Specimen processing

A specimen record belongs to an encounter. It carries its type, collection date, accession number, and processing status. Licensed Clinician can record and update it as part of specialty work. Clinical Reviewer can read the specimen alongside the encounter and other clinical evidence. The link back to the encounter is important when the patient has repeated visits or more than one specimen of a similar type.

Ordered, Collected, Received, Tested, and Rejected give the team a visible processing trail. The collection date and accession number help staff reconcile a physical handoff with the right digital record. A rejected specimen remains a distinct outcome rather than being treated as tested. The record identifies processing state; any laboratory result exchange depends on the clinic’s chosen lab connection.

• Capture. Licensed Clinician records the specimen type against the correct encounter.
• Handoff. The team adds collection time and accession number as the specimen moves through handling.
• Review. Clinical Reviewer reads the processing state with the related visit evidence.

Agree how accession numbers are assigned and checked, who marks collection, and who confirms receipt. Decide the operating procedure for a rejected specimen and how the care team will request another collection if needed. Staff should identify the encounter before attaching a specimen, especially where one patient has visits close together.

The processing statuses need the same meaning across the clinic and lab team. A specimen marked Received is distinct from one marked Tested. Rehearse the handoff from collector to Licensed Clinician, who records the status change, and agree when it happens. If a laboratory system supplies results, decide how staff will reconcile that system’s case identifier with the accession number here.

During an in-progress visit, Licensed Clinician creates an Ordered specimen for the patient encounter. At collection, the clinician records the date and the accession number, then marks it Collected. After the physical handoff, Licensed Clinician records Received and later Tested after processing. Clinical Reviewer sees the same encounter link and can distinguish testing from collection by status.

For an exception, use a specimen that arrives unsuitable for testing. Mark it Rejected while keeping the accession number and encounter link. The coordinator and clinician can review what happened against the visit and create a follow-up care task for the patient if that is the clinic’s next action. The team should be able to find the rejected case directly rather than overlooking it among received specimens.

• Specimens in Processing — Find ordered, collected, and received specimens by encounter and accession number.
• Rejected Specimens — Review cases needing a decision after rejection.
• Encounters Awaiting Review — Put specimen state in the context of the clinical visit.

See specimen handling and clinical documentation.