WELFORD CHART NOTES
NEWSLETTER
Volume 19, No. 5 November, 2001
copyright 2001, Welford Medical Computing, Inc. All rights reserved
EDITING ALGORITHMS (User's Manual, pgs. 667-685)
Last month's Newsletter showed you how to use an existing Algorithm. This month we will see how to edit an existing Algorithm to adapt it to our own needs. You can use the same principles to create your own Algorithms from scratch.
Let's change the HYPERLIPIDEMIA - ATP III Algorithm so that it gives the exact number of risk factors in the Summary screen, rather than lumping together the risk factors that have the same advice.
1. Press Libraries\Algorithms\Edit.
2. In the Title field, type in HYPERLIPIDEMIA and press Search.
3. Select the HYPERLIPIDEMIA - ATP III Algorithm and press Ok.
4. Press View to see a diagrammatic representation of the Algorithm.
5. Notice that the Summary node is at the bottom right of the diagram, and is labeled "12. Summary". Double click on this box to edit this node.
6. The Algorithm Node Editor pops open with the "HYPERLIPIDEMIA - ATP III - RISK FACTOR SUM" node loaded into it.
7. Click on the Kind tab or press <Pg Dn> to move to the Kind page.
9. We want to make first a third page that will eventually hold the information for >=2 so the second page will hold the information for >=1. Press the Add button. The new page defaults to reading ">=3" because that is the next highest available number past 2.
10. Click on the >=2 tab. Now we want to paste the information from the >=2 page onto the >=3 page. We will want to use the text in the Info box more than once with slight modifications. Therefore, to copy the text to the clipboard, move your mouse to the Info box and press the right mouse button. Choose Select all. Then press the right mouse button again and press Copy. (You can use these right mouse button commands in any edit window in Welford Chart Notes).
11. Click on the >=3 tab. Move to the Info box, press your right mouse button, and press Paste. We have now copied the Info from >=2 to >=3. Change the text in the Info box to read "Number of risk factors is 2".
12. Move to the >=2 page. Move to the Info box, press right mouse\Select all, then right mouse\Cut. This clears the box.
13. Move to the >=0 page. Copy its Info using right mouse\Select all followed by right mouse\Copy. Then change the first line of the Info to read "Number of risks factors is 0".
14. Move to the >=2 page. Move to the Info box and press right mouse\Paste.
15. Change the Info to read "Number of risk factors is 1".
16. Change the Sum Score number to be "1". This changes the tab to read ">=1".
17. Move to the >=3 page. Change its Sum Score to read "2". (You weren't permitted to do this until you first changed the previous page to read ">=1". The first 3 pages are now correct. In the Info box, press right mouse\Select all, then right mouse\Copy to copy this to the clipboard.
18. Press Add. This adds a fourth page, labeled >=3.
19. Move to this page's Info box. Press right mouse\Paste. Change its first line to read "Number of risk factors is 3".
20. Press Add. This adds a fifth page, labeled >=4.
21. Move to this page's Info box. Press right mouse\Paste. Change its first line to read "Number of risk factors is >=4". (You could continue these steps to add as many pages as you like, but most patients don't have more than 4 risk factors).
23. Notice that when you leave the Algorithm Node Editor and return to the Algorithm Editor View, the Summary Screen now has the multiple choices you have specified. You can increase the Zoom value to read these better.
NEWS ON UPCOMING VERSIONS
We are hard at work on version 4.1. We have enhanced the Batch Importer so that it can import the entire chart exported by the Batch Print by Patient feature. Please let us know if there are features you would like to see added in version 4.1.SEND US YOUR TIPS
If you have tips, shortcuts, questions, or suggestions for future newsletter topics, please send them to us at:Welford Medical Computing, Inc.
3779 Hermitage Trail
Rockford, IL 61114
or
MEDCOM Information Systems, Inc.
2117 Stonington Avenue
Hoffman Estates, IL 60195
http://medcom@emirj.com