DataCall - Next Patient Call & Patient Information · PDF fileDataCall - Next Patient Call &...

DataCall -

Next Patient Call & Patient

Information System

Operations and Maintenance

Manual

Call Aid UK Ltd 50 Cornhill Road

Carlton

Nottingham

NG4 1GE

Tel: 0115 940 0905

Fax: 0115 853 1969

[email protected] www.callaiduk.com

DataCall - Next Patient Call & Patient Information System

1

Introduction

This hardware and software solution essentially provides the tools for next patient calling at a

health centre or hospital. By using digital signage the system also provides the means to show

information on screen in between calling the patients through.

The Datacall software suite, developed by Call Aid UK, provides an aid to:-

Arrive a patient at a touchscreen check in terminal. This includes optional spoken

instructions for the patient.

Print appointment tickets with numbers when applicable for patient confidentiality

reasons.

Inform the receptionist, clinician and/or doctor of each patient arrival.

Call the next patient forward from the waiting room using on-screen text and associated

speech announcements.

Show informative text, images, posters or videos on the large screen waiting room

displays.

For a further overview of Datacall specifications and licensing see pages 14 to 16

Contents

Waiting Room Displays overview 2

About Check-In Self-check-in story board 6

About Patient Call Hospital appointment progress management 8

About Call Filter Health Centre appointment progress management 9

How To… Log in 10

Setup the Media Manager components 11

Add a slide to the waiting room display screen

Change the default crawler message

Data Schematic Data connectivity between hospital / health centre servers,

PC’s, and the Datacall client applications.

12

Wiring Schematic A typical hardware configuration for Hospital or Health

Centre.

13

Overview Software, Licensing and Hardware specifications 14

Information Governance Data security measures 17

F.A.Q’s What if the system stops calling patients (from Patient Call)? 19

What if the system stops calling patients (from Call Filter)? 20

Who do we contact for support? 22


2

Waiting Room Displays In addition to the Clock and Crawler seen here, the Media Manager also includes:-

Notice board

Typically use to show event schedules at the

practice with start times.

Slide Show

JPG image files.

Often converted from NHS pdf posters or

designed locally by staff using Microsoft

Office tools or similar.

Displayed in successive intervals or according

to a schedule.

Reception Announcements

Using text and speech to convey a messages

or requests to patients in the waiting room.

Taking the same visual format as the next

patient calling function.


3

Videos

Plays video files from a variety of formats at

user specified position and size on screen.

The video snapshot here is one of “stop

smoking” promotional material.

RTF

RTF is a popular text and image format

provided by Microsoft Word and other similar

products.

This display tool enable scrolling information

text to be placed anywhere on screen

The RTF can be scheduled for specific dates

and times, or applied immediately.

Waiting Times

This grid is updated in real time, and draws

an analysis of the duration between

appointment times and last patient called

times.

Additional lines may be added by the clinics

or reception at any time and total manual

control of any line can be passed to the user.


4

Clinics Today

As an alternative to “Waiting Times” this grid

will simply display clinics running today

information.

The grid will be automatically populated

from the appointment data loaded into the

Datacall system.

Lines may be added, deleted or changed

manually by the clinic or reception.

MP3 Player

A background music – none visual feature

Some health centres prefer to run background music in the waiting room to aid patient

confidentiality at reception, and to ease the boredom while awaiting an appointment.

Any number of (suitable) MP3 compatible tracks may be loaded into the Datacall

system and will play randomly throughout each day.

Last Called Grids

With the choice of one or two grids this may

be used for calling and directing patients to a

sub-wait area.

Particularly useful in larger hospital outpatient

departments where sub waiting areas are

located on other floors or along lengthy

corridors.

By cycling the content of the visible columns,

any number of sub-wait areas may be

included.


5

Live TV

Using the principles of IPTV streaming and VLC

media player.

A variety of free to air terrestrial or free-sat

channels may be streamed to the display

screens without flooding hospital / health

centre corporate LAN bandwidth.

Displaying subtitles instead of TV sound is also

optional.

HTML Web Pages

Internet based web pages may be displayed.

Unfortunately such pages often have a great

deal of content making them unsuitable for

the waiting room display screens.

Web style pages however could be produced

in-house, relatively easily, and broadcasted to

the display screens from a hospital or health

centre Intranet.

Timings and schedules to change the

displayed pages can be managed by

Datacall or within the Java script of the pages

displayed.

Next Patient Calling

The text colour and font size, background colour, size

and position of the announcement can be pre-set by

the practice.

The speech and text information can also be

determined by the practice to show either;

a) Ticket number or patient name.

b) Doctor name and/or room name or number.


6

Self-Check-In

1

Story Board Steps 2 and 3 are optional and may be used for

producing “Green Transport” analysis along with

vehicle registration, in respect of ANPR (automatic

number plate recognition) system.

Stages 1, 9 and 11 are user configurable.

Header text, crawler, and system colours are also

configurable.

2 3

4 5

6 7


7

8 9

10 11

Notes to Datacall Check In

The same software module is used on touchscreen terminals at hospitals or health centres.

The terminal will be connected to the corporate LAN using Ethernet cabling just as any other

computer.

A ticket printer may be connected to the terminal’s USB port as required.

This software will connect to the appointments stored in either the PatientCall or the CallFilter

databases.

Following successful check-in, the appointment will be marked as arrived within Datacall and

this may also be conveyed to the hospital PAS or health centre appointment system.


8

About Patient Call

This application provides a number of functions:-

1. To automatically import a list of appointments, supplied by the hospital PAS (patient

appointment system) at the start of each day.

2. To present the appointments in a user friendly and meaningful manner to receptionist

and clinic staff (doctors and nurses).

WELCOME SCREEN

Every user will initially be presented with

the choice of Reception or Clinic

Note

This application is also quite suitable for use in

many larger health centres with specialties

such as physiotherapy, phlebotomy, and X-

Ray.

CLINIC

Doctors and nurses are presented with

their own personal list of appointments.

Arrived patients are indicated by the

existence of a series of icons to

represent the stages through which

each patient will pass during their visit.

The icons are changed to grey ticks as

each patient is called, passes through

consultation or treatment and finally

leaves the building.

RECEPTION

Staff may select and view any one of

today’s clinic lists.

Arrived patients are indicated by a

time appearing in the 7th column.

Tools in this window enable the

receptionists to arrive patients.

Appointments may be amended or

added manually into the Datacall

system.


9

About Call Filter

This application provides a number of functions:-

To automate the collection of appointments from the health centre PAS.

To present the appointments in a user friendly and meaningful manner to receptionists

and clinic staff (doctors and nurses).

To filter, configure and pass next patient calls through to the relevant display screen.

RECEPTION SCREEN

This presents a full list of all

appointments in time and doctor order.

Receptionists may use this screen to:- a) Arrive patients into Datacall

b) Call patients to the doctor or nurse

c) Add appointments

d) Amend appointment settings

e) Send a message to the touch screen fro

when the patient checks in.

f) DNA appointments

QUICK CALL SCREEN

Presented as a popup window on the

doctor or nurse’s computer screen.

Pre-set the room number for the PC

Pre-set the usual doctor for the room.

Call patients from the waiting room.

CALL FILTER DIARY

This screen provides the means to

schedule and assign certain doctors to

certain rooms.

This data is also used by the Media

Manager “Clinics Today” function to list

doctors in session on the waiting room

display.


10

How to… Log In

Start the Datacall Launcher by first locating and clicking this desktop or start menu

icon.

The log in procedure may vary depending upon the activities required by the individual staff

members, but ordinarily the user is presented with:-

The “apps” listed will also depend upon whether the site is a hospital or health centre.

Patient Call and Call Filter are Datacall’s appointment management applications.

A single click will launch the application.

Provided sufficient user licences are in place, a user may choose to launch more than one

concurrent session of the apps.

E.G. one session of “Call Filter” for controlling the appointments, and one session of “Media

Manager” for controlling the waiting room display screens.

On some occasions the user may be taken directly to the required application, thereby

skipping the Datacall Launcher.

After launching each application the user may be asked for an access password.

Unless otherwise instructed the standard user passwords are CLINIC and RECEPT.


11

How to… Set up the Media Manager components

Launch Media Manager “Admin” control panel.

Select the tick boxes for the components you wish

to use at the site.

Click each tab in turn to position, size, colourise

and configure the various attributes of each

component.

The sample monitor (upper right) is used to

preview the finished result.

How to… Add a poster onto the waiting room display screen

The available slides are a list of JPG images

stored in a “slides” folder of the Datacall

Media Manager root server.

Having enabled the Slide Show

component in the admin control panel – click this

toolbar icon to open the slide scheduler.

Drag-n-drop any of the available slide thumbnails

into the schedule list, then apply start and end

timings.

Click this to save the list as repeated daily

schedule, again with start and end dates.

Click this icon to open a local or network folder of slides that will be

displayed repeatedly every day. The path to this folder is specified in the

Admin control panel – Slides tab.

How to… Change the default crawler message

Open the Admin control panel.

Select the Crawler tab. Now

overtype the default message

and click Save.

For changes to take effect

immediately use Control.. Reset

the live display..


12

Data Schematic

Trust Server (PAS)

Datacall Master Database Controller To run on either:-

a) Trust virtual server b) Datacall Win7pro / SBS c) Reception PC after user login

(PatientCall or CallFilter)

Datacall Patient Self-check-in (CheckIn)

Datacall Reception (PatientCall or CallFilter)

Datacall Clinic (PatientCall or CallFilter)

Datacall Display Screen (InnView)

Automated daily PAS data extract (Arranged by Trust IT/Server support staff)

Application(s) may be executed from local hard drive or directly from the server share

Application(s) may be executed from local hard drive or directly from the server share Application will generally execute on local hard drive

Application will execute on local hard drive

Notes to the Data Schematic

PatientCall, CallFilter, CheckIn and InnView are software applications developed in-

house by Call Aid UK using the Omnis Studio 5.0.1 rapid application development

system from Tiger Logic Corporation.

All applications are individually licenced, and must be accompanied by an Omnis

Studio runtime licence per concurrent user.

The maximum quantity of concurrent Datacall users is restricted only by the number of

purchased runtime licenses and server access capability.


13

Wiring Schematic

Trust LAN Trust Server

Trust hub room data switch

Display 002

1st Reception / Consultant / Clinic Manager 2nd Reception / Consultant / Clinic Manager

Display 001 Datacall Touch screen self- check-in incl. embedded PC

Datacall Media Manager Display screen PC

HDMI splitter feeding up to 4 display screens

Datacall LAN

Datacall Master – application may run on Trust virtual server / server share


14

Overview

Datacall is the name given to a suite of Windows based software applications from Call Aid UK.

These applications are developed under licence using Omnis Studio 5.0.1 (Rapid Application

Development system) from the Tiger Logic Corporation.

Each Datacall application contains optional username and password facilities along with user

level access passwords.

The database engine involved uses its own proprietary multi-user data file system and does not

require or make use of any SQL based connectivity or similar.

Omnis Studio is presently a 32 bit Windows application and is fully compatible and stable under

the following operating systems:-

Windows XP

Windows 7 32 & 64 bit

Windows 8 32 & 64 bit

Windows server 2003, 2008

Users and Program Execution

The executables and application libraries can be hosted:-

1) Entirely on PC hardware supplied by Call Aid UK, or

2) On a Windows Server share provided by the practice.

Master (logged in) sessions of the Datacall software are required to run perpetually on the

server hardware or at an uninterrupted client terminal.

Client users (Reception, Clinic practitioners, and Administration office) may run the Datacall

software directly over the LAN from the server share, or the software may be installed locally to

improve start up efficiency.

At a small to medium sized practice no more than 20 concurrent connections are required to

the Datacall server. However larger systems may require a greater number of (Server CALS –

client access licenses) than the 20 clients that a Windows 7 professional share permits.

If a maximum quantity of 20 concurrent Datacall users is sufficient then an optimized Windows 7

professional PC is quite adequate for hosting the system.

The Datacall client software will run comfortably alongside all other existing Windows software

at practice.


15

Licensing

Every Datacall application used at a practice will require a support and development licence.

An Omnis Studio client licence is also required for each and every terminal that needs to

connect into the Datacall databases. This includes all display screen CPU’s, each server side

Datacall Master Session, and all clinic / reception computers.

Domain and network infrastructure

Datacall hardware will function comfortably using its own Workgroup settings or may join the

practice Domain and Username settings.

The system IP addresses should be assigned automatically from the LAN’s DHCP server, or may

have reserved / static IP addresses. Client PC’s should be capable of connecting directly to the

Datacall hardware and its stored database..

Hardware Specification

Client side:-

Pentium class CPU running Microsoft Windows

Cabled local area Ethernet network

2Gb Ram

80 GB HDD – of which 200mb may be used max.

VGA 1024x768

For maximum benefit of the Media Manager:-

Audio output capable

Text-Aloud software and Serena text-to-speech voice synthesis

Server side:-

Pentium class CPU running Microsoft Windows 7 professional


4Gb Ram


Dedicated CPU or virtual machine

A shared Datacall folder with multi-user read/write access

Touchscreen check in terminal:-



2Gb Ram


VGA 1024x768


16

Waiting Room Display CPU:-



2Gb Ram


VGA 1024x768

Data Source

The full next patient calling system normally requires a daily input of extracted appointment

data from the practice PAS (patient appointment system).

This extracted data may be delivered manually by a staff member or by use of automated

scripts depending upon the PAS used and the IT support provision.

The data extract file is dropped into a shared folder and monitored by Datacall, to be instantly

imported as it appears.

On some occasions (depending upon the PAS software vendor) Datacall may have the ability

to extract the required appointment data electronically by means of an API (application

program interface).

Regarding touchscreen check-in

It is important to note that unless direct API connectivity into the PAS is available for the

check-in facility, Datacall can only alert a receptionist to a patient’s arrival, but will not be

capable of updating any relevant “arrived” flags within the PAS.

Multi –Practice Capability

Datacall provides the means to manage next patient calling quite independently for each

practice located at a single site. Waiting room announcements may be combined for single

display screen, or be directed to one or more associated waiting room screens.

Users can tailor the content of messages sent out to the waiting room according to the

practice, the room name, and even the doctor or nurse.


17

Information Governance

How and where is data stored?

All data is stored within Omnis Studio proprietary {.df1} data files.

All program and data components are entirely hosted by a virtual server or dedicated

Windowstm PC attached to the corporate LAN.

The server will be managed by the Trust/Practice IT support team.

Just three DF1 files are used to retain a minimal amount of data required for the next

patient calling system.

What software tools are required to gain access to the data?

Datacall provides five Omnis Studio applications designed in-house at Call Aid UK. All

applications require the Microsoft Windows platform.

Execution of each application is required in order to gain access to the associated

stored data. No other software tools would be capable of reading and deciphering the

stored data.

The applications are supplied on a multi-user runtime basis, thereby preventing

unauthorised access to source code and stored data.

An Omnis Studio multi-user runtime licence is supplied to limit total client access into the

Datacall databases.

From where is data sourced?

Data is delivered electronically to the next patient calling system as extracts from the

hospital or health centre patient appointment systems.

Who can access it and what optional username and password facilities exist?

Application 1 “Patient Call” - is made available to reception computers and clinic room

computers solely for the purpose of selecting and calling the next patient.

Application 2 “Call Filter” - is made available to reception computers and clinic room

computers for the purpose of next patient calling system.

Application 3 “Check In” – is designed to run at multiple touchscreen self-check-in

terminals and makes connection to either the PatientCall or CallFilter databases.

Application 4 “Media Manager” – is designed to control waiting room display screen

content, and to carry out patient announcements using messages sent from Patient Call

and Call Filter. Reception and admin computers are given access to configure the

content of displayed information on the waiting room screens.

Application 5 “ANPR” – is designed to configure and submit vehicle registration data

collected at the touchscreen check-in terminals and submitted daily to a 3rd party

parking management company. My not be applicable at most installation sites.

Both Patient Call and Call Filter applications provide user login name and password

options, along with a series of restricted access level passwords.


18

What personal data is retained by the system?

The minimal data extract comprises of:-

Patient name, gender, date of birth, appointment date and time, doctor name, and

practice code.

In the case of ANPR (automatic number plate recognition), no personal data other than

vehicle registration, method of transport, and date/time of parking is retained.

When is data purged or archived?

In order to maintain system efficiency and small data file size, optional procedures and

schedules are available to archive (or completely erase) data that is no longer required

for daily next patient calling.

On-going further development of the applications will later provide the client with tools

to draw off statistical data, such as room allocation and patient calling efficiency.

What data (ANPR) is transmitted to a 3rd party?

Vehicle registration, method of transport, and date/time of parking only.

No personal data is retained by the ANPR function of Datacall.

No personal data or reference to individual patients, staff, or visitors is transmitted to the

third party parking management company.

What level of data security exists at the touchscreen?

Apart from elements of data specifically required by the patient using a self-check-in

touchscreen, no other patient or staff data is available.

The touchscreen software “Check In” is designed to expect specific responses from the

visitor, and provides no other means of unauthorised access.


19

Frequently Asked Questions

What if the system stops calling patients from Patient Call?

Tests 1 and 2 should help to identify the cause of the problem.

Test 1 – Media Manager

1) Open a session of Media Manager on your PC

2) Click the toolbar icon labelled Announce

3) Set the tick boxes to select/deselect which display screens should be tested.

4) Type in a short sensible message and click the Announce Now button.

5) If the message is announced proceed to Test 2

6) If the message is not announced power off the display screen PC for 30 seconds and

then power it up again. When the usual display screen has returned carry out this test

again. Note: a Windows task schedule is set to automatically start the Datacall software from the display

screen desktop after one or two minutes.

Test 2 – Patient Call application

1) Open a session of Patient Call

2) Select Reception

3) Click the Add button to insert a test appointment for Tommy Testing into Clinic1

4) Note: Clinic1 is usually included as a default and test clinic for troubleshooting

5) Do not apply an arrived time just yet. Click Save.

6) The new appointment will appear as the first line for Clinic1.

7) Click the pointed figure icon in column 7 to arrive the patient.

8) Close the reception window and select Clinic

9) Click the first icon in the line for Tommy Testing then click the Call To: Room button that

appears at the top of the screen, or double click the first icon on Tommy Testing’s line

and respond with Yes to the “call patient?” message.

If the announcement is successful – then your Datacall system administrator is required to check

the Patient Call clinic defaults for those clinics where calls are failing.

Tip: To auto-repair all clinic display path settings:-

Set the correct Call via display settings for Clinic1

Ensure that the default flag is ticked

Use File.. Datafile maintenance.. Reset all display

paths in all clinics to the default…

The password “DATACALL” is required for this

function.

If this message was observed then your

Datacall system administrator will need to

check:-

File.. Admin tools.. System defaults.. Default

lists… Media server network data and calls

folder path…

And

File.. Admin tools.. Clinic defaults.. Call via

display(s) settings for each and every clinic.


20

What if the system stops calling patients from Call Filter (Quick Call)?

Tests 1 and 2 should help to identify the cause of the problem.

Test 1 – Media Manager

1) Open a session of Media Manager on your PC

2) Click the toolbar icon labelled Announce

3) Set the tick boxes to select/deselect which display screens should be tested.

4) Type in a short sensible message and click the Announce Now button.

5) If the message is announced proceed to Test 2

6) If the message is not announced power off the display screen PC for 30 seconds and

then power it up again. When the usual display screen has returned carry out this test

again. Note: a Windows task schedule is set to automatically start the Datacall software from the display

screen desktop after one or two minutes.

Test 2 – Call Filter Important: the exception to the following test is if Calls are being sent and detected by the Call Filter

master from a third party application (such as INPS Vision), whereby next patient calling is processing in a

slightly different manner.

1) Open a session of Call Filter

2) Select the menu File.. Put out a test patient Call… you will receive a message stating

that a call for patient Tommy testing has been sent to all display screens

If the call failed – then the Call Filter master timer, which normally runs perpetually on the server

or Datacall Master PC, may not be running. Please ask your Datacall system administrator (IT

support) to check that the Call Filter Master is running and its Timer is activated.

Another indicator that the Call Filter Master timer is not running is that the called time will not

appear in the doctors Quick Call appointment list, even though the working message to say

“Calling patient etc..” did popup.

Call Filter guidance for system administrators

These settings in System Defaults determine the network folder for transmitting patient Calls to

the display screen media managers.

Continued over page


21

Call Filter guidance for system administrators continued…

Firstly ensure that one or more Site/Practice codes are added this list.

Also check for correct Network paths for importing appointments.

Secondly ensure Network paths for sending patient calls are correctly directed to the

Calls folders used by Datacall Media Manager to detect announcements.

The lower list determines which screen will receive calls for which practice. This will allow

calls to go out on several screens for practice K1 whilst calls for practice K2 might only be

directed to a single waiting room display.

Having checked and corrected these settings, the test call from Call Filter should now be

successful.

If still unsuccessful you must check that Media Manager on the display screens are looking at

the same shared folder as defined in the “Network path for sending patient calls…” as shown

above.


22

Who do we contact for support?

Primarily your first port of call would be your designated Datacall System Administrator.

(Complete as appropriate)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Your next line of support will be Application Support

(Complete as appropriate)

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Finally, and only in connection with the DataCall Patient Calling system

DataCall Support

Call Aid UK Limited

50 Cornhill Road,

Carlton,

Nottingham. (UK)

NG4 1GE

www.callaiduk.com

Tel: 0115 940 0905

Fax: 0115 853 1969

[email protected]

[email protected]

http://www.callaiduk.com/new/

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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