Excel Video 62 uses the same example as Excel Video 61, adding the wrinkle that you can look up multiple columns in the same table. Notice that my diagnosis code reference table has three columns, the diagnosis code, the diagnosis description, and the diagnosis category. When I design this VLOOKUP formula, I make two changes to the initial formula I wrote in Excel Video 61. First, I modify the first part of the formula to lock in cell B2 with a dollar sign, $B2, so that when I copy the formula to the right, the formula will still look at my diagnosis code in column B. The second modification is simply to expand the table range to include column C so that the diagnosis categories are included in my formula.
That’s all there is to it. The VLOOKUP formula returns the diagnosis code like it did in Excel Video 61. When I copy the formula over to column D, all I need to do is change the third field or parameter in the formula from a 2 to a 3 to get Excel to return the category stored in the third column in my table, and I’m good to go.
Often you’ll have a table with multiple pieces of information you need, such as a patient name and address, or an insurance balance and phone number. It’s easy to get multiple pieces of data from the same table, especially if you carefully design the formula up front.
