Re: [Gnumed-devel] between-patient mode

[James Busser]

Richard's suggestion was contained in  "how and when to select 
encounter type" but is a bit of a new subject

On Tue, 10 Feb 2004 13:38:56 +1100, Richard Terry <address@hidden> 
wrote:
> Also I'd opt for a locked modal window which pops up into place after a
> pre-defined period of inactivity which needs you to confirm patient 
> identify
> to continue working.

I agree it is useful to manage previous / current / next patients in a 
thoughtful and error-avoiding way. We have the following scenarios:

Moving between multiple exam rooms
- does gnumed presently permit a doctor to have multiple concurrent 
logins, on multiple machines?

Patients having access to the exam room and computer, unattended e.g. 
doctor must exit room while patient awaits doctor's return -OR- 
receptionist brings next patient into exam room vacated by the last 
patient while the doctor is doing something else. In all of these 
cases, there may be a logged-on computer in an exam room.
Consider:
- doctor and receptionist be given access to a hot key +- menu item to 
handle this situation
- modal window would need to lock only gnumed --- it may be appropriate 
to allow other applications to function and to be accessible, for 
example there may be educational materials outside of gnumed I might 
want a patient to be able to browse via browser, or it may be desirable 
to lock down the whole computer
- modal window would reveal last user, would permit last user to 
release the lock and return to last "view", or would permit new user to 
logout last user (if gnumed requires) to log in themselves
- if doctor had not invoked the hot key, receptionist who brings next 
patient into room should do it as part of good office practice
- hot key should invoke itself after a proposed period of inactivity 
(short in exam rooms, longer in more secure areas)
- modal window should display the name of the last-accessed (active) 
patient in the modal window as a reminder per Richard's concern
- an alternate, read-only mode that locks gnumed onto the current 
patient would be an alternative where the current patient could look at 
their record but be unable to write any data or move gnumed to another 
patient. At some point gnumed would have to be able to allow a patient 
to examine whatever parts of their record are approved (up to & likely 
having to include the full record except for any sections 'protected" 
on account of psychiatric grounds).
- patients may want to view and print reference copies of their labs 
and other data/reports which in a paper chart model is a pain for 
security (might they pocket the original record) also where in the 
office does the patient sit to do this and, if they want copies --- 
even when willing to pay --- how is this done efficiently? I think it 
would be great to be able to have a patient viewing station where a 
patient can sit down to be logged-on to their own record able to 
read-only the "unrestricted" portion of their own record with the 
ability to print to a local printer. A per-page cost for printing would 
be reasonable. Coffee and web-browsing extra (kidding). If gnumed got 
to the point of coding parts of a record as "restricted" I think the 
doctor should be present to enable that access under their own id so 
the contents could be viewed together and any important explanations 
offered.