On Sat, Mar 12, 2005 at 09:11:09PM +0100, Gerard Freriks wrote:
> What are names?
> What are names used for?
>
> Names are nothing but a set of strings consisting of
> characters. What are names used for?
>
> Most often we need them to add new information to the correct
> file. (Correct meaning the file of the same person we saw the
> previous time) Names are to add a new document to other
> documents. And this collection of documents are about the same
> person.
>
> Sometimes we need a name in order to be able to attach it to a
> person. We need a name because we have to use the correct name
> to send the bill.
>
> Sometimes we really need to know the real identity of a person.
>
> In most cases the real identity is not important. We only need
> an identifier to locate documents.
>
> In other words what is the use case we are talking about? Once
> we know this, we know what we are talking about.
>
Gerhard, this is based on my experience of having a very
modest, plain vanilla XML based EHR operational for GP practice
over a chain of clinics at Bangalore for over two years now. It
is gradually moulding with use, but enough to answer your
question of 'What are names used for'.
Names are a set of strings, but they have definite purpose.
o In our database, the name string consists of 4 components as
follows:
Namestring = 'IndexName, OtherNames, (AKA), Initials'
e.g. 1. 'Bond, James, (Jim), JB'
2. 'Edison, Thomas Alva, (Tom), TAE'
o We do NOT use this string as a document identifier. Identity
is done by 'unique usernames', based on the above. For James
Bond, the username would be 'bond_jb0000'.
(IOW, we have catered for 10000 Bonds with same initials of
'JB'. We now realise that this 10000 figure is perhaps a bit
too much, but it is safe, adequate for 100 years at least !)
o The AKA, bit is important because some out-of-clinic records
may have annotations like 'Jim Bond' and we know where to
fit such things.
o The initials are used for labelling bottles and slides where
there is not enough space to write a full name identifier.
Keeping the Initials in the database ensures commonality and
precludes human error. Somebody may notice 'Bond, James' and
and write the initials as 'BJ' !
(Though samples are also numbered, this is a crosscheck for
avoiding sample mix-ups at the lab level. Dual identifiers
for samples reduces the chances of mix-ups significantly. We
have had NONE at our centralised lab in last 2 years).
o The full name also helps in administrative processing of the
documents for financial and legal purposes, besides ofcourse
searches (as you mention).
We have found this system to be working quite smoothly, as of
now.
It would be interesting to know what other prople use this name
string for. Or, what other components do they use ...
Bish
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