The AWARDS DataBridge feature, located in the System Setup module, provides you with data files for information that has been entered in many areas of the AWARDS application. By default, those files are opened using Microsoft Excel, with which you can complete various reporting and data manipulation tasks. You also have the option of downloading and saving data files for later use in a report writer application of your choosing.
The DataBridge is an advanced AWARDS feature. When considering its use, we ask that you keep in mind the following:
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In order for the DataBridge to be used effectively, you must have working knowledge of Excel or any other report writer application you wish to use. Foothold can help with any questions you may have regarding accessing or downloading DataBridge files, but we cannot assist you in installing, maintaining, or operating any third-party application that you may be using in conjunction with the DataBridge.
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Data files available through the DataBridge contain confidential personal health information. As such, we urge our clients to monitor access to the DataBridge carefully. To assist in that endeavor, access to the DataBridge is granted by Foothold Technology to individual users. Contact your Foothold Customer Experience team representative to provide access to specified users at your agency.
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Due to the substantial resource requirement involved in making all of your AWARDS data available at the touch of a button, DataBridge files are updated once nightly.
Required Permissions
Users who have been granted access to the DataBridge must have the following permissions in order to use it:
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Display Executive Administration Buttons
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Permissions Data Entry
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Permissions Data Entry for All Staff and Layers
Members of the "Executive Officer" and "System Administrator" user groups are exempt from this requirement.
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.
Opening / Saving a DataBridge File
To open or save a DataBridge file, complete the following steps from the AWARDS Home screen:
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Click Administration from the left-hand menu, and then click System Setup. The System Setup fly-out menu is displayed.
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Click DataBridge Files. The Data Files page is displayed.
IMPORTANT! This page only displays links to those DataBridge files you specifically requested at the time DataBridge access was turned on behind-the-scenes by your Foothold Customer Success & Advocacy team representative. If, at any time, you need to change which files are accessible, please contact your representative or the Help Desk for assistance.
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Click the link for the data file to be opened or saved. The File Download dialog box is displayed.
DataBridge files can also be saved by right-clicking the file's link and selecting Save Target As.
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At this time you will be given the option to either save or open the DataBridge file:
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Open the file - To open the DataBridge file in Microsoft Excel, click Open. The DataBridge file is opened and displayed in Microsoft Excel. To return to AWARDS at any point, click the browser's Back button.
When viewing the DataBridge files in Excel, it may be necessary to adjust column widths to get the data to display properly.
In the event that the DataBridge file is too large for Microsoft Excel to display properly, a File not loaded completely pop-up is displayed when the file is opened (from within AWARDS or from any location to which the file has been saved). In the event that this occurs, the file will need to be saved as a .txt file so that it can be opened from within Microsoft Access (which will be capable of displaying it in its entirety). To do so, use the save option explained below. Be sure to set the Save as type option to "All Files," and add .txt to the end of the File Name field prior to saving -
Save - To save the DataBridge file to your PC without first opening it, click Save. The Save As dialog box is displayed. Chose the location to which the file should be saved, and then click Save. The file is then saved and can later be opened using Microsoft Excel.
If the option to both open AND save the DataBridge file is not available on the File Download dialog box, you can adjust your PC's settings. To do so, click the Windows Start button (in the bottom left corner of your screen), and from the menu that is displayed, select My Computer. From the file menu on the page that is then displayed, select Tools, then Folder Options. The Folder Options dialog box is displayed. Click the File Types tab, and on the list of "Registered file types:" scroll down to .xls, click it, and then click Advanced. On the Edit File Types dialog box that is displayed, check off the Confirm open after download option, then click OK and close the Folder Options dialog box to complete the process.
The process of opening or saving a DataBridge file is now complete.
DataBridge File Keys
A "database key" is a column in one data table (file) whose value matches corresponding columns in other tables. For example, "Program ID" is a key in the AWARDS DataBridge because it is found in multiple tables and can be used to link together the data in those tables. Below is a list of keys found in the AWARDS DataBridge.
| File |
Client
ID |
Program ID |
Employee ID |
Referral ID |
Census ID |
Household ID |
Group ID |
Bed
ID |
| Activities/Groups |
X
|
|||||||
| Appointments History |
X
|
X
|
||||||
| Beds List |
X
|
X
|
||||||
| Client Demographics |
X
|
|||||||
| Client / Member Identifiers |
X
|
|||||||
| Diagnosis History |
X
|
|||||||
| Direct Care Line Staff History | X | X |
X
|
|||||
| Employment History | X | |||||||
| Entitlement History | X |
X
|
||||||
| Funder Contacts | X | |||||||
| Hospitalization History | X | |||||||
| Household History | X |
X
|
||||||
| Housing History | X | X |
X
|
|||||
| In House Transactions | X |
X
|
||||||
| Incidents | X | |||||||
| Info Field Records | X | X |
X
|
X
|
||||
| Legal Form | X |
X
|
||||||
| Maintenance History | ||||||||
| Medical Form | X | X |
X
|
|||||
| Medication History | X | |||||||
| Outreach Census | X | X |
X
|
X
|
X
|
|||
| Program Contact History | X | X |
X
|
X
|
||||
| Program / Unit Division History | X | X | ||||||
| Programs | X | |||||||
| ReachOut Data | X | X | ||||||
| Reception Desk Records | X | X | ||||||
| Referral Source | ||||||||
| Referrals | X |
X
|
||||||
| Service Plan History | X | X | ||||||
| Staff |
X
|
|||||||
| Staff History |
X
|
|||||||
| Substance Abuse Assessment | X | X |
X
|
|||||
| Toxicology | X |
Not all data files listed above may be applicable for your agency, based on which AWARDS features you use. Additionally, only DataBridge files you specifically requested access to at the time the DataBridge was turned on will be available from within AWARDS. If, at any time, you need to change which files are accessible to your agency, please contact the Help Desk for assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How can I ensure that I will have the option to both open and save a DataBridge file when I click on its link in AWARDS?
On your PC, go to "My Computer" and select Tools and then Folder Options. Click the File Types tab, and on the list of "Registered file types:" scroll down to .xls, highlight it, and then click Advanced. On the Edit File Types dialog box that is displayed, click off the Confirm open after download option, and then click OK and close the folder options dialog box to complete the process.
- How can I extract the specific information I need from an opened/saved DataBridge file?
When a DataBridge file is opened directly from within AWARDS, Microsoft Excel is used to display the file. You can also choose to save the DataBridge file to your PC and later open it in Excel (or a similar application). Foothold Technology does not support use of Excel or any applications other than AWARDS. In the event that assistance is needed once the data contained in the DataBridge file has been taken out of AWARDS, we recommend referring to the help system of the application you are working with for more information on its data manipulation features.
- How do I save a DataBridge file as a .txt file instead of the default .xls?
To do so, save the file from AWARDS, being sure to set the save as type option on the save dialog box to "All Files," and add .txt to the end of the File Name field prior to saving. For more information on saving DataBridge files, click here.
- Is accessing DataBridge files captured in the audit trail?
Yes, the audit trail captures the name of the worker who accessed a DataBridge file, the name of the file, and the date and time it was accessed.
- Who is the DataBridge available to? How can I make it available to another user?
The DataBridge is available to a limited number of users at the agency (usually one or two). The users to which access is available is set by the agency and implemented with behind-the-scenes setup done by the Help Desk. Contact the Help Desk if it is necessary to make the DataBridge available to another user.
- Why did I receive a "file not loaded completely" error when I tried to open a DataBridge file?
In the event that the DataBridge file you are working with is too large for Microsoft Excel to display properly, you will receive a "File not loaded completely" error upon opening the file (from within AWARDS or from any location to which the file has been saved). In the event that this occurs, the file will need to be saved as a .txt file so that it can be opened from within Microsoft Access (which will be capable of displaying it in its entirety). To do so, save the file from AWARDS, being sure to set the save as type option to "All Files," and add .txt to the end of the File Name field prior to saving. For more information on saving DataBridge files, click here.