Re: [Gnumed-devel] on call scheduling software

[J Busser]

>  > Just had a request from Chris Barker who is on the wxPython list, 
> asking me if
>  > gnuMed includes/will include
>
> >  / does anyone know of any opensource projects regarding/
> Very likely there are rooster-generating projects out there, no ?
>
> It all depends on what "GnuMed" is for you at a given moment.
> If you are talking about "core" GnuMed, eg. basic backend and
> reference client, eg. what we are currently working on, then
> no, it will not contain a on-call scheduling software.
>
> If it means "a GnuMed system as installed and maintained by
> company xyz" it may well contain a rooster generator as
> roosters are indeed a trait of larger offices.

I think it depends on how much is (eventually) done with "scheduling" 
and "appointment booking".

When doctors are "on call", it will in cases affect how that doctor's 
surgery / office/ clinic patients are booked. Individuals may 
therefore incorporate their on-call shifts into their office schedule.

When the surgery / office / clinic reception staff look for openings 
when they will be able to book patients, they will likely be able to 
view in the case of any one doctor when they are (or are not) 
on-call. However the call schedule itself would not be adequately 
managed through such a mechanism unless the scheduler included the 
ability to manage discrete "resources" in the way that an exam room 
could be a resource, the call schedule could likewise be something 
that could be "booked". It might be awkward for example that 
"resource" might have to be "booked/filled" 24 hrs a day, 7 days a 
week whereas the surgery / office / clinic itself would operate fewer 
hours and often only 5 or 6 days a week.

Another way that would require a more outrageous "cheat" would be to 
create a person called "On-call", and to schedule that "person" with 
various of the group's doctors to reflect their being on-call.

Main downsides of such approaches:

1) awkward to arrange "view" access to outside organizations (like 
the local hospital) so it would have to be faxed/communicated 
(sometimes to many sub-destinations) to many sub-locations and

2) it is probably a lost cause if on-call duties are being shared 
with any doctors who are not part of the gnumed practice because it 
would unlikely be those doctors' primary" schedule.