Laboratory Compliance

The URMC clinical laboratories provide routine, stat, and a broad range of specialized testing services to support the needs of primary care physicians and specialists alike. We are committed to providing the best laboratory service in the region and to staying abreast of the latest innovations in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

As a part of our ongoing efforts to work together in providing optimal laboratory service and meeting all compliance regulations, we share several important recommendations. Keeping these points in mind when completing laboratory requisitions will avoid violation of compliance regulations and reduce the number of follow up telephone calls to your office.

• Please write legibly (this is the most common problem area)!

• Every requisition needs
  • patient name
  • diagnoses
  • provider name (for all requests) and signature (currently required only for Medicaid patients) of the requesting health care provider

• When ordering lab tests with Local Medical Review Policies (currently applicable to Medicare patients), it is especially important to provide the most complete and accurate diagnostic description to document the medical reason for the test.
  • Local Medical Review Policies are available upon request (call Robin McIlwaine at 273-2013) or can be accessed on line at:
    http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/Path/Medicare/index.htm

• DO NOT use "rule-out", "suspicious of" or "suggestive of" on outpatient requisitions. Please list the signs and symptoms, or the diagnoses as long as the documentation in the patient's medical record supports the order.

• When ordering tests to monitor long-term medication, you must include the name of the medication and the reason the patient is on the medication. For example,
  • "Coumandin" and "Atrial Fibrillation"
  • "Tegretol" and "Seizures"
  • "Tacrolimus" and "Liver Transplant"

• When ordering pre-op lab tests, you must include the diagnosis for the procedure, i.e., "CAD for cardiac cath" or "Pre-op for lung cancer".

For any questions on laboratory compliance issues, please contact:

Robin McIlwaine

Phone: Email:

273-2013 robin_mcilwaine@urmc.rochester.edu

For more information regarding compliance, send email to compliance@urmc.rochester.edu.