Eclair 8.1 release highlights – new features, enhancements, and resolved issues

June 2023

Eclair 8.1 introduces several new features and enhancements aimed at improving patient management, the order workflow, and system security, among others. Notably, the Eclair FHIR API is an exciting new development that facilitates rapid secure interoperability, allowing for improved and more accurate data sharing across third-party systems. Read on to learn more about our latest features. 

For more complete information, please refer to the release notes on the Sysmex Knowledge Base.

New features & enhancements

Eclair supports new NHI format

The latest release of Eclair is able to support and validate the new NHI format ahead of Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand’s expected changeover in 2025.

Browser compatibility

The majority of Eclair’s core functions are now supported in Chrome and Edge browsers.  

Internet Explorer in compatibility mode is still required for a select few Admin menu items. These specific items include: 

• Designer (Desktop Order Forms, Observation Data Entry, Report Tree, Stylesheet tabs) 
• System (Enquiry Profiles, Diagnostics, Clinical Library, Data Updates, Data Export, Modules tabs) 
• Library Management 

Our development roadmap will focus on ensuring that these remaining functions become fully compatible with both Edge and Chrome. 

Enhanced patient search

Finding patients is now easier with enhanced search capabilities.  

• Users can now search for a patient by partial last name and date of birth, with the first name field no longer being compulsory.
• Patient searches are now case insensitive. For Oracle systems where the patient NHI must be in uppercase, a new setting enables automatic conversion of patient IDs to uppercase for matching with the Eclair database.
• Eclair now supports temporary patient IDs in HL7 messages, which can be used to find patients and create orders when other identifiers are not available.

Patient management

Alert for patient record deletion  

Administrators will now be promptly alerted when they attempt to delete a patient record, enabling them to proceed with caution and prevent any unintended permanent deletions. 

Messages module – improved user selection  

When sending a message to another Eclair user, the typeahead feature now includes the user’s facility, along with their name and user code in the list of matches. This simplifies the user selection, particularly for those who work across multiple facilities.  

Enhancements to eOrders

New user attributes / permission levels

To increase control over the creation of new patients during order entry, users are now required to have the “Can create patients during order entry” attribute. 

We have also added a new user permission level that restricts the ability to amend and cancel orders to authorised user groups.  

Ordering location

If an order requires an ordering location to be specified but the picklist is empty and there Is no search option, the system will now dynamically populate the location based on the ordering provider field.

Exclude items ordered at the same time

The ability to exclude items from being ordered simultaneously has been extended to My Tab ordering groups. E.g. if an Antenatal screen is restricted from being ordered alongside a CBC, an error displays when attempting to add both tests to a group.

Print and place order

We have introduced a “Print and Place Order” option, allowing users to conveniently print and place orders with just one click.  

FHIR messaging for orders

Eclair now provides the capability to create orders as FHIR-based messages, containing all user-entered or selected information during the order entry and collection process. Sites have the flexibility to enable both HL7 and FHIR as order delivery options.  

Image integration of Eclair orders into the LIS  

Users of the Delphic lab information system (LIS) can now view an electronic image of an Eclair order form in the Delphic Image Viewer. The order form is linked to the corresponding request number in the LIS, providing lab staff with the ability to determine if aliquoting and referral is required for the test request upon specimen receipt.  

Please refer to the Eclair Release Notes 8.0.12 for instructions on setting this up. 

User management

When deleting a new user record, any pseudonyms associated with the record are now also removed.

Triage module

Eclair’s Triaging module enhances the electronic order workflow by enabling more efficient assessment, prioritisation and booking of modality-based services, such as radiology or cardiology procedures.

Retained order priority value during status change

When there is a change in status of a procedure request, such as from ‘For Waitlisted’ to ‘Waitlisted’, the priority value is now retained. This ensures that urgent cases are prioritised before routine ones for timely action by service providers.

Dictionaries

Case-insensitive check for new facility records

Our HL7 Receiver service now includes a case-insensitive check that prevents duplicate facilities from being created with different upper/lower case combinations.

Inactive locations

Sites can now easily manage locations by making Order Placement and Order Fulfillment locations inactive if they are no longer in use. This ensures that order requests are placed and fulfilled at active facilities. Our system automatically disables this option if any uncollected orders are found for a specific location.  

Update pharmacy data

A new configuration option lets a facility overwrite an existing dispense item, regardless of its current status (final, amended or cancelled).

Security system enhancements

New Rate Limiting Settings

We have introduced new rate limiting settings to enhance our system’s security measures against denial of service (DoS) attacks. 

HL7 processing and management

HTTPS hyperlinks now supported

Eclair now supports HTTPS hyperlinks within OBX/NTE sections of HL7 ORU report messages, allowing web URLs to be displayed securely.  

Support for NZLMOH assigning authority in HL7 messages

According to the NZ HISO guide, it is recommended to use “NZLMOH” as the assigning authority in HL7 messages to indicate the presence of an NHI number. However, many systems still use “NHI” in this component. To ensure compatibility with both values and to accurately associate the actual NHI with the same record, Eclair now adds an extra identifier to each patient record that uses the NZLMOH scheme. 

Integration

Report tree data suppression

We have expanded Eclair’s data suppression rules to now apply when accessing Eclair through a portal or practice management system. Clinicians can utilise these rules to selectively hide data sets in the report tree that may overcrowd it, improving the visibility of important results.

Secure integration for Eclair hosting 

The ability for Eclair to be hosted within different framesets in hospital and GP systems may require additional security configurations. We have introduced a new web configuration option to ensure optimal compatibility across different environments and security properties.  

Note: this option requires the Eclair servers to have the December 10, 2019 (or later) cumulative update for the .NET Framework. 

Resolved issues

The latest version of Eclair includes a total of 82 resolved issues that improve the system’s functionality. These include resolving issues related to amending orders, facility search, HL7 messages, placing orders, the Collection Room module, and patient merges. Additionally, Eclair now displays a scroll bar for data entry forms, and the Reprint button and printing order forms in Chrome have been fixed.

An issue with signoff for cumulative reports has also been resolved. Clinicians can now signoff all unaccepted results in this view, enhancing their ability to manage their patients’ reports more efficiently. The Refer and Comment actions are also now available in cumulative view.

Get ready for an exciting year ahead with Eclair! Our 2023-2024 Eclair product roadmap will focus on ongoing development and user-driven enhancements. We will prioritise improving the Eclair Touch mobile apps, refining the eOrders module, advancing our FHIR capabilities, completing the migration of Admin items to Edge/Chrome, launching a revamped data entry form designer, and promptly resolving your support tickets. We are excited to deliver more value to our users through these initiatives and look forward to sharing more updates as we progress.