Remote Data Systems FAQs

Remote Data Systems allow providers to access their results over the web, and in some cases enter and submit patient data electronically. RDS results are available for the following:

• Newborn Screening (NBS) tests
• Clinical Chemistry tests: Blood Lead, Total Hemoglobin, Hemoglobin Electrophoresis, Glucose, Lipid Panel/Cholesterol, and RP
• Public Health Microbiology: TB, HIV/STD, Serology, Virology, Parasitology, Bacteriology, Rabies, etc.

All registered submitters are eligible to receive their results online.  To register as a new submitter, provider, or to update your facility’s information with the DSHS Laboratory, please complete and submit the form below.

To find the Submitter Identification Number Update/Request Form click this link for current information.

The 8-digit Submitter ID is an identification number assigned by DSHS Laboratory Reporting. The DSHS Laboratory associates all NBS and Microbiology specimens to the submitter by Submitter ID. The Submitter ID is required for remote access to results as a way to ensure that only designated staff from the submitter can see the patient’s results.

Your DSHS Submitter ID number can be found on your Specimen Submission forms issued to your facility and/or your Facility Administrator should have the record of your submitter ID number.

No. If you place a web label on the NBS card, you do not have to complete the form.

 Two reasons:

1. DSHS needs some means to verify that the information sent electronically correctly matches the form for which it was submitted.
2. In the event that an electronic submission fails for any reason, the laboratory needs some means of manually entering demographics in order to test the specimen.

 There are two options:

1. Through the web system, you may re-access the submitted specimen using the Search option under the Enter NBS Demographics module. Choose to edit the demographics for the specimen in question. Make any necessary changes to the demographic information and submit the specimen again. You will then be prompted to print a label.
2. On the label, using red ink, strike through the incorrect field and initial the change. DSHS data entry operators will then update the electronically received information when the specimen is processed by the laboratory.

If your printer is configured to initiate a print dialog at each print, there will be an option to choose the number of copies within that dialog. If you will always print multiple labels, the number of copies can be set in the printer preferences. Future releases of this system may have the capability to choose the number of labels from within the application.

Although the system is configured to print to a label printer, there is a possible workaround if you prefer to print to Avery labels on a laser printer. A general outline for this workaround is available.

Results will be available as soon as they are reported by DSHS. This usually occurs 1-3 days after the specimen demographics have been Merged into the system.

Results will be available indefinitely. Currently, users can access result reports for any specimens reported after mid-February 2006.

Using the Remote Viewer, the user can search by any of the fields listed and print or view reports for all specimens meeting those criteria. For example, the user can enter the date of birth 07/15/2008. The system will return a listing of all specimens submitted by the facility with 07/15/2008 for a date of birth. The user can then click a checkbox next to each specimen they wish and select View All Reports to open all selected reports.

Submitters will continue to receive hard copy report, but may opt out. Submitters who wish to no longer receive hard copy reports may send a request to NewbornScreeningLab@dshs.state.tx.us.

To view result reports, the web application requires Adobe Reader 8.0 or higher. If you have an older version, this error will occur. A link to a free copy of Adobe Reader 8.0 is available on the Result Reports page.

Yes. Providers have two options:

1. Create user accounts for each submitter ID. Submit a User Security Rights and Confidentiality form for each Submitter ID for each user who needs access. Also, please make sure that a Facility Security Agreement is submitted for each of the locations and Submitter ID numbers.
2. Access all results through a single account. Users can look up results from submitter IDs not associated with their login. To do so requires multiple pieces of demographic data to ensure that the clinic is actually seeing the patient.

 In the Access Result Reports module, uncheck ‘Submitted Samples Only’ before performing a search. For security purposes, the user must use a combination of multiple search fields to access the result report. For a listing of possible search combinations, refer to Page 14 of the web manual.

View the general search tips (PDF).

Yes. When opting to print to a laser printer instead of the default label printer, the user will need to either reset the laser as the default or choose the laser from the print dialog box generated by their application.

The following is a list of just some of the label printers that have been tested with this system. Other similar printers will likely be configurable as well.

• Zebra LP2824
• Zebra TLP 3742
• DYMO LabelWriter 400 Turbo
• Brother P-touch QL-5000
• SII Smart Label Printer

View complete instructions for configuring your printer and web browser.

Since this is a secure site, the site must be added to a list of acceptable sites under security settings for your web browser. This may require setup assistance from the facility's IT department. View the steps necessary to reconfigure this.

Lab Online allows allows providers to access:

• Their Clinical Chemistry results over the web. Clinical Chemistry results available include Blood Lead levels, Total Hemoglobin, Hemoglobin Electrophoresis, Glucose, Lipid Panel/Cholesterol, and RPR, and/or
• Their Microbiology results over the web. Microbiology results available include TB, HIV/STD, Serology, Virology, Parasitology, Bacteriology, Rabies, etc.

You must be established as a Texas Health Steps Clinical Chemistry submitter for access to the Clinical Chemistry section, and a Microbiology submitter to the DSHS Laboratory for access to the Microbiology section.
For the required forms, see the Remote Data Systems Home page. 

Yes. Users can access Clinical Chemistry results for multiple submitters or Public Health Microbiology results for multiple submitters. However, separate accounts will currently be required for Clinical Chemistry results and Public Health Microbiology results.

Please indicate all TPIs or submitter IDs you want associated to your remote user on their User Security Rights and Confidentiality form. Also, please make sure that a Facility Security Agreement is submitted for each of the locations and TPI numbers/submitter ID numbers.

Please email Remote Lab Support at remotelabsupport@dshs.texas.gov. Please include your name, phone number, and name of the system (Microbiology) that you are locked out of.

Adobe Reader is required to see reports in Lab Online. If you need to install the latest version of Adobe Reader, visit http://get.adobe.com/reader/.

If you can’t see your reports, please email Remote Lab Support at remotelabsupport@dshs.texas.gov.

Results will be available as soon as they are reported by DSHS. This usually occurs once testing is complete and depends on the kind of test performed.

Results will be available indefinitely. Currently users can access Clinical Chemistry results back to August 2006 and Microbiology results back to August 2008.

Results will be available indefinitely. Currently users can access Clinical Chemistry results back to August 2006 and Microbiology results back to August 2008.

No. A user can only see specimen reports for facilities the user is set up with. A facility may request that a user be set up with all of its submitting locations.

Yes. Currently your facility will continue to receive hard copy reports by fax or mail in addition to being able to see the reports online.

No. Your facility can either receive hard copy reports by fax or mail or see the reports online.