Procedures

The AWARDS Medical module Procedures feature is an optional database enhancement that enables users to enter, update, and delete records for client medical procedures, as well as to view read-only procedure reports.

  NOTE: Procedures information can also be accessed from within individual client face sheets if the face sheet has been configured to allow users to do so.  Please keep in mind that any changes made to procedures information via the Medical module are reflected within the face sheet, and vice versa.

Required Permissions 

Because the Procedures feature is optional, it is not automatically available in all databases.  When requested (by contacting the Help Desk) it is turned on behind-the-scenes in AWARDS by Foothold Technology, and is available to users with the following permissions:

Program Chart Access
Display Any Chart Records Buttons
Display Chart Records Medical Button
Display Chart Records Profile Button (optional - to work with procedures from within client face sheets if the face sheet has been configured to allow it)

  NOTE: Permissions are assigned using the Permissions Maintenance feature.  If you do not have access to that feature and need a permission listed here, please contact your supervisor or your local Help Desk for assistance.

Click-by-Click Instructions 

Working with Procedures

To enter, update, or delete a medical procedure record, complete the following steps from the AWARDS Home screen:

1. Click Charts from the left-hand menu, and then click Medical.  The Medical fly-out menu is displayed.
2. Click Procedures.  The Procedures index page is displayed.

3. Click the Program drop-down arrow in the upper-right corner of the page and select the program associated with the client for whom procedures are to be worked with.
4. Click the Client drop-down arrow and select the client for whom procedures information is to be worked with. 

  TIP:  If the procedure records to be worked with are for a former (discharged) client, first click the Archives toggle to the right of the client selection option.

The index page is automatically refreshed to display any existing procedure records for the selected client.

  TIP: When working on the index page, records are easily accessible using the following tools and navigation features:

Sorting options - By default, records in the index are sorted chronologically.  Click a column header in the data table to sort the index by a different type of data.  Click the heading again to reverse the sort. 

Navigation options - 10 records are displayed on the page by default. To access records on subsequent pages of the index (when applicable), click the arrows in the bottom-right corner of the table.  To display 25 or 50 records at a time, click the Show drop-down to the left of the record count, also in the bottom-right corner, and make a selection.

Once you select records on the index, a count of how many total records are selected is displayed in the action bar. Selections are maintained while moving from one page of the index to the next; meaning, you can select records on the first page (showing records 1-10 by default) and move to the next page (displaying records 11-20) without losing the selections made on the first page. Links for Show all selected records and Uncheck All are available beneath the index table for easy navigation.

Search and filtering options - A Search field is available on the action bar along with a corresponding Filter by drop-down list.  To search the contents of the index (including those records not currently displayed on the page), enter a value in the Search field.  The index is automatically updated as you type.  To further narrow your search, use the Filter by selection to indicate whether the search should look at data in "All Columns" (the default) or a specific column.

ReporBuilder access - The Procedures ReportBuilder link on the left-hand menu bar provides a shortcut to access the ReportBuilder for this feature.  For instructions on using that ReportBuilder, see below.

5. At this time, complete one or more of the following tasks as needed:

   Add a new procedure record - To do so, click the add new icon from the action bar above the procedures table.  A new data entry page is displayed.  Configure the fields and options on this page as necessary, and then click Save.  The procedures record is saved, and a confirmation page is displayed.

  TIP: For more information on each field/option available on the data entry page, see below.

   Update an existing procedure record - To do so, click the record to be updated, or click the checkbox to the left of that record and then click the edit icon from the action bar above the procedures table.  The data entry page is displayed.  Make changes to the information on this page as needed, and then click Save.  The procedure record is saved, and a confirmation page is displayed.

  TIP: For more information on each field/option available on the data entry page, see below.

   View or print an existing procedure record - To do so, click the checkbox to the left the record to be viewed/printed, and then click the view icon from the action bar above the procedures table.  A read-only version of the record is displayed and can be printed as needed using your browser's print option.

   Delete an existing procedure record - To do so, click the checkbox(es) to the left of the record(s) to be deleted, and then click the delete icon from the action bar above the procedures table.  A confirmation message is displayed.  Click OK to proceed with the deletion.  The selected record(s) are deleted and the updated index is displayed.

   Return to the Procedures index - To do so, click the To Index icon from the action bar while working in a procedure record to return to the index page.  You can also return to the index page at any time by clicking Procedures from the breadcrumbs trail below the AWARDS navigation bar.

The process of working with procedures is now complete.

Using the Procedures ReportBuilder

The AWARDS Procedures ReportBuilder can be used to generate customized reports of consumer medical procedures information, along with basic consumer demographics.  To generate and save a Procedures ReportBuilder report that can be re-run in the future, to generate a single-use report, or to use and/or update an existing report format to generate a report, complete the following steps from the AWARDS Home screen:

  TIP: The following instructions detail accessing the Procedures ReportBuilder from directly within the Medical module.  This report is also available in the AWARDS Reports module, where it can be bookmarked for easy access.  For more information on using the Reports module, click here.

1. Click Charts from the left-hand menu, and then click Medical.  The Medical fly-out menu is displayed.
2. Click Procedures.  The Procedures index page is displayed.

3. Click Procedures ReportBuilder from the left-hand menu.  The Procedures ReportBuilder Settings page is displayed.
4. Click the Program drop-down arrow and select the individual program for which the report is to be run, or select a group of programs using one of the available "All" or "Custom Grouping" selections.
5. Click the Roster Date Range drop-down arrow and choose which clients are to be included in the report based on their program history.  Available selections are:

  In Program - When this option is selected the report will only include clients with program history records indicating they were enrolled in the program at some point during the specified date range.  This selection is recommended if you will be narrowing the report contents using multiple date range filters (set in step 16).

  NOTE: In this context, clients who were enrolled in the program include those who entered the program on or before the report "To" date, those who were discharged from the program on or after the report "From" date, and those who were enrolled in the program for the entirety of the report period.

  In Program Including Pending Clients - When this option is selected the report will include admitted and pending clients - those with an admission date OR intake date, respectively, prior to the report end date, and no discharge date (or no discharge date within the date range).

  NOTE: Pending clients are clients in a multi-step intake program who have had an intake processed but who are not yet fully admitted - or clients for whom a room reservation has been made.  Programs using Drop In functionality also create clients designated as pending. 

  Admitted - When this option is selected the report will only include clients with program history records indicating they were admitted to the program at some point during the specified date range.

  Admitted or Transferred In - This option is available in databases that are set up to use the Transfers module.  When this option is selected the report includes clients with program history records indicating they were either admitted to the program (via the Intake/Admission module) or transferred into the program (via the Transfers module) at some point during the specified date range.

  Discharged - When this option is selected the report will only include clients with program history records indicating they were discharged from the program at some point during the specified date range.  Current program episodes will not be included.

  Discharged or Transferred Out - This option is available in databases that are set up to use the Transfers module.  When selected the report includes clients with program history records indicating they were either discharged from the program (via the Discharge module) or transferred out of the program (via the Transfers module) at some point during the specified date range.

  NOTE: In the event that you are creating a new report format that will be saved, please be aware that the selection you make here is not saved with the report.  It, along with the date ranges specified in steps 6 and 8, must be set each time the report is run.

6. By default both Date Range fields contain today's date to include in the report only those clients on the current roster.  If necessary, make changes to that default date range using the available From and To fields/date pickers.  When doing so please keep in mind that a two year period of your choosing is the maximum length of time for which the report can be run.
7. By default the report contents include all clients with records matching the report settings; any client without records matching those settings is excluded.  If necessary, click one of the other Client radio buttons to make an adjustment to the included clients.  Available selections are:

  Clients with Records - The default.  As noted above, includes in the report all clients with records matching the report settings, and excludes those that do not match.

  All Clients - Includes in the report all clients on the program roster, whether or not they have records that match the report settings.  Those without matches will display "--" for data variables in the report where there is not a matching record.

  Select Client - Limits report contents to those records for a single client only, if records are found for that client that match the report settings.  When selected, use the corresponding drop-down (automatically displayed when "Select Client" is clicked) to choose the client for whom the report is to be generated. (The selection list is limited to those clients matching the roster date range settings selected in previous steps.)

8. For those clients included in the report, contents are limited to procedures that took place at some point during the date range specified using the Procedures Dates fields on this page.  By default that date range is set to report procedures that took place in the last month.  If necessary, make changes to that default date range using the available From and To fields/date pickers.  When doing so please keep in mind that a two year period of your choosing is the maximum length of time for which the report can be run.
9. Leave the Provide ExportBuilder Options checkbox unchecked.  It is NOT relevant to report generation.

  NOTE: This option is used to provide access to an ExportBuilder corresponding to the ReportBuilder with which you are working.  AWARDS ExportBuilders - which are designed for use by individuals who are familiar with export files and formats, their design, and setup - harness the power of ReportBuilder functionality and take it a step further to meet a variety of outside reporting needs.  With ExportBuilders, users can create customized data reports as they would with the ReportBuilder itself, and from those reports generate export files of a number of different types - CSV, TXT, XLS, or XML.  Exported files can be saved to your computer, then uploaded into other data collection systems and/or worked with in other applications as needed.  Additionally, as can be done with ReportBuilders, ExportBuilder formats can be saved and shared for future use.

The instructions provided here detail use of the Procedures ReportBuilder only, not the corresponding ExportBuilder.  For more information on using ExportBuilders, click here.

10. If you would like the report (both its content and an Excel file version) to be sent to your AWARDS Messages module upon its completion, click the Send in AWARDS Message checkbox.  When this option is selected, you need not wait for the report to generate, and can navigate away from the ReportBuilder after finishing the configuration process (in step 12 or 20) - this can be a time-saver, especially when working with reports containing large amounts of data that might otherwise take a while to display in AWARDS.

  NOTE: When using this option the report will remain in your messages for one month, after which time it will be deleted. (The exact date of deletion will be displayed in red at the top of the report message for your reference.) If you know you will need the report content after that time, be sure to download the Excel file (Excel File.zip) or HTML content (Report Content.html) attached to the report message. If you don't download one of these attachments before the message is deleted, you will need to manually re-generate the report if you need access to it in the future.

11. Use the Select a saved report format drop-down options at the bottom of the page to specify whether you will be generating the report from scratch or using a previously saved report format.  Available choices are to:

  Use a previously saved report format - To generate the report using a previously created and saved format, select that format from this drop-down.  When using this method, you can immediately generate the report without changing any settings.  Alternately, you can first review and modify the settings of the format by checking off the available Provide option to modify settings of saved report format checkbox.

  Start from scratch, without using a previously saved report format - To create your own report format for single-time use or for saving and later re-use, leave the saved report format drop-down blank.

  NOTE: If you (or another user) have previously saved a default report format for this ReportBuilder and program, that format is pre-selected here. Make changes to the selection as needed, or leave it at its default value.

12. Click CONTINUE.

If you are using an existing report format and have NOT chosen to view/modify the settings of that format, you are now taken directly to the report page.  Continue with step 21.

  NOTE: If you chose to send the report to yourself via the Messages module (in step 10), a notice is first displayed on the page to let you know that report generation is in process and that the report will be sent to your Messages module upon completion. You can then navigate away from the page, or wait for the report to complete and then proceed with step 21.  If you did NOT set that option, you can do so now by clicking Send to AWARDS Messages.   

In all other instances, the Options page is displayed.  Continue with step 13.

13. The procedures report includes all clients who were enrolled in, admitted to, or discharged from the selected program(s) during the specified date range, based on the selections made in step 5 and 6.  In some cases, that may result in duplicate report records in instances where a client has multiple histories in a single program, or a history in multiple programs.  To filter out those duplicates to list each client only once in the report results, click the Unduplicated Client Count checkbox.

  NOTE: When the Unduplicated Count option is selected, only information for the client's most recent program history is included in the report contents.

14. The Options page contains a list of variables grouped by type, and includes selections for "Demographics," "Procedures," and "Record Information." 

  NOTE: A section for "Date Parts" - common to all ReportBuilders that have date variables available for selection - is also included on this page.  It is intended to allow for greater flexibility of reporting around dates; for example, giving you the option to report out on a month as either a number (1) or a written month (January).

Click the checkbox next to each variable to be included in the report, and/or use the available Check All options as needed.

15. Click CONTINUE.  The Report Options - Continued page is displayed.
16. Configure the options in the "Filter Options" portion of the page as necessary to adjust the scope of the report contents.  Set the "Show Individual Detail" and/or "Summary Tables" options to adjust the way in which the contents are displayed.

  TIP: Individual detail report options and/or summary table selections must be set before the report can be generated.

17. To save the report settings so that this report can easily be re-run in the future, click SAVE REPORT FORMAT.  The Save Report Format dialog box is displayed.

  TIP: If it is not necessary to save the report format and you wish only to view the report contents, please skip to step 20. 

18. Configure the fields and options on this dialog box to indicate the specifics of how the format should be saved.

  TIP: For more information on using the save report format options, please click here. 

19. Click Save Report Format.  The report format is saved and the Report Options - Continued page is re-displayed.
20. Click DISPLAY REPORT.  The report is generated and displayed on the ReportBuilder page.

  NOTE: If you chose to send the report to yourself via the Messages module (in step 10), a notice is displayed on the page to let you know that report generation is in process and that the report will be sent to your Messages module upon completion.  You can then navigate away from the page, or wait for the report to complete, and then proceed with step 21. If you did NOT set that option, you can do so now by clicking Send to AWARDS Messages.   

21. At this time individual detail and/or summary table content can be hidden or sorted as needed.  The report can also be printed or exported to Microsoft Excel.  For more information on working with ReportBuilder report contents, please click here. 

  NOTE: When working with report data, please keep in mind that when a report is long enough to require you to scroll down the page to view all of its content, the header row of the data table (individual detail and/or summary) "freezes" at the top of the page.  Similarly, when printing a report that covers more than one page, the header row of any tables split between pages is shown at the top of each page. 

The process of generating a Procedures ReportBuilder report is now complete.

A Closer Look @ Fields & Options 

  NOTE: A gear icon  next to a field or option in this list indicates that it is either optional (and therefore not automatically in all AWARDS databases), or that some aspect of it (for example drop-down selections or its status as required/not required) is configurable.  For information on the ways in which these data entry pages can be configured, see the Medical Module - Implementation Requests Form. To request some or all of the configuration options detailed there, complete the relevant form(s) and submit to [e-mail].

Location

In this field, type or make changes to the location where the procedure was performed.

Negation Reason

Click this drop-down arrow and select the reason why the procedure was not performed.

Procedure

Click this drop-down arrow and click the checkbox next to the name of each procedure being recorded.  If multiple procedures are selected, a separate procedure record is created for each upon saving.

 IMPORTANT! If your AWARDS database has been configured to use the optional fee-based IMO service, as indicated by an IT icon to the right of the Procedure field, click here for more information on how to complete a procedure / code search using that tool.

Procedure Code

In this field, type or make changes to the code for the procedure being recorded. 

  NOTE: If a procedure has been selected from the available drop-down selection list, the code automatically populates with the corresponding SNOMED-CT code once the procedure record is saved.  Until that time this value displays as blank and cannot be updated.

 IMPORTANT! If your AWARDS database has been configured to use the optional fee-based IMO service, as indicated by an IT icon to the right of the Procedure field, the procedure code automatically reflects the procedure and code set specified and cannot be changed manually. Click here for more information on how to complete a procedure / code search using the IMO tool.

Procedure Code Set

Click this drop-down arrow and select the code set for the procedure being recorded.  Available options are "SNOMED-CT" and "CPT (R)."

  NOTE: If a procedure has been selected from the available drop-down list, the code set automatically populates with "SNOMED-CT" and cannot be updated until the procedure record is saved for the first time.

 IMPORTANT! If your AWARDS database has been configured to use the optional fee-based IMO service, as indicated by an IT icon to the right of the Procedure field, a change to the code set selection automatically changes the code as well; however, keep in mind that there may not always be a code for the selected set.  Click here for more information on how to complete a procedure / code search using the IMO tool.

Provider

Click this drop-down arrow and select the individual who performed the procedure.

  NOTE: This selection list is comprised of users with the "List as Prescribing/Diagnosing Physician" data entry/access permission.  In AWARDS databases configured for AWARDS Certified Edition, the list also includes those individuals who have been designated as an "eligible provider" within the Human Resources module's Staff Information feature. 

Reason 

Click this drop-down arrow and select the reason for the procedure being recorded.

Start Time / End Time

In these fields type or make changes to the start and end times for the procedure (using HH:MM AM/PM format).

Status

Defaults to "Performed."  If necessary, click this drop-down arrow and select the correct status; other options are "Ordered" and "Cancelled."

Status Date

In this field, type or make changes to the status date (using mm/dd/yyyy format), or select the date using the date picker drop-down arrow.

Frequently Asked Questions 

How do I complete an IMO search for a procedure?

The IMO (Intelligent Medical Objects) search tool enables users to search for a procedure and automatically pull the full procedure name into AWARDS.

This search is optional functionality that is only available by subscription as a licensed integrated service within AWARDS.  If it is currently turned on in your AWARDS database, you will see an "IT" icon to the right of the Procedure field during procedures data entry.

  NOTE: If you do not see this icon and are interested in learning more about having the IMO search tool added to your AWARDS database, please click here.

The process of using the IMO search tool varies based on whether you are starting a search from scratch, or replacing a previously selected value.  Instructions for both are provided here.

Completing a New Search

To complete an IMO search and pull procedure information into AWARDS, complete the following steps from the Procedures - Data Entry page:

1. Click your mouse cursor in the Procedure field and type the name of the procedure ordered for the client.

  TIP: A full procedure name does not need to be entered; however, the IMO search requires at least the first three letters of a procedure to find matches.  Keep in mind though that only 20 search matches are displayed in the search results, so the more of the procedure description you enter, the more likely you are to find what you're looking for in those 20 matches.

2. Click the IT icon. 

The search is initiated and the IMO Search dialog box is displayed.

This dialog box displays up to 40 matches for the search criteria you entered, with 10 results displayed on each page.  To navigate between the search match pages, if applicable, use the navigation link in the bottom right corner of the dialog box (circled in the image above).

3. Click the radio button to the left of the correct procedure descriptor and associated codes.

  TIP: If the necessary procedure is not listed, click the Search Term field in the upper-left corner of the dialog box, enter an adjusted search phrase, and then click Search to try again.

4. Click SELECT.  The IMO Search's procedure "descriptor" is pulled in the AWARDS Procedure field.  This value will be read-only, but can be adjusted as necessary using the instructions below for redoing a search.
5. If necessary, click the Code Set drop-down arrow and select a different code set.  The procedure Code is automatically adjusted accordingly.

The process of completing a new IMO search is now complete.

Redoing a Search

To make a change to an existing procedure name from the Procedures - Data Entry page, complete the following steps:

1. Click the X icon to the right of the Procedure value to remove the existing procedure name.

2. Repeat the IMO search by following all of the steps under "Completing a New Search" in this same frequently asked question.

The process of redoing a search is now complete.

When completing an IMO search, what does the placeholder code IMO001 mean?

  NOTE: The IMO (Intelligent Medical Objects) search tool enables users to search for a diagnosis condition and automatically pull the full condition text and code into AWARDS.  This search is optional functionality that is only available by subscription as a licensed integrated service within AWARDS.  If it is currently turned on in your AWARDS database, you will see an "IT" icon to the right of the condition field during diagnoses data entry.

IMO will return a code of "IMO001" when there's a term that's relevant for clinical documentation that doesn't have a corresponding value in a code set or a billable context; in other words, when the fairly specific criteria laid out by the ICD, LOINC, or CPT code are not met.  Terms that have clinical documentation, but not billing value generally also have a SNOMED code attached, because it's a more descriptive code set, but one also not typically used for billing.

Why, while entering a new record, does selecting a procedure from the drop-down list cause the code set to populate, but not the code?

If you have selected one or more procedures from the available drop-down selection list, the code set automatically updates to "SNOMED-CT."  The code itself will also be auto-populated based on your procedure selection; however, the code value will not be displayed until after the procedure record is saved for the first time.  Upon saving the code is shown on both the Procedures - Index page, as well as in individual procedure records when opened in data entry or report modes.

Enhancement Request Forms 

As noted above, the Procedures functionality is optional.  To request that it be turned on in your AWARDS database, and to specify how it should be configured there, download and complete the following request form, and then submit it to [e-mail].

Medical Module - Implementation Request Form

FootholdConnect Event Recordings 

Feature Review - IMO (38 min) - June 2019

Foothold Technology and Intelligent Medical Objects (IMO) have been partners for over 5 years and is an important add-on feature for our AWARDS Certified Edition. IMO provides clinically relevant terminology with each term individually mapped to the appropriate billing, regulatory, and reference codes to enhance interoperability across Health IT technologies and ensure comprehensive billing code capture. This tool helps to bridge the gap between clinical language and complex coding systems.  Join us for a review of all that IMO has to offer in AWARDS.

Service Agreements 

Intelligent Medical Objects (IMO) - a smart search and code mapping for diagnoses and lab tests/procedures - can be integrated into AWARDS on a subscription basis.  If you are interested in learning more about the IMO service and/or you would like to proceed with signing up for it, please download and complete the following agreement, and then submit it to your Foothold Customer Success & Advocacy team representative.

IMO Service Information & Agreement