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Re: CottageMed improvements
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Theo Gantos
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Apr 25, 2009 23:39 PDT
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See my replies inline. Please in the future attach detailed system
profiles, at the very least identify the exact operating system
version (e.g. MacOSX 10.5.6) and FileMaker version from get info, 9.0v2.
It's just guessing, like trying to come up with a proper Dx without
Hx...
Theo
Theo Gantos
th-@tekainc.com
(312) 576-3425 ph
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 26, 2009, at 2:05 AM, roger bailey <rogerb-@yahoo.com>
wrote:
| | Hi Malcome
I was wondering if you had any issues with FileMaker Server. My
admin console was working just fine then one day, boom, it's gone
and won't open. The application still runs and all is well from
that regard but the admin console hasn't worked in months. There is
a software update but I am nervous about using it.
|
I hope you have 9.0v3 or later, as this was a known issue with early 9
releases...
| | The other odd thing is that my server is server.thepainclinic.com,
but I can access the cottage med database via that name OR with the
name of my server (server.superbehemoth.com)...runs just the same
and when CottageMed opens it always says its the server name, not
server.thepainclinic.com. Just was wondering if you'd had any
similar issues.
|
Cannot help you without detailed DNS report from your site. This is a
site specific problem, not a FileMaker problem.
| |
One thing that happened to me the other day was very frightening
though. My nurse was in the exam room and entered some data
(vitals, etc), then came out to her computer and noticed all the
data was gone. I entered some data on the same patient a few
minutes later and while I was talking to her I noticed the entire
day's entry was gone...then seconds later the entire list of prior
visits disappeared, too. There were a couple of error messages
(hard drive space?), too. I stepped out and noticed that on the
server the visit on that day was gone but fortunately the prior
visits were still there.
|
This is a common issue with new FileMaker users, they were entering
data while in "find" mode. Yes whatever was typed into the screen in
Find mode was not written to the database, it was simply used as a
search pattern, since nothing matched, you got no records.
| | I rebooted the server and though I had to redo that day's entry, all
the others were there and I've had no issues in the last few days.
The only thing I had been doing out of the ordinary was I was
trialing 'Backblaze' (an onine remote storage service) that had been
backing up my server (but only 1/3 of the way done). It had been
running for over a week but since that was the only other variable -
I shut it down and later uninstalled it. Very strange. Not sure if
the backup app had anything to do with it.
|
You cannot backup an operating FM database without losing data or even
corrupting the files. You must use the built in FileMaker server
backup, or if not using FM Server shutdown the hosting copy of
FileMaker, copy the files, and then backup the created files with a
reliable utility like EMC Retrospect. Disk space is so inexpensive now
that there is no excuse for not maintaining a robust set of backups. I
do not recommend you trust Internet backups like Mozy except as a
secondary convenience backup. Any network problem while backing up
could cause data corruption.
| |
Also thought I'd ask if you had any experience with online backups.
I have been using FilesAnywhere, which has an online Fax service
(inbound number/outbound) but is a little more expensive. I've
trialed Carbonite, which did not work on OS X server at all. I'm
thinking about a MozyPro account (which supports MAC OS X server)
and am currently in the middle of a Zumo trial. I have also trialed
CrashPlan, which is useful to have inhouse backups to other
computers in the office, but their remote service is awful so
far...very very slow and unreliable.
Roger
--- On Mon, 4/20/09, Malcolm Sickels <mjsi-@umich.edu> wrote:
From: Malcolm Sickels <mjsi-@umich.edu>
Subject: Re: CottageMed improvements
To: Cotta-@topica.com
Date: Monday, April 20, 2009, 7:12 PM
Yes, I am on FileMaker Server, and despite opening the databases
with a single user copy of FMP (after turning the server off and
moving them out of the Database folder and opening it with FMP
(where it does what it's always done when not run through Server:
default to printing current record only), then turning the server on
and importing them into the Database folder via FMS) it still
defaults to printing all records. Any other ideas?
Also, I had the troubling experience of FMS not knowing that it was
out of date and denying that there was a newer version when I
upgraded the computer it's running on. The new computer had 10.5.6
and I was running FMS 9v2 and you need the latest version of FMS
(9v3.326) to run on 10.5. Just a heads-up.
FYI, we're still plugging away with insurance. I can't bear to cut
off the people who can't afford to pay out of pocket, and am paying
the price with a lower income. It's values vs pocketbook. If it
wasn't sustainable, I'd change it, but it is (just barely).
Malcolm Sickels MD
210 Little Lake Drive, Suite 10
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
http://drsickels.com
734-332-9936
On Dec 20, 2008, at 8:09 AM, Stefan Topolski wrote:
| | Hello Malcolm,
Yes, great points. We really appreciate your suggestions and hard
work.
When you see a feature or behavior not hold after restarting, it
means you are using FileMaker Server. These often involve global
variables which are unique for each user when you log in to
CottageMed. When each user logs out, however, their unique global
value is discarded and the original global value for the database
remains on the hard drive file.
This is normal, it's not a bug, it's the way databases manage
multiple users. The solution is to turn off the Server program,
pull your files out to your desktop, open them up with a single-
user copy of FIlemaker Pro, set the variables and values and
behaviors the way you want, then close Filemaker Pro. When you re-
upload these database files to the server as your new copies, your
new settings which you set in Filemaker Pro single-user will be the
settings that come up as default when the files are shared to
others through Filemaker Server.
As for billing, failed promises of billing companies is the norm.
Their performance, in my opinion, gets worse each year as they are
outmaneuvered by the gamesmanship of much larger insurance
companies they seek payment from. Doing it yourself, though, is an
even riskier venture that is a step further backwards.
THIS IS WHERE EVERY NEW AND YOUNG PRACTICE I CONSULT FOR FAILS IF
IT FAILS. In U.S. health care today there is a huge crime. It's
not LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. It's BILLING, BILLING, BILLING...
I know that you've had problems with your state laws and
considering firms like Athena. I get nothing from Athena for this
suggestion. They are INCREDIBLE, and you need a large outfit
that's national like Athena, any outfit as big as Athena, with the
resources, people power, and computer automation skills to keep up
with the insurance 'big boys' and play the insurance billing game
to win.
I hope you can find some arrangement like this, or go cash-only.
Billing insurance yourself is a dead-end game that's too dangerous
for me to play. I do hope that you have better luck at it than
almost everyone else. I really want you to keep growing and succeed!
Yours Truly,
Stefan
"One gathers peace as a feather in the palm of one's hand." -
anonymous
Stefan Topolski MD
U. of Massachusetts School of Medicine
U. of New England
Caring in Community, Inc.
1105 Mohawk Trail
Shelburne Falls, Ma.
http://www.cottagemed.org
On Dec 18, 2008, at 9:26 PM, Malcolm Sickels wrote:
| | Yeah, doing the jump once was a more painful endeavor than the
smaller jumps, but it's hard to find the time to do it and deal
with the unknown consequences of the changes. Upgrades are always
a leap into the unknown and I want to subject me, my staff and my
patients to as little as possible. I take full responsibility for
the unusual upgrade path and expected the pain, so was documenting
the changes I made for myself (since I'll have to re-do some them
every time I upgrade for my idiosyncrasies (another reason I do it
as little as possible) and if it just put it on paper it'll get
lost) and for anyone else who might be in the same boat. If
anything it's a testament to how good 1.9.1 was: no compelling
reason to upgrade.
We've since stopped using our billing company and are doing it
ourselves.
I think the PDF saving problem went away. No idea why.
We switched to FileMaker Server (running on my old G4 768DP MDD)
over gigabit ethernet (except one notebook on the newest airport),
and some things are actually faster than they were before and
there's fewer problems! There is one new issue, though: when
quitting and restarting FMP, the print dialogue defaults to
printing "all records" rather than only the records being browsed,
so if I don't fix it each restart I end up getting all of a
patient's prescriptions printing out instead of the one I'm
printing.
Dr. Malcolm Sickels, MD
210 Little Lake Drive, Suite 10
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
http://drsickels.com
734-332-9936
On Dec 18, 2008, at 10:09 AM, Stefan Topolski wrote:
| | Thank you , Malcolm -
Your suggestions are very helpful. Some are unique to your
install, some are useful to all users. Some such as not being
able to save a print preview are not the purview of Filemaker or
CottageMed and you'll have to look to the Mac OS for the problem
there.
The Rx changes were required and all fields have more advanced
functions for specific user needs. We will fix the tab order
again. Some users prefer to have the past cc: and vitals present
for their workflow. We will debate those changes some more.
The most important advice we can give you to make the upgrade
process smoother is to upgrade much sooner. Jumping from version
1.9 to 2.5 is a huge jump over several years of program
development. It's a bit too much to ask the program and
programming team to make painless for you.
So in the future, please upgrade each year so that your
experience is as smooth and enjoyable as that of other CottageMed
users.
Yours Truly,
Stefan
"One gathers peace as a feather in the palm of one's hand." -
anonymous
Stefan Topolski MD
U. of Massachusetts School of Medicine
U. of New England
Caring in Community, Inc.
1105 Mohawk Trail
Shelburne Falls, Ma.
http://www.cottagemed.org
On Jul 7, 2008, at 5:12 PM, Malcolm Sickels wrote:
| | Other changes I made to the 2.5.1b version I moved to today and
yesterday:
-edited the startup script to hide _all_ the windows except the
main one (Alerts and AllPhonesAddresses were previously left
showing but I never use them), and switched the inequality in
the 4th to last line to <= since it seemed to always show the
alert even if I just backed up.
-edited the layout of the Superbill to include "Checked Dx is
primary!" above the checkboxes, made more room for the pt paid
amount and added 2 decimal places to that display and the total,
and moved things around to make room for the numbers.
Also, somehow the page setup was set to horizontal orientation
and the print dialogue defaulted to 2 copies, but that might
just be something on my end (though these are brand-new installs
of FM9).
Also for some reason we can no longer save a print preview of
the superbills (we have been hitting preview and then saving (to
their files) a PDF of the superbill and then hitting the print
button and printing it out for the billing company). Any idea
why that's happening?
The prescription list seems to be sorted differently now, too.
I don't see the logic in it any more.
There's also some weirdness with the dates logged in the Rxs.
On several Rx written today (often on spaces left from old
scripts) or refills, the date entered into the Rx log is a
previous date, often the date of the last time that prescription
was printed. Interestingly, the log still has them sorted by
when I actually printed them (so even though a script I printed
today has a date before some other things further down the log's
list).
Also, there's this "Date" column in the Rx section that doesn't
seem to relate to anything (it doesn't have the date of the Rxs
I just printed today!). I'll go in and see what it's supposed
to do. I didn't get vary far since I don't know what all the
script-maker functions are.
I also turned off drag and drop text selection since it gets me
in more trouble than it's worth (since dragging is a good way to
get around in a note).
I'm also having trouble with all clients logging in with the
same credentials (whatever the serving computer (mine) logs in
as, so do all the others), but this may get fixed when I move it
to a dedicated server.
The new find function (from pressing the button) while having a
good warning now leaves the person in the list view which makes
more work, but if cmd-F works just as well, it may not be a big
deal
I had to re-designate the tabs to make the tab order for the Rx
lines all in a row (24-30) in the Notes layout. Otherwise,
hitting tab goes awry and you can't enter a bunch of Rx one
after the other (like when putting in a new pt) without using
the mouse.
I would like to not have the Rx pad window show up (in back)
every time I start a SOAP note, but it's not plain in the
script. It'd also be good to have it clear the vitals/CC box
when it puts them in a note.
Dr. Malcolm Sickels MD
210 Little Lake Drive, Suite 10
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
http://drsickels.com
734-332-9936
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<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div>See my replies inline. Please in the future attach detailed system profiles, at the very least identify the exact operating system version (e.g. MacOSX 10.5.6) and FileMaker version from get info, 9.0v2.</div><div>It's just guessing, like trying to come up with a proper Dx without Hx...</div><div> <br><br>Theo<div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Theo Gantos</div><div><a href="mailto:th-@tekainc.com">th-@tekainc.com</a></div><div>(312) 576-3425 ph</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Sent from my iPhone<br><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div></div></div><div><br>On Apr 26, 2009, at 2:05 AM, roger bailey <<a href="mailto:rogerb-@yahoo.com">rogerb-@yahoo.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><div></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;">Hi Malcome<div><br></div><div>I was wondering if you had any issues with FileMaker Server. My admin console was working just fine then one day, boom, it's gone and won't open. The application still runs and all is well from that regard but the admin console hasn't worked in months. There is a software update but I am nervous about using it.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></blockquote>I hope you have 9.0v3 or later, as this was a known issue with early 9 releases...<div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div>The other odd thing is that my server is server.thepainclinic.com, but I can access the cottage med database via that name OR with the name of my server (server.superbehemoth.com)...runs just the same and when CottageMed opens it always says its the server name, not server.thepainclinic.com. Just was wondering if you'd had any similar issues.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></blockquote>Cannot help you without detailed DNS report from your site. This is a site specific problem, not a FileMaker problem.</div><div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div><br></div><div>One thing that happened to me the other day was very frightening though. My nurse was in the exam room and entered some
data (vitals, etc), then came out to her computer and noticed all the data was gone. I entered some data on the same patient a few minutes later and while I was talking to her I noticed the entire day's entry was gone...then seconds later the entire list of prior visits disappeared, too. There were a couple of error messages (hard drive space?), too. I stepped out and noticed that on the server the visit on that day was gone but fortunately the prior visits were still there. </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></blockquote><div>This is a common issue with new FileMaker users, they were entering data while in "find" mode. Yes whatever was typed into the screen in Find mode was not written to the database, it was simply used as a search pattern, since nothing matched, you got no records.</div><div><br></div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div>I rebooted the server and though I had to redo that day's entry, all the others were there and I've had no issues in the last few days. The only thing I had been doing out of the ordinary was I was trialing 'Backblaze' (an onine remote storage service) that had been backing up my server (but only 1/3 of the way done). It had been running for over a week but since that was the only other variable - I shut it down and later uninstalled it.
Very strange. Not sure if the backup app had anything to do with it.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></blockquote><div><br></div>You cannot backup an operating FM database without losing data or even corrupting the files. You must use the built in FileMaker server backup, or if not using FM Server shutdown the hosting copy of FileMaker, copy the files, and then backup the created files with a reliable utility like EMC Retrospect. Disk space is so inexpensive now that there is no excuse for not maintaining a robust set of backups. I do not recommend you trust Internet backups like Mozy except as a secondary convenience backup. Any network problem while backing up could cause data corruption. </div><div> <br><blockquote type="cite"><div><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div><br></div><div>Also thought I'd ask if you had any experience with online backups. I have been using FilesAnywhere, which has an online Fax service (inbound number/outbound) but is a little more expensive. I've trialed Carbonite, which did not work on OS X server at all. I'm thinking about a MozyPro account (which supports MAC OS X server) and am currently in the middle of a Zumo trial. I have also trialed CrashPlan, which is useful to have inhouse backups to other computers in the office, but their remote service is awful so far...very very slow and unreliable. </div><div><br></div><div>Roger </div><div><br>--- On <b>Mon, 4/20/09, Malcolm Sickels <i><<a href="mailto:mjsi-@umich.edu">mjsi-@umich.edu</a>></i></b> wrote:<br><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"><br>From: Malcolm Sickels
<<a href="mailto:mjsi-@umich.edu">mjsi-@umich.edu</a>><br>Subject: Re: CottageMed improvements<br>To: <a href="mailto:Cotta-@topica.com"><a href="mailto:Cotta-@topica.com">Cotta-@topica.com</a></a><br>Date: Monday, April 20, 2009, 7:12 PM<br><br><div id="yiv2085975055">Yes, I am on FileMaker Server, and despite opening the databases with a single user copy of FMP (after turning the server off and moving them out of the Database folder and opening it with FMP (where it does what it's always done when not run through Server: default to printing current record only), then turning the server on and importing them into the Database folder via FMS) it still defaults to printing all records. Any other ideas?<div><br></div><div>Also, I had the troubling experience of FMS not knowing that it was out of date and denying that there was a newer version when I upgraded the computer it's running on. The new computer had 10.5.6 and I was running FMS 9v2 and you need the latest version of FMS (9v3.326) to run on 10.5. Just a
heads-up.</div><div><br></div><div>FYI, we're still plugging away with insurance. I can't bear to cut off the people who can't afford to pay out of pocket, and am paying the price with a lower income. It's values vs pocketbook. If it wasn't sustainable, I'd change it, but it is (just barely).<br><div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse:separate;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;orphans:2;text-align:auto;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div style="word-wrap:break-word;"><div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">Malcolm Sickels MD</div><div>210 Little Lake Drive, Suite 10</div><div>Ann Arbor, MI 48103</div><div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://drsickels.com"><a href="http://drsickels.com">http://drsickels.com</a></a></div><div>734-332-9936</div></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"> </div><br><div><div>On Dec 20, 2008, at 8:09 AM, Stefan Topolski wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div style="word-wrap:break-word;">Hello Malcolm,<div><br></div><div>Yes, great points. We really appreciate your suggestions and hard work.</div><div><br></div><div>When you see a feature or behavior not hold after restarting, it means you are using FileMaker Server. These often involve global variables which are unique for each user when you log in to CottageMed. When each user logs out, however, their unique global value is discarded and the original global value for the database remains on the hard drive file.</div><div><br></div><div>This is normal, it's not a bug, it's the way databases manage multiple users. The solution is to turn off the Server program, pull your files out to your desktop, open them up
with a single-user copy of FIlemaker Pro, set the variables and values and behaviors the way you want, then close Filemaker Pro. When you re-upload these database files to the server as your new copies, your new settings which you set in Filemaker Pro single-user will be the settings that come up as default when the files are shared to others through Filemaker Server.</div><div><br></div><div>As for billing, failed promises of billing companies is the norm. Their performance, in my opinion, gets worse each year as they are outmaneuvered by the gamesmanship of much larger insurance companies they seek payment from. Doing it yourself, though, is an even riskier venture that is a step further backwards. </div><div><br></div><div>THIS IS WHERE EVERY NEW AND YOUNG PRACTICE I CONSULT FOR FAILS IF IT FAILS. In U.S. health care today there is a huge crime. It's not LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. <b>It's </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration:underline;"><b>BILLING, BILLING, BILLING</b></span><b>...</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight:normal;">I know that you've had problems with your state laws and considering firms like Athena. I get nothing from Athena for this suggestion. They are INCREDIBLE, and you need a large outfit that's national like Athena, <i>any</i> outfit as big as Athena, with the resources, people power, and computer automation skills to keep up with the insurance 'big boys' and play the insurance billing game to win.</span></b></div><div><br></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight:normal;">I hope you can find some arrangement like this, or go cash-only. Billing insurance yourself is a dead-end game that's too dangerous for me to play. I <i>do</i> hope that you have better luck at it than almost everyone else. I
really want you to keep growing and succeed!<br></span></b><div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse:separate;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Times;font-size:16px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;orphans:2;text-align:auto;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">Yours Truly,</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;">Stefan</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:9px;"><br></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:9px;"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="2" style="font-size:8px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times;font-size:13px;"><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';min-height:15px;font-size:9px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times;font-size:13px;"><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;">"One gathers peace as a feather in the palm of one's hand." -anonymous</div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Lucida Grande'" size="3" style="font-size:9px;"><br></font></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:16px;"><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:9px;">Stefan Topolski <span class="s1" style="font:normal normal normal 10px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:8px;">MD</span></div></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:9px;">U. of Massachusetts School of Medicine</span></div></span></div></span></font></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';min-height:15px;font-size:9px;">U. of New England</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:9px;">Caring in Community, Inc.</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida
Grande';font-size:9px;">1105 Mohawk Trail</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:9px;">Shelburne Falls, Ma.</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';color:rgb(3, 60, 255);font-size:9px;"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.cottagemed.org"><a href="http://www.cottagemed.org">http://www.cottagemed.org</a></a></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';min-height:15px;font-size:9px;"><br></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"> </div><br><div><div>On Dec 18, 2008, at 9:26 PM, Malcolm Sickels wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div style="word-wrap:break-word;">Yeah, doing the jump once was a more painful endeavor than the smaller jumps,
but it's hard to find the time to do it and deal with the unknown consequences of the changes. Upgrades are always a leap into the unknown and I want to subject me, my staff and my patients to as little as possible. I take full responsibility for the unusual upgrade path and expected the pain, so was documenting the changes I made for myself (since I'll have to re-do some them every time I upgrade for my idiosyncrasies (another reason I do it as little as possible) and if it just put it on paper it'll get lost) and for anyone else who might be in the same boat. If anything it's a testament to how good 1.9.1 was: no compelling reason to upgrade.<div>We've since stopped using our billing company and are doing it ourselves.</div><div>I think the PDF saving problem went away. No idea why.</div><div>We switched to FileMaker Server (running on my old G4 768DP MDD) over gigabit ethernet (except one notebook on the newest
airport), and some things are actually faster than they were before and there's fewer problems! There is one new issue, though: when quitting and restarting FMP, the print dialogue defaults to printing "all records" rather than only the records being browsed, so if I don't fix it each restart I end up getting all of a patient's prescriptions printing out instead of the one I'm printing.<br><div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0px 0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-align:auto;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;orphans:2;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div style="word-wrap:break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0px 0px;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-align:auto;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;orphans:2;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;min-height:14px;"><br></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font:12.0px Helvetica;">Dr. Malcolm Sickels, MD</font></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font:12.0px Helvetica;">210 Little Lake Drive, Suite 10</font></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font:12.0px Helvetica;">Ann Arbor, MI 48103</font></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font:12.0px Helvetica;"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://drsickels.com"><a href="http://drsickels.com">http://drsickels.com</a></a></font></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font:12.0px Helvetica;">734-332-9936</font></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span></div></span> </div><br><div><div>On Dec 18, 2008, at 10:09 AM, Stefan Topolski wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div style="word-wrap:break-word;">Thank you , Malcolm -<div><br></div><div>Your suggestions are very helpful. Some are unique to your install, some are useful to all users. Some such as not being able to save a print preview are not the purview of Filemaker or CottageMed and you'll have to look to the Mac OS for the problem
there.</div><div><br></div><div>The Rx changes were required and all fields have more advanced functions for specific user needs. We will fix the tab order again. Some users prefer to have the past cc: and vitals present for their workflow. We will debate those changes some more.</div><div><br></div><div>The most important advice we can give you to make the upgrade process smoother is to upgrade much sooner. Jumping from version 1.9 to 2.5 is a huge jump over several years of program development. It's a bit too much to ask the program and programming team to make painless for you.</div><div><br></div><div>So in the future, please upgrade each year so that your experience is as smooth and enjoyable as that of other CottageMed users.<br><div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse:separate;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:Times;font-size:16px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;orphans:2;text-align:auto;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">Yours Truly,</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;">Stefan</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:9px;"><br></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:9px;"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="2" style="font-size:8px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times;font-size:13px;"><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';min-height:15px;font-size:9px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times;font-size:13px;"><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;">"One gathers peace as a feather in the palm of one's hand." -anonymous</div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Lucida Grande'" size="3" style="font-size:9px;"><br></font></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:16px;"><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:9px;">Stefan Topolski <span class="s1" style="font:normal normal normal
10px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:8px;">MD</span></div></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:9px;">U. of Massachusetts School of Medicine</span></div></span></div></span></font></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';min-height:15px;font-size:9px;">U. of New England</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:9px;">Caring in Community, Inc.</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:9px;">1105 Mohawk Trail</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';font-size:9px;">Shelburne Falls, Ma.</div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';color:rgb(3, 60, 255);font-size:9px;"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.cottagemed.org"><a href="http://www.cottagemed.org">http://www.cottagemed.org</a></a></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;font:normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';min-height:15px;font-size:9px;"><br></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"> </div><br><div><div>On Jul 7, 2008, at 5:12 PM, Malcolm Sickels wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div style="word-wrap:break-word;"> Other changes I made to the 2.5.1b version I moved to today and yesterday:<div>-edited the startup script to hide _all_ the windows except the main one (Alerts and AllPhonesAddresses were previously left showing but I never use them), and switched the inequality in the 4th to last line to <= since it
seemed to always show the alert even if I just backed up.</div><div>-edited the layout of the Superbill to include "Checked Dx is primary!" above the checkboxes, made more room for the pt paid amount and added 2 decimal places to that display and the total, and moved things around to make room for the numbers.</div><div>Also, somehow the page setup was set to horizontal orientation and the print dialogue defaulted to 2 copies, but that might just be something on my end (though these are brand-new installs of FM9).</div><div>Also for some reason we can no longer save a print preview of the superbills (we have been hitting preview and then saving (to their files) a PDF of the superbill and then hitting the print button and printing it out for the billing company). Any idea why that's happening?</div><div>The prescription list seems to be sorted differently now, too. I don't see the logic in it any more.</div><div>There's also some
weirdness with the dates logged in the Rxs. On several Rx written today (often on spaces left from old scripts) or refills, the date entered into the Rx log is a previous date, often the date of the last time that prescription was printed. Interestingly, the log still has them sorted by when I actually printed them (so even though a script I printed today has a date before some other things further down the log's list).</div><div>Also, there's this "Date" column in the Rx section that doesn't seem to relate to anything (it doesn't have the date of the Rxs I just printed today!). I'll go in and see what it's supposed to do. I didn't get vary far since I don't know what all the script-maker functions are.<br>I also turned off drag and drop text selection since it gets me in more trouble than it's worth (since dragging is a good way to get around in a note).</div><div>I'm also having trouble with all clients logging in
with the same credentials (whatever the serving computer (mine) logs in as, so do all the others), but this may get fixed when I move it to a dedicated server.</div><div>The new find function (from pressing the button) while having a good warning now leaves the person in the list view which makes more work, but if cmd-F works just as well, it may not be a big deal</div><div>I had to re-designate the tabs to make the tab order for the Rx lines all in a row (24-30) in the Notes layout. Otherwise, hitting tab goes awry and you can't enter a bunch of Rx one after the other (like when putting in a new pt) without using the mouse.</div><div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0px 0px;color:rgb(0, 0,
0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-align:auto;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;orphans:2;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div>I would like to not have the Rx pad window show up (in back) every time I start a SOAP note, but it's not plain in the script. It'd also be good to have it clear the vitals/CC box when it puts them in a note.</div><div><br></div></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0px 0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-align:auto;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;orphans:2;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div>Dr. Malcolm Sickels MD</div><div>210 Little Lake Drive, Suite 10</div><div>Ann Arbor, MI 48103</div><div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://drsickels.com"><a href="http://drsickels.com">http://drsickels.com</a></a></div><div>734-332-9936</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span> </div><br></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div>
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