Patent Publication Number: US-2011054937-A1

Title: Computerized system and method for inputting healthcare clinical orders

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a computerized system and method for enabling healthcare-related clinical order input using closed loop order navigation and a web-based catalog of clinical orders/ordersets customizable to the particular hospital healthcare system. 
     2. Background Information 
     Physicians and other busy healthcare providers often see many patients at different locations in a single day. They typically have only a limited amount of time to spend with each patient, and they are inundated with paperwork. Currently, many healthcare providers and staff place clinical orders by finding and manually completing pre-printed clinical order sets or hand written individual orders. These clinical orders are often entered at a later time into another healthcare IT (information technology) application or faxed to appropriate departments within the healthcare system. This manual method of inputting clinical orders is inefficient and has built-in delays and opportunities for error at multiple entry points. Errors often occur at the following points, for example, particularly when the forms are hurriedly and partially completed: interpretation of handwriting, misplacement of paper orders, lost faxed order requests, multiple handoffs, and multiple personnel inputting orders. 
     Existing software often uses traditional hierarchical menu trees with multiple pull down menus, making use of the software tedious and time-consuming for healthcare providers. The healthcare software orderables that currently exist for clinical order entry do not allow healthcare providers to easily input clinical orders grouped together by patient type and diagnosis. 
     The system and method of the present invention facilitate inputting of clinical orders into a healthcare application by patient type and diagnosis. The order entry system and interactive method of the present invention permits efficient use of the healthcare provider&#39;s time, reduces potential errors, and increases overall patient safety. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a computer implemented, customizable system and method for enabling the input of healthcare-related clinical orders. The new, closed loop order navigation method comprises the steps of: (1) Displaying a customizable service line home page with a list of service lines from which a service line may be selected; (2) Providing a plurality of customizable topic-specific orderset forms for each of the service lines; (3) Displaying the selected topic-specific orderset form; (4) Providing at least one pre-determined, pre-populatable medical record information field on each of the topic-specific orderset forms; and (5) Making multiple, customizable, clinical order selections available to the healthcare provider. 
     A computerized daily rounding method for enabling the input of healthcare-related clinical orders is also provided herein. It includes the steps of: (1) Providing a “select daily rounding form” option at a point of entry to an order entry collection of a closed loop order navigation system; (2) Providing an option to select a frequently used or miscellaneous order form, or alternatively proceed to one of the service line home pages; (3) Displaying the selected service specific home page, or frequently used or miscellaneous order form; and (4) Providing pre-determined medical record information fields on each of the service line home pages that can be pre-populated with information from the patient record. 
     The computerized system for enabling the input of healthcare-related clinical orders includes the following, each of which is customizable: (a) a service line home page listing available service lines; (b) a number of service specific home pages available on the service line home page; (c) topic-specific clinical ordersets related to the selected service line; (d) ancillary order forms available on the service line home page; and (e) clinical orders available on each of the topic-specific clinical ordersets or the ancillary order forms. Miscellaneous order forms are preferably also included on the service line home page. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A more complete understanding of the invention and its advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein examples of the invention are shown, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a flow diagram showing a method for enabling clinical order input according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an illustrative example of a service specific orderset selected from a service specific home page according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram showing a method for completing the entry of clinical orders or complex order sets according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an illustrative example of a service line list or an order entry web page from which a form can be selected according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 5A  is an illustrative example of a service line home page according to the present invention, displaying service specific forms for the service of cardiology, as well as links to frequently used and ancillary order forms; 
         FIG. 5B  is an illustrative example of a service line home page according to the present invention, displaying service specific forms for the service of diabetes management, as well as links to frequently used and ancillary order forms; 
         FIG. 5C  is an illustrative example of a service line home page according to the present invention, displaying service specific forms for the service of hematology and oncology, as well as links to frequently used and ancillary order forms; 
         FIG. 5D  is an illustrative example of a service line home page according to the present invention, displaying service specific forms for the service of vascular surgery as well as links to frequently used and ancillary order forms; 
         FIG. 6  is an illustrative example of an admission orderset for a selected service according to the present invention, displaying multiple orders from which selections can be made; 
         FIG. 7  is an illustrative example of a navigation menu according to the present invention, which allows a user to proceed to another form upon completing a current form; 
         FIG. 8  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for facilitating clinical order input on a daily rounding basis according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is an illustrative example of a daily rounding form according to the present invention, displaying frequently used forms or allowing a user to navigate to service line home pages; 
         FIG. 10A  is an illustrative example of a complex medication form according to the present invention, which permits the selection and submission of enteral nutrition orders; 
         FIG. 10B  is an illustrative example of an enteral nutrition order form according to the present invention, which permits the calculation of dosages and submission to a pharmacy system; 
         FIG. 11A  is an illustrative example of a multi-modality order form for radiology according to the present invention, wherein common information can be answered once for all imaging modalities; 
         FIG. 11B  is an illustrative example of a diagnostic tab selection of a radiology order form according to the present invention, with helpful drop down menus; 
         FIG. 11C  is an illustrative example of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) order tab selection of a radiology order form according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 11D  is an illustrative example of a neuro interventional tab selection of a radiology order form according to the present invention, wherein laboratory results can be displayed if available; and 
         FIG. 12  is an illustrative example of a mechanical ventilator settings form according to the present invention, which includes typical orders associated with mechanical ventilation. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views. Also, in the following description, it is to be understood that such terms as “top”, “bottom,” “within,” and the like are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms. Referring in more detail to the drawings, the invention will now be described. 
     Turning first to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , a closed loop order navigation method for facilitating the entry of clinical orders, which term is meant to include complete ordersets, includes the following steps after the step of providing a point of entry to the order entry collection, as seen in Block  101  in  FIG. 1 :
         (1) As seen in Block  102  in  FIG. 1 , displaying a service line home page  11  of the system  10  with a list  16  of service lines for selection (see service line selection area  12 ;  FIGS. 2 and 6 ).   (2) Providing a plurality of customizable topic-specific orderset forms  35  for each of the service lines.   (3) Displaying the topic-specific orderset form  35  selected by the user;   (4) Providing at least one pre-determined, pre-populatable medical record information field  54  on each of the topic-specific orderset forms  35 . The pre-determined medical information field can be pre-populated (hence “pre-populatable”), or filled in, with information stored from the system, such as patient name, age, and birth date, as well as previous lab results, and active orders related to the service specific home pages (see Blocks  106  and  107  in  FIG. 3 ).   (5) As seen in Block  108 , making multiple, customizable, clinical order selections available for selection by the healthcare provider (for example, on Admission orderset  52  in  FIG. 6 ). Authorized healthcare facility personnel may customize these order forms by adding and/or subtracting orders, text areas, and/or drop-down menus.       

     Continuing with  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the preferred method preferably also includes the steps after step (5) of:
         (6) As shown in Block  103  in  FIG. 1 , providing a number of ancillary order forms  14  available for each of the service lines of the system  10 , as well as frequently used or miscellaneous order forms (see frequent/miscellaneous/ancillary form selection area  17  in  FIG. 5A ) from which the user makes a selection. The customized, miscellaneous order forms may include a consult form (see consult order space  24  in  FIG. 5A ) or a nursing order form. These order forms are available contemporaneously, meaning here that they can be selected within the same session on the computer (all within the same system  10 ). The user need not leave the system  10  to access an ancillary or miscellaneous order form, for example. A particular user need not select more than one type of order form, though.   (7) Turning to Block  105  in  FIG. 3 , displaying the ancillary order form  14  selected by the user.   (8) Making free text areas  53  on the topic specific orderset forms available for adding specific details to a selected clinical order (see Block  108 ). The free text areas are customizable. For example, detailed wound care for the patient may be inputted in an appropriate free text input area  53 . Free text areas  53  need not be filled in, except where a clinical order may require additional details.   (9) Displaying a warning if required information fields are left unanswered (Block  109  in  FIG. 3 ). A hospital or other healthcare facility may require that certain healthcare information be completed at the time of order entry. The warning may be visual, such as a cautionary message on a pop-up window.   (10) Providing an option for selecting an additional, miscellaneous form  17  from a drop-down navigation menu  27 , per Blocks  110  and  111  in  FIG. 3  (also see  FIG. 7 ).   (11) Providing a Place Orders button  28  (see bottom of  FIG. 7 ), in which clinical orders can be placed, and then permitting the user to exit without selecting an additional form from the drop-down navigation menu  27 , per Block  111  of  FIG. 3 .       

     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the service line can be selected on the service line home page  11  from among the following examples: cardiac transplant form; cardiology form; cardiothoracic surgery form; digestive disease form; hematology/oncology form; interventional cardiology form; interventional radiology form; and vascular form. Other service lines may be included instead of or in addition to these service lines. The service specific orderset  26  is then entered, as seen in Block  104  in  FIG. 2 . 
     The computerized system  10  is an example of a system for enabling the input of clinical orders into a healthcare application according to the present invention. This customizable closed loop order navigation system  10 , which is seen in the figures herein, includes the following:
         (a) a service line home page  11  listing available service lines;   (b) a number of service specific home pages  13  (e.g., cardiology, diabetes management, etc.) available on the service line home page  11 ;   (c) topic-specific clinical ordersets  35  related to the selected service line and relevant to the patient&#39;s condition and diagnosis;   (d) ancillary order forms  14  (e.g., lab, radiology, EKG, etc.) available on the service line home page  11 ; and   (e) clinical orders  17  available on each of the topic-specific clinical ordersets  35  or the ancillary order forms  14 . All of these home pages, ordersets, forms, and clinical orders can be customized to suit the particular healthcare environment in which they are used. The system  10  enables placement of multiple clinical orders in one uninterrupted session, or without unnecessary/intermediate exiting from the system  10 . By “intermediate exiting” is meant that the user need not exit the system  10  until he or she is finished, or chooses to end, the computer session. With the present system  10 , it is not necessary for a user to exit the system  10  in order to search for the forms they need.       

     A conventional search engine can be used to locate the present system. This system can be used in collaboration with any suitable existing order entry system. The point of entry (see  FIGS. 10 and 12 ) for the present system  10  may reside in a hospital healthcare information system, such as an external order entry application. One way of accessing the service line home page is to make a service line home page button available on the external order entry system. An alternate way of accessing the service line home page is to perform a search for the service line home page at the point of entry. 
     The closed loop order navigation system  10  may be implemented through the use of a secure healthcare network. The system  10  can be accessed by a plurality of users on personal computers, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, or the like, which have access to the secure network. The users are intended to be physicians or other healthcare providers and the plurality of personal computers or the like are generally at hospitals and in other healthcare environments. 
     A preferred computerized clinical order facilitation system  10  herein facilitates clinical order entry by providing predefined variables, calculations, and drop-down lists. The closed loop order navigation system  10  can also facilitate data entry by permitting input of free form text into at least one information field of a clinical order. 
     The preferred computerized clinical order facilitation system  10  herein uses stored information to pre-populate information fields. The stored information used to pre-populate the order form can be, but is not limited to, stored clinical information, such as patient allergies, height and weight, vital signs, and laboratory test results (see pre-populatable patient data field  22  and pre-populatable lab results field  23  in  FIG. 4 ). 
     A preferred computerized clinical order facilitation system  10  herein facilitates order form selection by selecting a service line home page from a list provided or selecting a service line home page from the order entry web page. In this way, the system can provide the user with a list of forms that is related to the particular service line. 
     A preferred computerized clinical order facilitation system  10  facilitates clinical order entry, offering many clinical order selections within one form. This allows the user to complete a large number of clinical orders sequentially in a timely and efficient way, saving the healthcare provider&#39;s time and expediting the patient&#39;s care. The system  10  is unique in that the user need not exit the system in order to locate the next order form, then do the same for a third order form. Permitting the user to skip several steps results in significant time savings. For example, one healthcare provider/user may wish to order lab results for one patient, while another user at the same hospital may wish to specify mechanical ventilator settings for a second patient, and not order labs. 
     A preferred computerized clinical order facilitation system  10  uses a web page format. This makes it easier for the user to visualize all the orders. This computerized clinical order facilitation system  10  provides a drop-down menu  15  of many available, customizable, frequently used order forms, which allows the user to navigate from one form to another without having to exit the system. This enables the healthcare provider to access and place a variety of clinical orders relevant to the patient&#39;s condition and diagnosis. The clinical order facilitation system  10  makes the placing of orders more time efficient for the healthcare provider. The healthcare provider is then free to visit the patient, and undertake other tasks. By “frequently used” is meant those order forms that are most often used by healthcare practitioners. Since the system  10  is customizable, what is frequently used can determined by statistics kept by the appropriate healthcare facility department, possibly by a knowledge management team at the healthcare facility/organization. 
     The closed loop order navigation system  10  does not analyze recorded patient information, nor does it recommend clinical orders, guidelines, interventions, or treatment and diagnosis for a particular patient. The system  10  does not make decisions for the healthcare provider. The system  10  does not analyze and organize patient information for the purpose of making a comprehensive medical history or a patient progress note. The system  10  does not compile, measure, or disseminate data. The system  10  is intended for use by healthcare providers but not by patients themselves. Patients are not intended to input to the system  10 . The system  10  is not itself a stand-alone application intended to interface with other applications, although the system  10  can live within such an application. The system  10  is not intended for placing a single type of order, such as radiology or pharmaceuticals, unless ordered from within a topic-specific orderset form. Various types of orders (including medical procedures), such as cardiology or radiology-related orders, can be placed in a single session on the system  10 . 
     Importantly, the closed loop order navigation system  10  allows a healthcare provider to place a multiplicity of various types of clinical orders without having to exit the system  10 . The closed loop order navigation system  10  may include the additional steps of navigating to a second, ancillary order form or frequently used or miscellaneous order form  17  within the system  10 , selecting and displaying particular order forms, and placing orders (see  FIG. 7 ). Thus, a user can navigate to one order form when selected, place orders, and stop, or proceed to second and third, etc. order forms, placing orders along the way. Also, the user need not take the time to type in each individual order; the user may instead simply click on the appropriate buttons. One or many orders may be selected. 
     The preset, computer implemented ordering system  10  offers a multiplicity of clinical orders from which to choose. Order selections relate to various hospital service lines, such as cardiology, nephrology, and hematology, and ancillary departments, such as lab, radiology, and EKG, and various medical specialties. All clinical orders for a particular patient can be placed using a single form, without having to exit the system. 
     The medical provider may select clinical orders suitable for a particular patient from a single form, such as medications, activities, lab procedures, diagnostic testing, and nursing care. This method reduces the time that is necessary for the clinician to input multiple clinical orders. Hospital personnel receive orders in a timely and clear manner, resulting in improved patient care. Reduction of order-related errors results in improved patient safety. Orders entered can be retrieved or utilized for data collection. Overall, the system  10  results in improved patient, patient family, and healthcare provider satisfaction. 
     The computerized ordering system  10  includes external links to medical research/pharmaceutical information on medications and medical treatments, in case the healthcare professional is seeking additional information about a particular medication or treatment, or alternatives for it. Links to the system  10  are customizable, according to the user&#39;s preference. 
       FIGS. 4-7  provide examples of forms according to the present computerized clinical order facilitation method. An Order Entry web page form from which the user can make a form selection is shown in  FIG. 4 . A service line list  16  as shown on  FIG. 4  (lower right) can alternatively be used to make a form selection. 
     A frequently used/miscellaneous/ancillary form selection area  17  is also shown on  FIG. 4  (upper right). The user uses this form selection area  17  to select individual forms from which they can make multiple clinical order selections related to the topic or topics that are selected (e.g., nursing, ECHO, PRN meds, EKG). 
     The Order Entry form, which is a service specific home page  13 , also includes certain medical record information fields  54  that can be pre-populated with information from the patient&#39;s medical records, such as a pre-populatable patient information field  18  (see top of  FIG. 4 ). The patient information field  18  multiple information spaces  19  for entry of patient information, such as patient name, age, birth date, gender, location in the healthcare facility, current date, etc. The patient information field  18  preferably also includes space for the logos  21  of the particular healthcare facility or organization using the system  10 . The pre-populatable patient information field  18  also preferably includes a Clinical Information Resources link  20  for linking to an external resource or information page (e.g., external links for researching evidence based medicine). The Clinical Information Resources link  20  can be customized by the user. 
     The Order Entry form  13  preferably also includes a second medical record information field  54 : a pre-populatable, patient data field  22  for viewing data charted on a particular patient, such as patient weight and current diet (see  FIG. 4 ). This patient data field  22  is pre-populated by the system from the patient&#39;s electronic record. 
     A third medical record information field  54  in the Order Entry form  13  is preferably a pre-populatable lab result field  23  for visually displaying previous lab results for the particular patient (see  FIG. 4 ). This lab result field  23  is pre-populated by the system from the patient&#39;s electronic record. 
     A service line home page  11 , which displays service specific forms and links to frequently used forms for the service of cardiology, is shown in  FIG. 5A . The service line home page  11  includes the pre-populatable patient information field  18 . The Cardiology service line form  12  preferably also includes the second pre-populatable, patient data field  22  for viewing data charted on a particular patient, and the pre-populatable lab result field  23  for visually displaying previous lab results for the particular patient. The Cardiology service line form  12  also includes a service specific orderset area  26  that lists ordersets specific to the service line of Cardiology, such as Admit Order Form, Pre Procedure Order Form, Post Procedure Order Form, Heparin Drip Protocol Order Form, and Admission Outline. Also included is a one-click Consult Order space  24  for ordering a healthcare consult for the particular service line (Cardiology in  FIG. 5A ). The system  10  may include one-click frequently used clinical orders, such as laboratory tests or nursing orders. By “one-click” is meant that the user simply clicks the appropriate button, which quickly places the subject single order. 
     A service line home page  11  displaying service specific forms as well as links to frequently used forms for the service of diabetes management is shown in  FIG. 5B . Along with the features that are also displayed on  FIG. 5A , the Diabetes Management Service (DMS) order form, which is a service specific home page  13 , includes a one click External Calculator Link space  25  for accessing a calculator for calculating medication dosages. The service specific orderset area  26  includes a special orderset space  26   a  shown in  FIG. 5B  (e.g., subcutaneous insulin order form-DMS) that should only be utilized by the DMS service line specialist, such as an endocrinologist. 
     A service line home page  11  displaying service specific forms and links to frequently used forms for the service of hematology/oncology is shown in  FIG. 5C . It includes features in common with  FIGS. 5A and 5B , a pre-populatable patient information field  18 , a service specific orderset area  26 , a frequently used/ancillary/miscellaneous form selection area  17 , a pre-populatable patient date field  22 , a pre-populatable lab result field  23 , and a Consult Order space  24 . 
     A service line home page  11  displaying service specific forms and links to frequently used forms for the service of vascular surgery is shown in  FIG. 5D . It includes features in common with  FIG. 5A-C , a pre-populatable patient information field  18 , a service specific orderset area  26 , a frequently used/miscellaneous/ancillary form selection area  17 , a pre-populatable patient date field  22 , a pre-populatable lab result field  23 , and a Consult Order space  24   
     An Admission orderset  52  for a selected service line, such as Cardiology, displays multiple clinical orders from which the healthcare provider may make one or more order selections, as shown in  FIG. 6  (also see  FIG. 2 ). Clinical order selections are made using the drop-down menus, free text areas, check boxes, and radio buttons, as shown in the expanded boxes of  FIG. 6 . 
     Referring to the lower portion of the form shown in  FIG. 7 , a drop down navigation menu  27  allows a user to select another form to which the user will be directed upon placing the clinical order. The drop down navigation menu  27  may include frequent lab forms, radiology forms, respiratory forms, etc. An Admission orderset form  52 , as well as other forms (except for the service specific home pages), includes a set of three buttons. First, a Place Order button  28  is included for placing the user&#39;s order selections. Second, a Reset button  29  is included for clearing the information on the page and allowing the user to start over (e.g., where the user has made errors). Lastly, the Cancel button  30  is available for canceling the order session for the selected patient. The Cancel button  30  may be used, for example, when the wrong patient has inadvertently been selected by the user at the start of the session, or where an emergency arises and the user must leave the order session. 
     A method herein for facilitating clinical order input on a daily rounding basis includes the following steps:
         (1) As seen in Block  113  in  FIG. 8 , providing a “daily rounding” form option  31  at a point of entry to the order entry collection of the closed loop order navigation system  10 . Alternatively, the daily rounding form  31  can be on the service line home page  11 .   (2) As seen in Block  114 , providing an option to select among multiple order forms (see frequent/ancillary/miscellaneous form selection area  17 ), or alternatively proceeding to the service line home page  11  where a service line (see service line selection area  12 ) may be selected (Block  115 ), and then displaying the service specific home page  13  (if that option has been selected), per Block  119  in  FIG. 8 .   (3) Providing at least one pre-determined patient information space  19 , such as patient name, age, birth date, etc., that can be pre-populated with information from the stored patient electronic record, such as previous lab results, active patient orders, per Blocks  120  and  121 .
 
This computerized clinical order facilitation method preferably also includes the steps of:
   (4) Displaying a warning if mandatory information fields are left unanswered (Block  122 ). A hospital may require that certain questions be asked of a patient on admission. For example, responses to questions related to clinical history may be required. The warning may be visual, such as a cautionary message on a pop-up window.   (5) Providing a number of customizable, frequently used and/or ancillary order forms  14 , per Block  123 , or miscellaneous order forms, such as a consult order form, a nursing order form.   (6) Providing a Place Orders button  28 , in which clinical orders can be placed and permitting the user to exit without selecting additional forms from the drop-down menu  15 , per Block  125  in  FIG. 8 .   (7) If an additional clinical order form is selected from the drop-down navigation menu  27 , the new clinical order form will display, per Block  124 , after selecting the Place Orders button  28 .       

     The selectable frequently used/miscellaneous form options may include the following, for example: (a) Computerized Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Imaging, per Block  116 , (b) Vascular Lab, echocardiogram (ECHO), ENDO, per Block  117 , and/or (c) Microbiology, Common Lab, per Block  118 . 
       FIGS. 9-12  provide examples of printouts according to the present computerized clinical order facilitation method. Referring to  FIG. 9 , a daily rounding form  31  displays frequently used/miscellaneous forms  17  and/or allows a user to navigate to the service line home page  11 . As described herein, the daily rounding form  31  includes a pre-populatable patient information field  18 , a frequent/miscellaneous/ancillary form selection area  17 , a pre-populatable patient data field  22 , and a pre-populatable lab result field  23 . The patient information field  18  includes the organization&#39;s logos  21 , a patient information space  19 , and an external Clinical Information Resources link  20 . The daily rounding form  31  also includes a service line list area  32  for navigating to the service line home page  11 . 
     The system  10  also includes topic-specific ordersets  35 , such as the complex medication form  33  and the enteral nutrition order form  34  shown in  FIGS. 10A and 10B , respectively, the multi-modality radiology order form  36  shown in  FIG. 11A , and the mechanical ventilator settings form  50  shown in  FIG. 12 . First, the complex medication form  33  permits a user to calculate dosages and submit clinical orders to a pharmacy system (see  FIG. 10A ). Secondly, the enteral nutrition order form  34  shown in  FIG. 10B  permits the healthcare provider/user to place nutrition orders. They can be customized to suit the needs of the particular healthcare organization. 
     When the multi-modality radiology order form  36  is selected, common information can be answered once for all imaging modalities in a common required information area  37 , as seen in  FIG. 11A . Various imaging modalities may be selected using the following buttons: diagnostic tab selection  38 , fluoroscopy (“Fluoro”) tab selection  39 , Computerized Tomography (CT) tab selection  40 , MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) tab selection  41 , ultrasound tab selection  42 , nuclear medicine (“Nuc Med”) tab selection  43 , PET CT (Positive Electron Tomography Computerized Tomography) tab selection  44 , mammography tab selection  45 , interventional radiology tab selection  46 , and neuro (Neurology) interventional radiology tab selection  47 . The diagnostic tab selection  38  of a radiology order form  36  (see middle of form) is depicted in  FIG. 11B . MRI tab selection  41  of a radiology order form  36  is shown in  FIG. 11C .  FIG. 11D  shows an example of a neuro interventional tab selection  47  of the radiology order form  36 . 
     When a modality selection tab is selected, the modality specific area  48  will display clinical orders for the selected modality. Where laboratory results are pertinent and required for imaging, a laboratory results area  49  is provided within the modality specific area  48 , as seen in  FIG. 11D . If such lab results are available, they can be pre-populated from the system. 
     Lastly, a mechanical ventilator settings form  50  is shown in  FIG. 12 . The mechanical ventilator settings form  50  includes orders typically associated with mechanical ventilation for healthcare purposes. The mechanical ventilator settings form  50  includes a customizable Clinical Information Resources link  20 . It preferably also includes a pre-populatable patient data field  22  for viewing data charted for a particular patient, such as patient weight, height, and gender. This patient data field  22  is pre-populated by the system  10  from the patient&#39;s electronic record. Another type of miscellaneous order form is a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR). 
     From the foregoing it can be realized that the present invention may be easily and conveniently utilized as a computer implemented system and method for enabling the input of healthcare-related clinical orders. It is to be understood that any dimensions given herein are illustrative, and are not meant to be limiting. 
     While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described using specific terms, this description is for illustrative purposes only. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications, substitutions, omissions, and changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, and that such are intended to be within the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. It is intended that the doctrine of equivalents be relied upon to determine the fair scope of these claims in connection with any other person&#39;s product which fall outside the literal wording of these claims, but which in reality do not materially depart from this invention. Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention. 
     BRIEF LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS USED IN THE DRAWINGS 
     
         
           10  clinical order input system 
           11  service line home page 
           12  service line selection area 
           13  service specific home pages 
           14  ancillary order forms 
           15  drop-down menu 
           16  service line list 
           17  frequent/miscellaneous/ancillary form selection area 
           18  pre-populatable patient information field 
           19  patient information spaces 
           20  Clinical Information Resources link 
           21  logos 
           22  pre-populatable patient data field 
           23  pre-populatable lab result field 
           24  Consult Order space 
           25  external calculator link space 
           26  service specific orderset/area 
           27  drop down navigation menu 
           28  Place Orders button 
           29  Reset button 
           30  Cancel button 
           31  daily rounding form 
           32  service line list area 
           33  complex medication form 
           34  enteral nutrition order form 
           35  topic-specific orderset 
           36  radiology order form 
           37  common required information area 
           38  diagnostic tab selection 
           39  fluoro tab selection 
           40  CT tab selection 
           41  MRI tab selection 
           42  ultrasound tab selection 
           43  nuclear medicine tab selection 
           44  PET CT tab selection 
           45  mammography tab selection 
           46  interventional radiology tab selection 
           47  neuro interventional radiology tab selection 
           48  modality specific area 
           49  imaging lab results area 
           50  mechanical ventilator settings form 
           51  clinical documentation link 
           52  Admission orderset 
           53  free text spaces 
           54  pre-populatable medical record info field