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Further import rules

  • Updated

 

Understanding rules in the import/export specification 

The import/export specification contains some rules which do not apply directly to the import function (e.g. rules about arrival date in section 4 – for importers, section 4 arrival date will always be the same as section 1 arrival date, whereas for direct entry, section 4 arrival date may be different to section 1 arrival date, where the team is not the first team in the patient pathway for a transferred record). We have included all webtool rules in this specification in order to ensure there is one key document to cover rules whether they relate to importing of records or direct data entry, as we know that many users will use a combination of imports and direct data entry. Importers can only import the first part of a record; it is not possible to continue a record entered by another team by importing into it (a record can be updated/overwritten with additional information, but only within one team, not across teams). For importers who wish to transfer records, this must be completed manually, by entering the record on the webtool and transferring to the next team. 

 

Duplicate Validation Rules

The duplicate rules for the webtool are: 

  1. Arrival date + NHS Number must be unique  
  2. Arrival date + forename, surname and date of birth must be unique  
  3. Arrival date + hospital number must be unique  

Rules 1 and 2 are across all teams (e.g. if another team has entered a patient with same arrival date + NHS number as a record within you file, your record will be treated as a duplicate and not imported). Rule 3 is within a certain team (only if there is another record already assigned to your team will it treat this as a duplicate).  

 

Minimum for Import – If patient identifiers (PIs) are allowed to be imported, then the minimum requirement for fields is based on those fields needed for the duplicate checking process (plus Import ID). If PIs are not allowed, the minimum is just Import ID, arrival date and duplicate checking cannot occur. 

 

Standard minimum fields required for import

Import looks for all of these: 

  • Import Identifier 
  • Arrival date 
  • NHS number OR No NHS number 
  • Hospital number 
  • First name 
  • Last name 
  • Date of birth 

Minimum fields required for import where PIs not allowed 

If Northern Ireland team OR PIs not allowed because 7.102 or 8.1.5 = ‘patient refused’, then the import does not do duplicate checks as above and the minimum fields required for import are: 

  • Import Identifier 
  • Arrival date/time 

ImportIdentifier 

The ImportIdentifier can be set up as any value, including numeric and alphabetic values. The ImportIdentifier must be different for each patient record – if the same ImportIdentifier is used the webtool will treat this as a change to an existing record. The ImportIdentifier cannot be a patient identifier, so it must not include name or NHS number. We would recommend that once records have been imported, that the Patient Audit Number (PatientId) assigned to the record is recorded in your local system against the ImportIdentifier. The SSNAP helpdesk team will refer to patient records using the Patient Audit Number assigned by the webtool rather than the ImportIdentifier.  

 

Northern Ireland teams 

Patient identifiable information cannot be entered onto the web tool  

Ethnicity values are different for Northern Ireland.  

W - White 

C - Chinese 

IT - Irish Traveller 

I - Indian 

P - Pakistani 

B - Bangladeshi 

BC - Black Caribbean 

BA - Black African 

BO - Black Other 

M - Mixed Ethnic Group 

O - Other Ethnic Group 

R - Roma Traveller 

 

Section 1 and section 4 

For questions 4.1(S4ArrivalDateTime), 4.2(S4FirstWard) and 4.3(S4StrokeUnitArrivalDateTime), the fields in the import file must match the fields for corresponding questions in section 1: 1.13(S1FirstArrivalDateTime), 1.14(S1FirstWard), 1.15(S1FirstStrokeUnitArrivalDateTime). If these values do not match, the webtool will highlight an error, as shown below:    

 

Patient consent: S8FollowUpPIConsent and S7DischargePIConsent 

The patient consent question in Section 8 (yes or no) should override the patient consent question in section 7. So if the patient is asked both times (N.B. not mandatory in section 7), the more recent decision should take precedence. However, section 8 'not asked' should not overwrite section 7 'no' (i.e. if the patient refused in hospital and was not asked at 6 months, their PIs should not be entered). 

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