Ordering Procedures in Vetstar

Click here to download a hard copy of these instructions (Microsoft Word format)

• Make all entries under your own login. Do not share logins or passwords.
  Contact vetstar-help@cvm.uiuc.edu or Medical Records if you forget your password.
• Do not enter or delete procedures on your personal account.
• Procedures added to the Charge screen record medical procedures performed and supplies used.
• Imaging and Diagnostic Lab procedures generate a requisition that prints in the imaging or lab locations.
• If an estimate has been created on the patient account, you will see that information at the top of the Charge screen, and will see a prompt if the balance exceeds the estimated amount.

1. Access your patient’s account. Verify that a visit is open. This will be indicated in the Visit Information area of the HOME screen:




2. Click on the CHARGES button on the left side of the screen to enter the Charge screen.
   
3. Once in the Charge screen, make sure you are in ADD mode.

   The screen mode is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

   There are 3 ways to change to ADD mode:

   • Press the F5 key
   • Click on the ADD icon at the top of the screen.
   • Click on the Transaction Date field in the first empty charge line:

4. Complete each field in the charge entry line. Enter your data and then press the ENTER key to move to the next field (the right arrow key and mouse do not yield consistent results).
   
5. Enter the date performed into the Transaction Date field . You may enter it as 6 digits (042808) or as "M/D/YY" (4/28/08).
   Note: If the current date is not correct, change this field to the date performed. This is part of the electronic medical record, and should be as accurate as possible. The performing date prints on the invoice that the owner receives.
   
   
6. Press the ENTER key to accept the default Visit Type, if it is correct.
   
   If necessary, change to the correct Visit Type. To find a different visit type code, open a search Window (click on the Window icon at the top of the screen or press the F4 key). Press the ENTER key to see all available Visit Types.
   
   • The Visit Type code represents the section that is responsible for the patient’s care, and defaults to the visit type entered by Client Services staff when the patient is admitted to the hospital in Vetstar. This may change if the section in charge of the patient’s care changes, for example, from Small Animal Medicine to Small Animal Surgery.
   • Ancillary or consulting services are not entered as a Visit Type.
   • Visit type codes that end in ‘T’ (e.g. SAMT) add sales tax to each line item it is entered with.
     
     
7. In the code field, you may enter a code directly. For example, enter CP5 to enter a Clin Path CBC lab test. If you don’t know the code, you can search for it in one of several ways:

   1. Enter a search key word or phrase directly into the code field:
      
   
   
   Then press Enter to see a choice of procedures that contain your search phrase:
   
   
   
   2. Open a search Window in the Procedure code field (press the F4 key or click on the Window button at the top of the screen). Enter a word or phrase into the Procedure Search field and press the Enter key.
      
      
   3. Narrow your selection to a group. Open a search Window in the Procedure code field, and click on the Group Search button. Select a Group: click on it, or select it with the up and down arrows and press the right arrow key. All of the procedures in a group will display. Scroll, or use the Page Up/Page Down/up arrow/down arrow keys, to highlight the desired procedure. Press the right arrow key, or click on the code with the mouse, to select it.
      
      
      To search within a group:
      
      1. Open a Window (F4). Enter a search string into the Procedure Search field first:
         
         
         
      2. Click on the Group Search button, and select a group:
         
         
         
      3. Select an item from the choices (highlight+right arrow or mouse).
         
         

   Notes:

   • Press the F9 key or click on the Expand icon at the top of the screen.....
     
     
     to see help text related to selected procedures if a Y displays in its H column:
     
     
     
   • To start your search over, press the Esc key (or click on the Red Arrow icon at the top of the screen) until you reach the beginning of the Charge entry line.
     
     
   • Click here to access the web lookup for items for Diagnostic or Clin Path lab procedures.
     
   
   
8. Occasionally, a popup help text message will appear after you select certain procedures:
   
   
   
   After reading the information, press the Escape key, or click the red x in the upper right corner, to close the window.
   
   
9. Press ENTER in the Qty field to accept a quantity of 1 (or change to the quantity performed and then press Enter).
   
   
   
10. The Amount field will automatically be updated to include the price adjusted for quantity and discounts. The ordering doctor's code is entered into the 'Sch' field as the coordinating doctor on the visit (a search window is available to change doctors).
    
    
    
11. Enter the date that the procedure was performed into the 'Cmp Date' field. Be sure it is the date that the procedure was performed, to maintain record accuracy and avoid confusion (this date is printed on the client's invoice). Enter the performing doctor's code into the 'Prf' field.
    
    
    • Please enter a completion date and doctor for all entries except imaging studies.
    • If you are entering a lab test procedure, your requisition will NOT print if the completion date field is left blank.
    • If you are entering an imaging study, please leave this and the performing date fields blank. The imaging techs will enter those after the study has been completed.
      
      
12. Enter the doctor code for the supervising faculty member on the patient's case into the supervising faculty field:
    
    
• This code is case sensitive - enter in ALL CAPS
• If you don't know the code, you may open a search window to find it.
• If you don't know who the supervising faculty is on the case, check the visit summary.
  
  
13. Press the Enter key to finish the line (ignore the 'C' field for entering a comment):
    
    
    
14. See the pages on ordering imaging studies or lab tests on more detail on completing the forms that are presented when you enter those procedures.
    
    
15. Press the F3 key or click on the Green Arrow icon to save all procedures added.
    
    Do not abandon your Vetstar session while in this screen. Your session will time out after a period of inactivity, and you may create a lock on the Charge screen if that happens. In addition, any imaging or lab test requisitions will not be generated until you leave this screen.
    

Deleting Procedures

• Students, interns, and residents do not have access rights for deleting procedures. Please ask someone to do it for you (client services, techs, faculty).
• If possible, make corrections the same day that a procedure has been entered. Ask Client Services or Medical Records for help if needed.
• Do NOT delete imaging studies. This will cause Vetstar and the PACS system to be out of sync with each other. Please contact the Imaging office if you make a mistake and they will fix it for you.

Method:

1. Access the patient Charge screen in Change mode (press the F6 key or click on the Change icon at the top of the screen.
2. Select the procedure(s) that you need to delete using the mouse or up and down arrow keys.
3. Do one of the following:
   • Press the F7 key or click or the Delete icon at the top of the screen. You should see the screen tip "1 Delete Lines Selected" at the bottom left of the screen if you have one line selected (you may select multiple charges as long as they are contiguous):
     
     
     Press the F3 key or click on the Green Arrow icon to commit the deletion.
     
     
   • Right click on the line and select "Delete Record":
     
     
     
     
4. Enter the reason for deletion when prompted, followed by the Enter key:
   

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Updated 12/14/11 DML

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