Concept explainer
Order verification
Explains how Forge routes an order for verification, who checks it before it acts, and how the record shows the state of each step.
An order in Pensieve is checked before it acts, and the record shows the state of each step as it moves. This page explains how Forge routes an order for verification, who checks it before it acts, and how each state reads in the record.
The order lifecycle
Every order moves through a small, fixed set of states. An order is placed as submitted or, where it needs no verification, as in progress; it is fulfilled to completed; and any order still in flight can be held or cancelled.
An order enters work before it completes, so it moves from submitted to in progress first. On hold pauses work that has begun, and the order resumes to in progress from there. Completed and cancelled are final.
Which orders need verification
Whether an order waits for a check is a property of the orderable. An orderable that requires verification places its orders as submitted, where they wait for a second person to accept them. An orderable that requires no verification places its orders straight into in progress.
| Starting state | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Submitted | Placed and waiting to be verified, accepted or picked up |
| In progress | Placed and already being fulfilled, with no verification step |
Who checks an order
The person who verifies an order differs from the person who placed it. Verification is a distinct capability, held by a role the hospital defines, so acceptance rests with a second member of staff. The verifier's name and the moment of verification are stamped on the order.
Conditions before it proceeds
The move from submitted to in progress carries two conditions where they apply. A cosign clears once the countersigning clinician has signed. A pre-authorisation clears once the payer approves it. The order proceeds to in progress once both stand clear.
Clinical work stays clear of back-office work
A pre-authorisation is a financial condition handled with Vault. Placing the order and recording it happen without waiting on billing, and the pre-authorisation condition applies only at the point the order moves into work.
Results carry a second check
A result on an order carries its own check, separate from the order's status. A result is entered by hand on the result surface, or received from an external system through the bridge. A second reviewer, distinct from the person who recorded it, then verifies it. This two-person split is the clinical-safety check on a result.
| Result state | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Awaited | The order is in progress with no result back yet |
| Entered | A result recorded by hand, waiting to be verified |
| Received | A result arrived from an external system, waiting to be verified |
| Verified | Confirmed by a second reviewer, the trusted final state |
A corrected result lands as a new version, with the prior one kept and marked superseded, so the sequence of results reads honestly.
How the record shows each step
The record shows the order's status and its result status side by side, each stamped with who acted and when. A reviewer reads where the order sits, where its result sits, and the person behind each move, from the record alone. A list of orders awaiting a verifier is a query over the result states waiting to be checked.
Common questions
Can an order jump straight to completed?
An order enters work before it completes, so it moves through in progress first. There is a single moment that marks an order completed, and it follows fulfilment.
Can the same person place and verify an order?
Verification is a distinct capability held by a second member of staff. The person who places an order and the person who verifies it are different, and both are stamped on the record.
What happens to an order when a patient is discharged?
The discharge flow moves each open order to cancelled through the ordinary guarded path, which lets Vault reverse the day's charge where it applies. Read more on the discharge finance gate.
Read how a critical result reaches a responsible clinician in critical results.