Streamlining Lab & Radiology Orders: A Path to Better Care Coordination and Fewer Denials 

For rural and community hospitals, efficiency and connectivity aren’t just important—they're essential. With increasing pressure to reduce costs, improve outcomes, and enhance the patient experience, these hospitals and clinics must find smarter ways to manage the flow of orders, results, and referrals, often with less access to resources and technology. 

One area ripe for improvement is how outpatient lab and radiology orders are handled. Whether it's a routine blood test or a complex imaging scan, the process of placing, tracking, and fulfilling orders often involves fragmented communication, manual data entry, and administrative back-and-forth. These inefficiencies don’t just slow down care—they increase the likelihood of claim denials, scheduling delays, and patient frustration. That translates to a very real impact on the bottom line.  

Why Current Processes Often Fall Short 

For many smaller healthcare organizations, the referral workflow still relies on outdated methods like phone calls, paper forms, or faxed documents. These manual processes often lead to: 

• Incomplete or incorrect orders that require follow-up 
• Delays in scheduling due to lack of real-time access or coordination 
• Medical necessity issues that are only caught after claims are denied 
• Limited visibility into referral volume and order status 

At a time when these types of organizations are working hard to optimize both revenue and resource utilization, continuing to manage outpatient orders with inefficient systems is a significant source of revenue leakage. 

The Case for Connectivity 

Creating a tighter connection between clinics and hospitals can transform how lab and radiology orders are processed. When orders and results can be shared electronically—and encounters can be created automatically—teams spend less time chasing paperwork and more time focused on patient care. 

Even small improvements in this workflow can have a big impact: 

• Fewer claim denials thanks to real-time medical necessity checks 
• Faster scheduling and reduced no-shows through integrated calendars and automated reminders 
• Improved clinician satisfaction with reduced administrative burden 
• Better patient experience with timely appointments and online access to results 

Ultimately, a streamlined order and result management process is not just an operational win—it’s a clinical one. 

A Smarter Approach 

To support this kind of efficiency, MEDHOST offers YourCare Continuum® (YCC)—a web-based platform designed to simplify the ordering, scheduling, and results exchange between clinics and hospitals. 

YCC enables: 

• Electronic transmission of orders and results between systems 
• Automatic encounter creation for faster registration 
• Integrated scheduling workflows with real-time calendar access 
• Medical necessity validation before the order reaches the hospital 
• Patient portal integration for reminders and result access 

By eliminating manual steps and creating visibility across the entire order lifecycle, YourCare Continuum helps hospitals strengthen relationships with referring clinics, optimize referral revenue, and provide a smoother patient experience. 

To learn more about how YCC can help your organization close gaps in lab and radiology order workflows, reach out to us at inquiries@medhost.com or call 1.800.383.6278.