Details

There are two things to keep in mind when creating a case with tConsult Web: first, the process of creating the case always begins with identifying the patient (whereas in the tConsult Cart software, it is possible to create a case and add some information before identifying the patient); second, because there are no attached medical devices in tConsult Web (as there are on an AFHCAN Cart), only the following items can be added to the case:

comments

forms

certain types of files from your hard drive or removable media (images, video, audio)

certain types of documents from your hard drive

Links for each item can be found in the Add to Case area of the main viewer window (these are visible once a case has been created or opened). For details on how to add each type of item to a case, refer to the appropriate topic area in the table of contents.

There are two ways to create cases using tConsult Web:

a. Click on the Create Case button at the top of the left column:

b. Click on the Patients link in the left column.

Either of the above approaches (a or b) will open a Patients window allowing the user to search for an existing patient or add a new patient. If the Create Case button was clicked, the search window will include instructions that pertain to adding a case at the top of the window:

If the Patient link was clicked, it will open the same Patients search window without instructions.

The next step is to decide which type of case to create. The AFHCAN system has two types of cases: Real Cases, and Test Cases. Test cases are associated with Test Patients (fictitious patients). Test Cases allow users to train and practice with the AFHCAN software in a safe environment. During training, a user may be assigned the role of Test User, which means they can only create Test Cases using Test Patients. Once training is complete, test users are usually upgraded to the role of Clinical User. Refer to the topic on Provider Roles for information on types of users in the AFHCAN system.

It is a good practice to see if a given patient is already in the AFHCAN system by searching for that patient (as opposed to creating a new patient record without looking first). Begin the search by selecting the type of case: use the check boxes in the search criteria to select Real or Test patients (or both to see all patients).

Enter part of the patient’s name, if desired, or select other search criteria, if known, and click the Search button. This will return a list of patients. (Additional details on the search criteria can be found in the Add/Edit/View Patient topic.)

A purple bar beside a patient’s name indicates this is a test patient.

If the desired patient shows up in the list, double-click on his or her name, and their patient information will be displayed in the right area of the window. It is a good practice to review this information with the patient and and to edit the information if needed.

If the desired patient does not show up, click the Create New Patient button.

A screen for entering patient information will be displayed on the right of the window. Although it is at the bottom of the area (scroll down if needed), it is important to select the type of patient (real or test) before entering other data. This is because the selection determines what data entry fields are available.

        

Once a patient has been selected or created, click on the Create Case button to create the case.

A new case will open in the right area of the main window.