FAQ
How do I apply for a PKI token?
A Public Key Infrastructure Token is issued by Medicare
It provides authentication for online transactions. In other words it is your electronic signature.
You can apply online at http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/provider/business/online/register/apply.shtml
How do I Log On to the System?
Meridian requires a Passphrase to be entered when the program starts.
The box will appear when you double click your Meridian Icon on your desktop. For security purposes, if Meridian is inactive for 20 minutes, the Passphrase will be required again.
The first icon on the Toolbar looks like this 
and will change to the log off button 
once you have logged on.
How do I change the Password or Passphrase?
To change the Passphrase of the currently logged on PGP Key user, select Master PGP Key Properties from the Tools Menu.
Click the Change Passphrase button
Enter the required information and then press OK
Alternatively, the passphrase can be changed by double clicking the PGP Encrypted icon located on the status bar at the bottom of the main screen.
How do I lookup a Patient?
There are three ways to open up the Lookup Patient Dialog:
Select Find Patient from the Patient Menu
Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + F
Click the Find Patient icon on the Toolbar
OR 
OR Ctrl + F
The Lookup Patient Dialog will appear. To search for a Patient type the Patient's Surname or First Name, or any part thereof. It is recommended that a few letters from both the Surname and First Name are used when searching to allow for potential variations in spelling. Press Enter after typing or click the Execute button (lightning bolt).
Meridian can search in three different ways, by clicking the down arrow under Matching,
Exact The results will match the spelling exactly. Soundex A phonetic algorithm is used to return results that sound like the request. Partial The results will include names where the request is partially included in the result.
The Advanced Search button will allow a more detailed search.
A List of Patients will be displayed in the table. Move the mouse over the patient name to highlight the row.
The More Detail button will display further patient information. To access this information, highlight the patient's name in the grid, and click the More Detail button.
Once you have found the Patient, their Chart will be displayed in the Available Results box and the most recent document will displayed on the right hand side of the screen.
How do I view Patient Letters and Results?
In order to view Patient Letters and Results, first Lookup the Patient using the Lookup Patient Dialog. You can also view in a cumulative graph. For instructions on how to lookup a patient, refer to the Lookup a Patient.
A List of Patients will be displayed in the table.
To select a Patient, click the OK button and the patient will be added to the Query Folder at the top left hand side of the screen.
From the Query Folder click on the patient to display the Current Results.
Click on any of the Available Results and the Report will be displayed in the right hand window as shown below. You can then use the Icons above that result to work with that result or patient.
How do I view Patient Letters and Results by Group?
To view Patient Letters and Results by Group, begin by looking up the patient. You can also view in a cumulative graph.
A List of Patients will be displayed in the table.
To select a Patient, click the OK button and the Patient will be added to the Query Folder at the top left of screen.
[Image:PatientLookupQueryFolder.jpg]]
From the Query Folder click on the patient to display the current results.
In the Available Results Window (left hand side), click on the Groups Tab to display the Patient's Results by Group.
The Groups Tab in the Available Results section groups the results into the result type in a tree structure. The group names identify the type of result. Use the plus (+) symbol on the left of the group name to expand the group to show the dates of the results. Once a result has been expanded the plus sign changes to a minus (-) symbol. To collapse the results click on the minus symbol.
To view any of the available results, click on the desired result and it will be displayed in the right hand window. You can then use the Icons above that result to work with that result or patient.
How do I print Patient's Details?
To print Patient's Details it is necessary to first lookup the patient and then locate the record to be printed.
A List of Patients will be displayed in the table.
By highlighting the desired patients name in the Lookup Patient Window and clicking on the More Detail button, further patient information will be displayed.
To print this information, select Print from the File Menu or press Ctrl + P.
This information can also be accessed once the patient has been added to the Query Folder.
From the Query Folder, click on the Patient to display the current results.
How do I print a Patient's Records?
To print a Patient's Letters and Results it is necessary to first lookup the patient using the Lookup Patient Dialog, and then locate the record to be printed.
A List of Patients will be displayed in the table.
To select a Patient click the OK button and the patient will be added to the Query Folder.
From the Query Folder click on the Patient to display the current result.
The first result is automatically displayed. From the Available Results Window, select the result to be printed.
The selected result will be displayed in the right hand window.
From the File Menu select the Print option or press Ctrl + P.
To Print Multiple Results
From the File Menu select Print Multiple Results Choose the Results you want to print by clicking on them followed by the green arrow at the centre of the screen. This will transfer them to the Selected Results List on the right hand side of the dialog box. To Print All Results click on the double arrow at the centre of the screen to move all the results over into the Selected Results List. Then simply click the OK button.
How do I create a Simple Text Message?
Creating a simple message that will be stored in Meridian and refers to a Patient. This is not the same as email which is not stored in Meridian.
Click on 
and the following dialog box will appear.
Choose the Patient the message is about by clicking 
to get the Lookup Patient dialog box.
Use the 
to select who you are sending the message to.
Choose the report title (Consultation Note would be easiest)
Type your message
Click Send to send.
How do I send Email?
Answer:
If you would like to send a quick email message the Meridian allows you to do that by following these steps.
Note: This feature does not keep a record of the message that is sent. You will always want to keep a record when discussing patients so it would be better to use the New Document feature from the Create Menu or see Create a Simple Text Message.
From the Create Menu choose Email Message
Use the to select who you are sending the message to.
Add a Subject and Message.
Click OK to send.
How do I merge Several Patients Records into One Patient Record?
In some cases, Patients will appear in the system as two or more different people. This could be due to a Surname Change or patient information being spelt differently between facilities. The merge process enables currently different patient files to be reconciled, and recognised by the system as the same Patient.
From the Patients Menu, select Merge Patient Records.
This dialog box will appear.
Click on the Lookup Patient button at the top left hand side of the window to open the Lookup Patient Dialog and search for one version of the Patient.
A List of Patients will be displayed in the table.
Click the required Patient and click the OK button at the bottom of the Lookup Patient Window, and the Patients Details will be added to the top half of the Patient Merge Window.
Click on the Lookup Patient Button for the second window to search for the additional versions of the Patient, using the same process that was used for the first window.
The two buttons at the bottom of the screen will change the view from the view shown above with the two patients on top of each other to the view shown below with the patients side by side. This is for personal preference only and has no impact on the outcome.
Select one of the two records which is to be the only version by clicking the Make this Master dialog button.
In the Patient Information, the following appears,
How do I lookup a Doctor or a Provider?
There are two ways of looking up a Doctor or a Provider:
Select Lookup Provider from the Provider Menu top of screen:
OR
Select the "Looking Glass" Button from the Toolbar:
To Search for a Doctor, type the Doctor's Surname or First Name or any part thereof in the search box and press enter or the execute search button (lightning bolt), located at the right hand side of the box. It is recommended that a few letters from both the Surname and the First Name are used when searching to allow for potential variations in spelling.
Click on the Doctor's name to select a Doctor's Details to view, press enter or click on the OK button at the bottom of the Lookup Provider Window to view the doctors details.
This information can also be accessed by clicking on the More Detail button at the bottom of the Lookup Provider Window.
How do I delete a Patient?
It is not possible to delete a patient.
How do I add a Doctor or a Provider?
To add a Doctor to the Meridian database, select Lookup Provider from the Providers Menu.
Click the Add button on the right hand side of the screen to add a Doctor:
Enter the Doctor's (or Provider's) Details:
Click OK to save the results.
The Provider Number is validated by Meridian using an algorithm. If an invalid Provider Number is entered, a Validation Error Window will be displayed. Double check the Provider Number to ensure all of the characters have been entered correctly.
How do I print a Doctor's or Provider's Details?
To print a Doctor's Details, first locate the Doctor's Details by opening the Lookup Provider dialog:
Click on the Provider's Name, press enter or press the OK button located at the bottom of the Lookup Provider Window to select and view the Doctor's Details:
This information can also be accessed by highlighting the Doctor's Name in the Lookup Provider Window and clicking on the More Detail button at the bottom of the screen.
From the File Menu select the Print option or Ctrl + P.
How do I edit a Doctor's or a Provider's Details?
The Provider is the only person who can change their details and will need a PKI Token to do so.
There are 2 ways of editing your own details:.
1. Use the Toolbar and click on Providers. In the Menu there is an option for Edit My Profile. This will ONLY be functional when your PKI is plugged into the USB port on your computer.
2. Edit by using the Lookup Provider access.
For instructions on how to Lookup a Doctor using Meridian, refer to the Lookup Doctor /Provider.
.
Click the Doctor's Name to select and view the Doctor's Details.
Click the Edit button at the bottom left hand side of the Doctor's Information to change the Doctor's Details.
Please note that the currently logged on PGP Key user will need sufficient rights within the system for this button be displayed.
Click OK to save the changes.
How do I send Patient Information to another Doctor or Another Provider?
In order to send Patient Information to another Doctor or another Provider, it is necessary to first lookup the patient using the Lookup Patient dialog.
A List of Patients will be displayed in the table.To select a Patient, click the OK button and the Patient will be added to the Query Folder, top left of screen:
From the Query Folder click on the Patient to display the Current Results:
Click on any of the Available Results and the report will be displayed in the right hand window.
To send the Patient Information to another Doctor, select Send a Copy to Another Doctor from the Documents Menu.
Patient's Results are displayed on the left hand side of the Select Results for Copies Window and the results to be sent are displayed on the right hand side. Use the set of arrows between to two lists to direct the results to the appropriate side. The single arrow will move only the selected result and the double arrow will move all of the results.
Click OK to proceed. The Lookup Provider dialog is then displayed. Search for the receiving Doctor or Doctors by typing the Doctor's Surname and First Name, or any part there of. press Enter to commence the search:
Click on the desired Recipient and the results will be forwarded immediately.
If you want the results to be forwarded to another Provider you will need to repeat the process described above.
How do I send a new Referral or a new Report to a Doctor or a Provider?
Sending Referrals and Reports electronically allows the recipient to get the item within seconds of it being typed.
There are two ways of Sending a Document.
Method 1
The first is an extension of how referrals are currently written. Meridian uses the Windows Clipboard, a feature common to all windows applications to transfer information from existing referral writer applications to Meridian.
To copy a referral written in Notepad or any other Text Editor to the Windows Clipboard choose the Select All option from the Edit Menu or use the keyboard, and press Ctrl + A.
The full document will appear highlighted. To copy the selected contents of the referral to the Clipboard select Copy from the Edit Menu, or use the keyboard and press Ctrl + C.
How do I view Results or Referrals sent?
To see Reports, Letters or Results you have sent out through Meridian:
Method 1
Select View Document Delivery from the Documents Menu
This tool has two search options. It can search for results within a given Date Range or for a Specific Doctor. The two searches can be run concurrently, or individually. Once clicked you can search for Results using a specified Date Range - enter the required Date Range in the first and second boxes of the View Sent Messages Window.
To search for only Results that have been sent to for a specific Doctor with no respect to time, choose Lookup at the bottom of the window. For instructions on how to Lookup a Doctor / Provider using Meridian, refer the Lookup Doctor/Provider.
Click OK and the Provider Number and Name will appear in the View Sent Messages Window.
Click OK and you will see all the Results:
Method 2
You can select the Report Menu and then choose from a number of different options to seeing reports sent:
How do I review Results?
There are several ways to review results using Meridian.
To review Results, go to the Patients box at the top left hand side of the screen.
Folder Meanings - If you click on a folder once it will expand or collapse.
Query - Shows the number of queries regarding Patients that have been performed, and when the Query Folder is expanded it will list the Results of each query.
Unreviewed Results - Shows the number of Results that have been sent to you that are still not marked as reviewed.
Further Review - Displays the number of Results that have been "parked" awaiting further review.
Requested Charts - Shows the number of Patient's Charts that have been requested by any Doctor in the Practice.
Decision Support - Information that could help you make Clinical Decisions eg- keep information on a specific drug from MIMS on hand.
New Results are automatically downloaded by Meridian. However, Results can be retrieved to ensure that there are no outstanding Results .They can be retrieved in one of two ways:
1. By selecting Unseen Documents from the Tools Menu
2. By simply clicking on the Binoculars button in the top left of the Toolbar.
OR
When there are New Results, the number of Patients with new Results will be displayed next to the Unreviewed Results folder in the Patients Window. To retrieve the Results, Click on the Unreviewed Results folder (once only) to show the List of Patients:
Click on the individual Patient's Name to display the List of Results to be reviewed in the Available Results box.
Click on an item in the list to display the Result. The lightning sign will appear next to the result to indicate that the Result is unreviewed. On the right hand side of the screen the result will be displayed. To easily scroll through the results, hit the space bar.
Tab Meanings
All - Displays all of the available Results on the requested Patient.
Disease - Sorts all of the available Results into Disease Categories.
Groups - Results can be grouped into Result Categories eg. Liver Function Tests, Reports, x-rays etc.
Graphs - Shows pre-configured Graphs that are available to be displayed.
At the end of the Report, a prompt will place a flag/category on the result. Hit the space bar or click the OK button to confirm the status.
The Mark the Result as Reviewed icon, sends the result to the patient's file.
Use the Park this Result for Later Review icon to park the result for further review in the Further Review folder.
Leaving the Result as is will mean that this Result will be displayed the next time a user checks for Unreviewed Results.
Show me again allows you to choose a time when you wish to see this Result again (2 days -5 yrs)
How do I view results marked for Further Review?
To view Results marked for Further Review, click the Further Review Folder in the Patients box on the left hand side of the screen.
The folder displayed shows the number of patients that have Results that have been marked for Further Review. To review a Patient's Results, click on the Patient's Name and the number of Results that have been Parked for Further Review will appear in the Available Results box on the left hand side of the screen. The result that has been parked will appear on the right hand side of the screen.
How do I request a Patient's Chart?
To request a Patient's Chart, begin by looking up the Patient using the Lookup Patient Dialog.
A List of Patients will be displayed in the table:
Select a Patient, click the OK button and the patient will be added to the Query Folder at the top left of page.
From the Query Folder, click on the Patient to display the Patient's Results.
Click on any of the Available Results and the Report will be displayed in the right hand window.
To request a Patient's Chart, click on the Request Chart option at the top of the Patient's Report. The Patient's Name will appear in the requested Charts Folder on the Patient's Window.
How do I view Requested Charts?
In the Patient's Window, the Requested Charts Folder displays the number of Charts that have been requested by Doctors within the Practice.
To view the list of Patient's Charts that have been requested, click on the Requested Charts Folder.
How do I mark a Requested Chart as Reviewed?
To mark a Requested Chart as Reviewed, click on the Requested Charts Folder to display the list of Patient's Charts that have been requested by Doctors within the Practice.
Once a Patient's Chart has been flagged as a Requested Chart, the Cancel Chart Request option appears on the Patient's Results screen. Use this option to cancel the Chart request, or acknowledge the Chart has been provided.
How do I create a Pathology Request?
To create a Pathology Request you need to click on the Create an Order button [PICTURE Tool-CreateOrder.bmp].
The Select Items to Request dialog box will appear. You then need to fill in the form with the Requested Results.
How do I use the Results Ticker?
When New Results or New Documents are available they are displayed on a Scrolling Ticker. The Ticker will float above all of the windows applications notifying the user of Unreviewed Results while Meridian is running.
The Results Ticker ensures all results are visible to the Meridian user as they arrive therefore maximising the speed with which results are viewed.
To view a Result using the Results Ticker, double click the Result:
To Move the Results Ticker
To change the location of the Results Ticker on the screen, click on the Ticker with the left mouse button and drag the ticker to the desired location.
To Alter the Results Ticker
The Results Ticker has several display options to suit the preference of the user. There are two ways to alter the Results Ticker
1. Right mouse button click on the Ticker to change the options.
Smaller - This will reduce the width of the Ticker.
Wider - This option increases the width of the Ticker.
Faster - The results will scroll across the screen faster.
Slower - The results will scroll across the screen slower.
Close - Close the Ticker permanently and change the setting not to display it again.
Sleep - Sleep sets the Ticker inactive for a period of time. The default sleep time is 5 minutes.
2. The results ticker can be configured by selecting Configuration Options from the View Menu or press F12, and then the Results Ticker from the left hand side of the screen to display the current Ticker settings.
A Patient's Name can be displayed in four different ways:
Surname, F
Surname, First name
S, First name
Hide Name
How do I group LOINC Codes?
It is possible to group LOINC Codes using Meridian so that the program recognises two different LOINC Codes as the same test. The example below shows Bicarbonate from two different pathology labs. BiCarbonate (1963-8) and S-BiCarbonate (2028-9) are the same test. These numbers can be viewed on the status bar when the mouse hovers over the result in the Cumulative View.
To view two different LOINC Codes as one test, select Configuration Options from the View Menu, or press F12. On the Configuration Editor screen, choose Result Code Editors and in the Individual Results section, click on the LOINC Codes button:
Grouping LOINC Codes enables grouping of different tests into a single defined entity. These descriptions are displayed when reviewing Results cumulatively only.
On the Edit Property Window, click New:
In the Enter New Code Window, enter a code which represents the tests and press enter or OK:
Also, on the Edit Property screen, provide a description of the join.
Click the Lookup button in the Actual Lab Codes group:
Locate the Individual Test to add to this group.
To add a second test to the group click the Lookup button again.
Locate the Individual Test and click OK
The two Lab Codes 1963-8 and 2028-9 are now viewed as Bicarbonate.
Now instead of seeing BiCarbonate and S-BiCarbonate the display in the Results and Graphs sections shows Bicarbonate and the tests are grouped together.
How do I group Lab Codes?
It is possible to group Lab Codes using Meridian so that the program recognises two different Lab Codes as the same test. The example below shows C-Reactive Protein from two different pathology labs. CRP (highlighted in blue) and C REACTIVE PROTEIN (under the mouse cursor) are the same test.
To view Results from two different Pathology labs as one test, select Configuration Options from the View Menu, or press F12. On the Configuration Editor screen, choose Result Code Editors and in the Test Groups section, click on the Lab Codes button:
This enables grouping of different Lab Codes into a single defined entity. These descriptions are displayed when reviewing results. Grouped Lab Codes are used in Graphs and Tables when Cumulative Results are displayed allowing Lab Codes to be treated in the same way.
In the Edit Property Window, click the New button:
Enter a code which represents the joining of the two Lab Codes and press enter or OK:
Also provide a description of the join on the Edit Property Window.
Click the Lookup button in the Actual Lab Codes box.
Locate the Individual Test to add to this group.
To add a second test to the group click the Lookup button again.
Locate the Individual Test and click OK
The two Lab Codes CRP-2184 and C-079-1964 are now viewed as C-Reactive Protein.
Now instead of seeing CRP and C REACTIVE PROTEIN the display in the Results and Graphs shows C-Reactive Protein:
How do I create Patient Result Graphs?
To create a Graph select Configuration Options from the View Menu or press F12.
In the Configuration Editor, select Result Code Editors from the left hand side and click the Graphing Groups button:
On the Edit Property screen click the New button:
Enter the Graph Code:
Enter the Description for the Graph
Click the Lookup button to search for the LOINC Codes to add.
Enter the Description, or part thereof in the search box on the top of the screen and click OK.
Continue adding LOINC Codes to appear in the Graph by clicking the Lookup button. The example below shows six Pancreatic LOINC Codes added to the Graph:
The Result Graph now exists under the Graphs tab in Available Results:
The following Report is produced:
How do I view a Patient's Letters and Results?
In order to view a Patient's Letters and Results cumulatively in a Graph, begin by looking up the patient using the Lookup Patient Dialog. A List of Patients will be displayed in the table:
To select a Patient click the OK button and the patient will be added to the Query Folder:
From the Query Folder click on the Patient to display the current Results:
Click on any of the Available Results and the Report will be displayed in the right hand window.
By selecting the Cumulative Results icon from the Result Preview screen the results for a Patient over time are displayed side by side. This function only retrieves the same Result over time. For more information on displaying Cumulative Results, refer to the View Patient Letters and Results Cumulatively section.
When viewing cumulative Pathology Results it is possible to click on the name of the measurement in blue on the left hand side of the screen to add it as a series to a Graph.
Marked differences in reference ranges limits the usefulness of this feature. However, Multiple Graphs can be added to the same Report. To do this, use the Graphs tab to define custom graphs where different reference ranges are compensated for and Graphs can be defined across different result types. For example to show Haemoglobin and C-Reactive Protein on the one Graph:
Clear Graphs - will delete the Graphs.
Hide Graphs - removes them from the current Report.
Show Graphs - adds them back into the Report.
Should you require any more information or have encountered a problem please call the support helpdesk on (07) 5456 6000.
