Hi Jeff,
On Jan 5, 2009, at 10:44:01, Jeff Mar wrote:
Hello All,
I am very appreciative for all the insight and ideas. This is
clearly going to be a complicated task and fortunately I have some
time to put it together and troubleshoot it.
Eventually there will be 10 to 20 users and possibly up to 4
sites. IT is willing to support a filemaker solution.
Four sites is an interesting concept. In that case, I am glad that IT
is willing to support you. Best to start with the host institution's
site, and expand slowly outward.
HIPAA will definitely affect the development of this and I
appreciate all the security points.
I have decided against using calculations around the MRN/ID as to
not code in business logic in the key. Beatrice point about not
using the MRN is something I am looking at now because, as might be
expected, I was using it. It makes sense though that this is
something else that may need to be hidden. Question: Does the
more complex key become the one you use as the main patient key
throughout the patient-centric data?
Yes.
The billing issue is an issue and I have been deciding whether to
build it within one database or share info between two databases as
the focus becomes two sided. There are definitely multiple payers.
Charlene would be a good resource here, but my first impression is
that a billing unit appended onto the clinical management file would
be a good way to go. There may be connectivity issues with submitting
claims, and those might be more easily handled with a separate file.
I am working to normalize the database as well and appreciate the
feedback on this process. I am working to pare it down into info
that changes frequently and almost never changes and will work
harder to normalize the data that changes frequently.
I thank all of you for the continued feedback and thoughts and will
add more questions as I continue the design. Please be assured that
I am actually reading...and trying to process...the different
comments.
Feel free to come back and ask as questions arise.
Beatrice Beaubien, Ph.D.
i2eye, Toronto, Canada
FileMaker Business Alliance
FileMaker Certified Developer
