When ordering a Pre‑surgical Type & Screen, all required order questions must be completed accurately. These answers drive specimen routing, collection timing, and blood bank workflow in Epic.
Epic uses your responses to ensure testing is performed by the correct blood bank at the correct time. Incomplete or incorrect information can result in misrouted specimens, delays, rework, or redraws.
Providers must accurately complete:
- Reason for ordering (surgery, procedure, transfusion, L&D)
- Procedure location
- Date of procedure
- Recent transfusion or pregnancy history
Key location clarification (West Michigan)
- BW/HDVCH/LHCP/MHC refers to Butterworth Hospital, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Lemmen Holton Cancer Pavilion, and Meijer Heart Center and is NOT the same as Blodgett Hospital located in East Grand Rapids.
- These are distinct locations in Epic and route to different blood banks (Blodgett Blood Bank vs. Butterworth Blood Bank)
Why it matters
Incorrect or incomplete responses can lead to:
- Delayed pre‑op testing
- Extra time spent clarifying procedure details
- Specimens sent to the wrong blood bank
- Frustration for lab and clinical teams
Takeaway
- Answer all Type & Screen order questions carefully
- Select the exact facility where the procedure will occur
- Avoid defaults or outdated favorites
Taking a few extra seconds to review these fields helps ensure timely testing and smoother pre‑surgical care.
Epic Care Teams: Please review “Orders – Type & Screen Ordering for Surgery/Procedure (Pre-surgical blood type specimen)” in Epic Education on SharePoint for detailed information.
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