[Gnumed-devel] Semi-automating document import

[Jim Busser]

For some time, I had been struggling to identify a workflow that could allow 
praxis assistants to scan documents on behalf of the doctors.

Until now, the only clearly-supported workflow was one in which the documents 
that pertain to an identified (and in focus) patient of interest are physically 
accessible to the doctor who would

(1) import them via scanner (or via file-picker selection of already-scanned 
files), and then

(2) as a pre-condition to being able to save, assigning an episode and a 
document type

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Praxis assistants (manual method)
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Praxis assistants can save the doctors time by pre-scanning paper to disk 
(detaching documents from email, downloading from a fax server) but it leaves 
the group praxis problem of how to cluster subsets of documents for different 
in-praxis primaries.

Doing it based on temporary file system subdirectories is one possibility, 
however this would need the praxis staff to

(i) in the case of paper originals, segregate the stacks by responsible doctor, 
and then change the default  subdirectory based on the intended reviewer

(ii) in the case of documents that arrive digitally, open and inspect them to 
deduce the intended reviewer, then save accordingly

Even under such a system, the doctor must yet open the document to identify the 
patient (unless the staff did extra work to rename files by patient name). Then
- activate the patient
- go to Attach document plug in
- apply file-picker selection (or, if supported by OS, drag-and-drop)
- now actually read these documents, to identify the episode and type and a 
comment and any free-text
- review and sign, plus minus "tag"

This is tedious for the doctor. Can praxis assistants do some of it? I am not 
sure… while non-doctor praxis staff might be granted access to the "Attach 
documents" plugin (but not the "Documents viewer)" plugin) and assign a "Type", 
asking / allowing them to view and select among patient's episodes (and to 
select among them) is likely
- too much access to patient details and
- something they are not qualified to assign
and if they cannot assign an episode, then they cannot save the document. 
Unless the episode would be "unattributed incoming data" needing manual 
creation for every patient.

I have come up with a plan (not the code for) a script-based alternative.

See http://wiki.gnumed.de/bin/view/Gnumed/SemiAutomateDocumentImport

-- Jim