Hold Queue Orders

2023-08-01

Meditech has the ability to have orders placed in a “Hold Queue” status. The purpose is to have any Hold Queue orders activated on a future visit.

For example: your ED doesn’t have radiology at night. The physician can enter a hold queue order for ex: wrist x-ray. The patient can be discharged home. When the patient returns in the morning for the x-ray, they are received and triaged again. The nurse can review the hold queue either in the patient's details box or in Orders in the new account. The nurse can activate the hold queue orders and the patient can have their x-ray without the new doctor assessing the patient and ordering the x-ray. In this example, the new doctor would still have to see the patient once the x-ray is complete to provide the patient the results, but the hold queue x-ray order will help expedite the patient's care.

Below I will show you how to enter Hold Queue orders and how to activate them on a future visit.

1. To enter a new hold queue order, highlight your patient and select orders.

2.

If you are a nurse, enter the ordering provider and source . Click the drop down arrow beside current and select Hold Queue.

3. Click Add New Event.

4. Enter the required fields. For event reasons, enter Emergency Department from the drop-down. Enter the facility where the hold queue will be carried out at. Enter the event date for the day you wish the hold queue to be completed.

5. Then click Add New to enter the hold queue orders.

6. Once you submitthe order it will show you the hold queue orders. You can now discharge the patient.

7.

Once the patient has returned, you will receive the patient again and re- triage them. You will see in the details box that there will be a Hold Queue Flag.

8. You can click on the hold queue flag and it will bring you to the orders screen. Click the activate button to activate the order.

9. Now the order is live, and your diagnostic imaging department will see the order.

10. Follow the same procedure for ordering hold queue labs.

11. One downside of the hold queue is ordering repeating doses of medications. You can only order one dose at a time. For example: Daily dose of ceftriaxone x 3 days. You would have to enter three separate hold queue orders: Hold queue orders are not frequently used for multiple days of medications.