Re: [Gnumed-devel] re timezones

[Elizabeth Dodd]

On Thu, 8 Apr 2004 03:17, Karsten Hilbert wrote:
> People,
>
> I've been adding code to gmPG that sets the default client
> time zone upon connection creation.
>
> PG optionally stores timestamps with a time zone qualifier. If
> connecting clients don't specify a time zone it uses that of
> the server PG is running on (for input/export, that is,
> storage is always in UTC AFAICT). This may not be the desired
> behaviour for GnuMed, eg. when I insert data about patient A
> into David's database running at his AU office I'd be
> submitting CEST time strings. The server would think, however,
> they are AU times unless I tell it otherwise.
>
> What to do about input is pretty clear: Tell the server what
> time zone I am in and happily submit my local time which will
> be converted to UTC for storage.
>
> However, what about retrieval ? Again I can tell the server my
> time zone just fine and it'll nicely convert back UTC to my
> local time. But what about this:
>
> 2003/24/08 13:45   Kirk involved in traffic accident, oversaw
>                    elderly pedestrian at Fourth Street, Melbourne
>
> Now, where's the problem ? Well, 13:45 is *my* CEST local
> time. However, the accident happened some 12 hours earlier, at
> 1:45am AU local time ! The time displayed in my client will
> never hint me into thinking of checking night vision on Kirk. He
> may have selective blindness/tunnel vision at night.
>
> Is this of any clinical concern ?
>
> I am probably blindfoldedly splitting hairs with a blade I am
> not allowed to even touch.
>
> Karsten

I wouldn't be writing the event in real time.

> 2003/24/08 13:45   Kirk involved in traffic accident, oversaw
>                    elderly pedestrian at Fourth Street, Melbourne
>
I'm writing this at the timestamp time but I would have to mark the event as 
happening at an earlier time

eg injured ankle (R) Tuesday (3/7 ago)
wher i mean that the right ankle was injured three days earlier, I noted 
Tuesday because that comes from the exact history given to me, then I 
calculate the time gap.

So Captain Kirk rammed his space ship into a pedestrian at 0045 hrs Melbourne 
time because he was drunk or his cataracts messup his night vision - but the 
computer doesn't timestamp this at the time of incident; it timestamps it 
when I make the note about it. That could be next day or next week or next 
month.
Liz


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