
Imaging Results
Review X-ray, ultrasound, mammography, CT, MRI, DEXA, and other radiology reports for findings and recommended follow-up.
Pathology Results
Review biopsy, cytology, Pap testing, surgical pathology, and other tissue-based results requiring diagnosis-specific follow-up.
Point-of-Care Results
Document and review rapid tests, urinalysis, glucose, A1C, pregnancy testing, EKG findings, and other testing completed in the clinic.
Outside Results
Review results received by fax, portal, scanned document, specialist report, hospital record, or external laboratory system.
Missing or Unmatched Results
Identify ordered tests that have no result, results that cannot be matched to an order, or records routed to the wrong provider or patient.
Critical Results
Treat critical values, urgent imaging findings, serious pathology findings, and other high-risk results as immediate escalation items.
Stable or Expected Results
Routine or expected results still require provider review, appropriate patient communication, and documentation of the plan.
Repeat Testing & Monitoring
Track repeat labs, surveillance imaging, medication monitoring, chronic disease testing, and other future result-related work.
Critical Result Rule
Critical or potentially life-threatening results must never remain in a routine inbox or task queue without immediate action. Notify the responsible provider at once, document the notification, follow the provider’s instructions, and continue escalation until responsibility is clearly accepted and the patient safety plan is established.
Patient Communication Standard
A result is not fully managed merely because it was reviewed. The patient must receive the provider-directed result message, recommendations, treatment changes, follow-up timeframe, and warning signs when applicable. Document each contact attempt and the final outcome. Never leave a vague message containing sensitive clinical details.
Step-by-Step Results Management
Open and Verify the Result
Confirm the result belongs to the correct patient and is associated with the correct clinical activity.
- Verify patient name and date of birth.
- Confirm the test name and collection or service date.
- Identify the ordering provider.
- Confirm the result is linked to the correct order when possible.
- Review the source, facility, and report status.
Review the Complete Report
Do not rely only on a highlighted value, summary line, or abnormal flag.
- Review all reported values and findings.
- Read comments, impressions, and recommendations.
- Compare with relevant prior results when appropriate.
- Identify incomplete, corrected, preliminary, or amended reports.
- Confirm whether additional components remain pending.
Prioritize the Result
- Critical or life-threatening
- Urgent or time-sensitive
- Abnormal requiring provider action
- Routine or expected
- Incomplete or preliminary
- Unmatched or incorrectly routed
Critical and urgent findings must not remain in a routine queue.
Complete Provider Review
The responsible provider reviews the clinical significance and determines the plan.
- Document the interpretation or clinical significance.
- Identify treatment or medication changes.
- Enter repeat testing or monitoring orders.
- Create referrals or additional diagnostic orders.
- Determine the patient communication method and urgency.
- Document warning signs or emergency precautions when needed.
Communicate With the Patient
- Verify patient identity before discussing results.
- Use the provider-approved message and instructions.
- Communicate clearly without independently interpreting beyond the documented plan.
- Confirm the patient understands the next step.
- Document questions or concerns requiring provider follow-up.
- Schedule follow-up when directed.
Document Every Contact Attempt
Each outreach attempt must be recorded, even when the patient is not reached.
- Date and time of attempt
- Method used
- Phone number or approved contact channel
- Whether a message was left
- Information communicated
- Patient response or outcome
- Next required action
Create and Track Follow-Up Work
- Schedule follow-up appointments.
- Enter repeat laboratory or imaging orders.
- Initiate referrals.
- Route medication changes.
- Create tasks for unresolved patient contact.
- Track additional testing and specialist recommendations.
Do not mark the result complete while required follow-up remains unassigned or untracked.
Resolve the Result
- Confirm provider review is documented.
- Confirm the patient was notified or outreach was completed.
- Verify all orders, referrals, prescriptions, and appointments were entered.
- Confirm unresolved work has an active task and responsible owner.
- Update the result status according to the RXNT workflow.
- Verify the item no longer appears as unread or unaddressed.
✅ Best Practices
- Review result queues every business day.
- Prioritize critical and oldest results first.
- Read the complete report before acting.
- Document the provider’s plan clearly.
- Use closed-loop communication.
- Track repeat testing until completion.
- Confirm all routed tasks have an assigned owner.
⚠️ Common Errors
- Marking a result reviewed without documenting a plan.
- Assuming normal results require no communication.
- Leaving results in the wrong provider’s queue.
- Closing a result before patient notification.
- Failing to track repeat testing.
- Leaving vague voicemail messages with sensitive details.
- Documenting “patient notified” without the date, method, or instructions.
🚨 Escalate Immediately
- Critical or potentially life-threatening findings
- Urgent radiology or pathology recommendations
- Serious results with no available provider
- Inability to reach a high-risk patient
- A result attached to the wrong patient
- A major discrepancy between the order and result
- RXNT routing failures affecting timely review
Critical Result Escalation Workflow
1. Confirm
Verify the patient, test, value or finding, reporting facility, date, and caller information.
2. Notify Immediately
Contact the responsible provider through the approved urgent communication method.
3. Continue Escalation
If the provider does not respond, continue through the TNC escalation chain until responsibility is accepted.
4. Document the Outcome
Record the time, individuals contacted, provider instructions, patient communication, and completed safety actions.
Patient Contact Attempts
First Attempt
Call the patient using the verified number. Leave only an approved, non-detailed message requesting a return call when voicemail is reached.
Continued Attempts
Repeat outreach according to the urgency of the result and provider direction. Use approved alternate contact methods when appropriate.
Unable to Reach
Notify the provider, document all attempts, and follow the directed escalation plan. High-risk findings must not be closed as “unable to contact” without further action.
Missing Ordered Results
An order without a corresponding result requires follow-up rather than being assumed incomplete by the patient.
- Confirm the patient completed the test.
- Contact the performing facility when appropriate.
- Verify the correct provider and clinic information were used.
- Request the report through the approved channel.
- Notify the provider when the test was not completed.
- Document the outcome and next action.
Unmatched or Misrouted Results
Results received without a matching order or routed to the wrong location must be investigated promptly.
- Verify patient identifiers.
- Identify the ordering provider.
- Confirm whether the order exists elsewhere in the chart.
- Route the result to the correct provider.
- Escalate wrong-patient attachments immediately.
- Document the correction without altering the original clinical content.
Documentation Examples
✅ Complete Documentation
CBC and CMP reviewed by provider. Potassium elevated at 5.8. Provider instructed patient to discontinue potassium supplement, increase hydration, repeat BMP tomorrow morning, and seek emergency care for chest pain, palpitations, weakness, or shortness of breath. Patient identity verified by name and DOB. Patient reached by phone at 2:14 PM, repeated instructions back correctly, and agreed to complete testing tomorrow. Repeat BMP order entered and follow-up task assigned to clinical staff.
❌ Incomplete Documentation
Labs abnormal. Called patient. Repeat later.