This section describes the immunization subsystem that will be implemented in Armenia. Notice that the subsystem makes use of several modules which include the Facility Inquiry, Provider Inquiry and Patient Record Entry. These same modules are used throughout all of the applications; once a person knows how to use them, that knowledge is transferable to other applications.
Immunization Entry Form
This form is used to enter immunization events. The top three fields are used to associate the event with a facility, provider and patient. The "..." buttons link to other forms that can be used to query the database.
The buttons on the bottom of the form require little explanation except for, perhaps, the List and Browse buttons. These buttons are used to inquire on specific records in the database. If one of the fields above has been filled or partially filled, the value entered is used to reduce the number of choices shown when the List or Browse button is clicked. This makes it possible to locate one choice among thousands of possibilities. This capability is used extensively to locate patients in the database.
As seen in the next figure, the List button produces a page that can be printed.
The Browse button produces a form with checkboxes. The figure below is an example. By checking one of the boxes and then clicking on the Select button, the user makes a choice that is carried back to the entry form.
Patient Record Inquiry
Immunization Entry makes use of the Patient Record Inquiry module. The Patient Record Inquiry module has been designed to capture family relationships. A parent can have any number of biological children. It is easy for a user to enter a parent with up to six children, though more can be entered with slightly greater difficulty. This can be seen in the following figure where Daisy Duck has two children, Huey and Dewey.
This feature is particularly convenient for compiling family relationships because usually a child who receives a vaccination is accompanied by her or his parent who can provide information about the entire family. In this way, a patient database can be constructed quickly.
The patient identifying data is kept separate from the patient demographics, health status, and familial relationships. This makes it possible to reduce the number of times the patient's name and address must be entered. If a person is known as a parent, a spouse, and a guardian, their name should be in the database only once even though it is referenced three times. To enter a new patient, you must first enter the contact data. The following illustration shows the contact inquiry form for Daisy Duck.
Immunization Reports
Nearly all of the immunization reports were created using a report builder. Although they are supplied with the application subsystem, users can make modifications to them to suit their specific needs. In fact, during installation of the software, a user must spend time with the software installer to translate the titles and headings into the national language.
Whenever one of these reports is run, it prompts for user input for such data as the period to report or the birthdate of the patients to be reported. When you design or modify your own report, you can specify up to five parameters to tailor your report query.
It is a good idea to show the values of runtime parameters in the report title. Indeed, on these report samples the date ranges that were entered when the report was generated are shown in braces ([ ]).
The following are examples of three immunization reports.
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