Vital Signs

Updated March 25, 2025 22:10

The Medical module Vital Signs feature is optional functionality that enables users to maintain, and view reports of, client vital signs information.

NOTE: Vital Signs 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 vital signs information via the Medical module are reflected within the face sheet, and vice versa.

Required Permissions

The Vital Signs feature is available for use by staff 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 vital signs 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 Vital Signs Records - Learn to enter, update, and delete vital sign information

To enter, update the information for, or delete a vital signs record, complete the following steps from the AWARDS Home screen:

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

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

TIP: If the vital sign 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 vital sign 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 - Records in the index are sorted chronologically on the page by default. 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.

Related features access - The Vital Sign 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.

NOTE: Included in the index records table you may notice the following read-only information not available during vital signs data entry or on the read-only record previews:

Growth Chart Information - Displayed for clients who are between the ages of 2 and 20 years old. Links to a Child Weight Growth Chart and a Child Height Growth Chart will display on the confirmation page after saving a record with height and/or weight information. Clicking these links opens a new window containing height and weight growth charts, respectively, with the record's percentile plotted on the chart. These links do not display for vital signs taken when the client was under the age of 2 or over the age of 20.

BMI (Body Mass Index) - Displays the calculated body mass index of the client based on his/her height and weight. If data has not been entered for both of those items in the vital signs record, the BMI is not shown.

At this time, complete one or more of the following data entry tasks as needed:

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

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

Update an existing vital signs 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 vital signs table. The data entry page is displayed. Make changes to the information on this page as needed, and then click Save. The vital signs record is saved, and a confirmation page is displayed.

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

View or print an existing vital signs 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 vital signs 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 vital signs 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 vital signs 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 Vital Signs index - To do so, click the To Index icon from the action bar while working in a vital signs record to return to the index page. You can also return to the index page at any time by clicking Vital Signs from the breadcrumbs trail below the AWARDS navigation bar.

The process of working with vital signs information is now complete.

Using the Vital Signs ReportBuilder - Learn to generate customized reports of vital signs information along with basic client demographics.

The AWARDS Vital Signs ReportBuilder is used to generate customized reports of vital signs information, along with basic client demographic data. To generate and save a Vital Signs 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 Vital Signs 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.

TIP: Vital signs information is also available for inclusion when using the Demographics ReportBuilder.

Click Charts from the left-hand menu, and then click Medical. The Medical fly-out menu is displayed.
Click Vital Signs. The Vital Signs index page is displayed.
Click Vital Signs ReportBuilder from the left-hand menu bar. The Vital Signs ReportBuilder Settings page is displayed.
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.
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 15).

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.

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.
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.)

For the clients included in the report, contents are limited to records for vital signs that were obtained at some point during the date range specified using the Vital Sign Dates fields on this page. By default that range is set to the last month. If necessary, make changes to the default 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.
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 Vital Signs ReportBuilder only, not the corresponding ExportBuilder. For more information on using ExportBuilders, click here .

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 19) - 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.

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.

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 20.

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 20. 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.

The Options page contains a list of available report variables grouped by type, and includes sections for "Demographics," "Vital Signs," and "Record Information." These variables represent data collected on the client face sheet, intake forms, and vital signs records.

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.

Click CONTINUE. The Report Options - Continued page is displayed.
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. For more information on using the various report options, please click here.

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 19.

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.

Click Save Report Format. The report format is saved and the Report Options - Continued page is re-displayed.
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 20. If you did NOT set that option, you can do so now by clicking Send to AWARDS Messages.

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 Vital Signs ReportBuilder report is now complete.

A Closer Look @ Fields & Options

Below is an alphabetical list of the fields and options located on the Vital Signs - Data Entry page.

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 (Vital Signs section). To request some or all of the configuration options detailed there, complete the form and submit to requests@footholdtechnology.com.

Babies & Toddlers

There are three optional fields that can be turned on for babies/toddlers. They include:

BMI Percentile (2 - 20 Years)
Weight-for-length Percentile (Birth - 36 Months)
Head Occipital-frontal Circumference Percentile (Birth - 36 Months

Baseline

To indicate that the data collected within the vital signs record should be used as a baseline for the individual, click this toggle to set it to "Yes." Once a baseline record is added to the individual's chart the data from that record is pulled into the vital signs data entry page the next time a new baseline record is created for that individual. The baseline values can then be edited as needed in the new record.

Blood Pressure

In this field, type or make changes to the client's blood pressure, using Systolic/Diastolic format.

BMI

This read-only value displays the calculated body mass index on existing records containing Height and Weight information.

Date

In this field, record the date on which the vital signs were obtained. Type the date using mm/dd/yyyy format, or select the date using the available date picker drop-down.

Glucose (mg/dl)

In this field, type or make changes to the client's glucose level.

Heart Rate

In this field, type or make changes to the client's heart rate.

Height - IN

In this field, type or make changes to the client's height in inches.

NOTE: The height and weight data recorded are used to automatically calculate the client's BMI, which is then displayed on the record and can be included in reports such as the Vital Signs ReportBuilder.

Hip Circumference

In this field, type or make changes to the client's hip circumference in inches.

Inhaled Oxygen

In this field, type or make changes to the client's inhaled oxygen value.

Negated Vital Signs

In the available selection list click one or more vital signs that were not recorded for the client. To make multiple selections press <Ctrl> while clicking each selection.

NOTE: This option is only relevant when a Negation Reason has been selected; as a result, it is disabled until such a selection is made.

Negation Reason

Click this drop-down arrow and select the reason why one or more vital signs were not recorded.

TIP: When a selection is made for this option, Negated Vital Signs should also be specified.

Pulse Oximetry

In this field, type or make changes to the client's pulse oximetry value.

Respiration

In this field, type or make changes to the client's respiration rate.

Smoking Status

Click this drop-down arrow and select the client's current smoking status. Available options are:

Heavy Tobacco Smoker

Light Tobacco Smoker

Current every day smoker

Current some day smoker

Former Smoker

Never Smoker

Smoker - current status unknown

Unknown if ever smoked

These selections have corresponding SNOWMED-CT codes that are viewable when the "Smoking Status Code" variable is included in ReportBuilders such as the Vital Signs ReportBuilder.

Temperature (F)

In this field, type or make changes to the client's temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.

Time

In this field, type or make changes to the time at which the vital signs were obtained, using HH:MM AM/PM format.

Waist Circumference

In this field, type or make changes to the client's waist circumference in inches.

Weight - LB

In this field, type or make changes to the client's weight in pounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which vital signs data is shown in Demographic ReportBuilder reports when there is more than one vital signs record for a client?

When vital signs data variables are included in the Demographics ReportBuilder, they report out on the most recent value for each selected item separately, rather than reporting the values contained in the most recent vital sign record as a whole. For example, if height and weight were saved in a vital signs record on June 15th and then on July 15th a new record was created containing only blood pressure, the Demographics ReportBuilder will display the height and weight data collected in June and the blood pressure data collected in July. (If there is more than one row of data for a client on the report, it is an indication that he/she was enrolled in the program more than once during the report date range.)

Enhancement Request Forms

As noted above, the Vital Signs 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 requests@footholdtechnology.com.

Medical Module - Implementation Requests Form