How to Order Medical Directives

2023-07-07

1. Before entering a medical directive, ensure you have completed your patient assessment and verified allergies.

2. Depending on the chief complaint, Meditech may prompt you via a pop-up box to order the medical directive after saving the reception. You need to complete your patient assessment first to ensure the patient meets the criteria for ordering the directive and that they do not meet the exclusion criteria.

3.

To order medical directives in Meditech, select your patient on the tracker and then click on the Order icon.

4. The Provider and Source pop-up window will open when a nurse orders a medical directive. The nurse will enter the provider that is on duty in the emergency department or the most likely physician that will see the patient. Note: this may vary based on

individual site workflow. Select Medical Directive as the source. Click save.

5.

If the patient’s chief complaint aligns with any of the medical directives, you will see suggested medical directives for your patient. For example, if the patient’s chief complaint is abdominal pain, the system will automatically suggest the ED MedDir Abdominal Pain order set.

6. If you want to use a different medical directive than the suggested set or there were no suggested directives, you can use the search bar to enter a medical directive.

7. All emergency department medical directives start with “EDMedDir” followed by the topic. Ex: ED MedDir Abdominal Pain. In the search bar, search for the medical directive you are looking to order. (Tip: anyone with access to order entry, such as nurses or

doctors, can favourite orders. Nurses can favourite all of the ED medical directives. Favourited directives will be immediately visible when the Order Routine is opened.

8.

Click on the medical directive you wish to use, and it will expand. Ensure to review the indications/exclusions/contraindications listed in the header to ensure the patient qualifies for the medical directive. Some medical directives have optional orders that are unselected by default. If the patient meets the criteria, the nurse can select the order. For example, the Chest Pain Medical Directive has Aspirin 160mg chew unselected by default. If the patient has not taken ASA and has no NSAID allergies, the nurse can then select to order.

9. Some orders in the medical directives will require you to enter a relevant history note. For example, all radiology orders. The system will notify you if you forget to include the relevant history note. Read through the orders and select any of the optional orders you

wish to include.

10. Click submitin the top right corner. You will be provided a preview of the orders you have entered. If you are satisfied, enter your pin to save and submit them.