Web-based Anaesthesia Rota Management

SCATA is looking for volunteers to kick-start a rota software project
pcooper
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Re: Web-based Anaesthesia Rota Management

Post by pcooper »

currently going through job-planning abetted by data from one of these things, I am convinced they are a bad idea. Even though they may not start as such, it gives control to management , who then produce data to suit them in a format that suits them.
Im now convinced that, for the people 'at the coalface' computerised rostering software, that gives control to management, so the poor bloody infantry get cut out from the information , are a very very bad idea
Grant
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Re: Web-based Anaesthesia Rota Management

Post by Grant »

Our rota-meister produces a "session balance" for each anaesthetist at the end of every calendar year. This may or may not correspond to what you as an indiviudal thought you had done. There are a lot of variables - how many sessions do you get for a day of study leave, how many for a night resident on call, sick leave, so-called "special" leave if you are lucky enough to get that etc etc
It behoves the individual to keep an accurate diary so that you can defend yourself in the face of electronic rota data that you consider to be inaccurate.
G
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pcooper
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Re: Web-based Anaesthesia Rota Management

Post by pcooper »

so these things dont actually save work - they just duplicate it . They keep data and now you have to as well. And then there is the time and effort that goes into checking it all and then resolving any disputes.
Grant
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Re: Web-based Anaesthesia Rota Management

Post by Grant »

Depends what you see as the primary role of the rota.
You need some way of publicising who is doing what list, where and when.
You're talking about the "extended role" of the rota and that is where it gets controversial.
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Alan Hope
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Re: Web-based Anaesthesia Rota Management

Post by Alan Hope »

I've got a Windows native code prog (Borland Delphi 7 - written over 2 years while I was the Rotamaster here) that does pretty much what CLW Rota does, but I spotted a couple of features missing from CLW which are definitely required for our rota - ie

1) It allows for shifts starting and finishing at any time rather than being restricted to half-day sessions. I implemented this from the outset because I could see a future where various shifts gradually intrude on our working lives. Consultant evening shifts are now being seriously considered here.

2) It allows trainees to rotate away from base hospital, but still do their on-call at the base hospital (or not as the case may be).

It is currently being rolled out across the Glasgow Hospitals (rather slowly since I am a one-man operation). Installed on the WLAN it works extremely well.

I would be happy to share the underlying database structure which is very efficient. On top of that structure are about 20 different custom interactive screens, and the ability to OLE the data directly into Excel Spreadsheets. It copes well with daily changes, and the Secys simply sit with it open on their desktops and run the show.

Unfortunately the source-code is now HUGE, and although I would be happy to donate the code to SCATA it is largely uncommented and would not be easy to maintain. Having said that it has several years use under its belt now, and I have had no problems for the last 2 years of constant daily use in a large Teaching Hospital.

The thought of trying to port it to PHP or other web-based platform does not excite me.
Anaesthesia: it's a gas!
Grant
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Re: Web-based Anaesthesia Rota Management

Post by Grant »

That's sort of what I was getting at when we kicked off this topic i.e
  • Open Source
    Platform Independent/Web-based
Sounds like porting your Pascal is not an option hence :: Start from scratch :(
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Alan Hope
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Re: Web-based Anaesthesia Rota Management

Post by Alan Hope »

OK Grant ... but the database structure / screens have been proven to work for a large 3-site rota, with mutiple shifts of different lengths (1 hr resolution); and trainees rotating through district/specialist units where they sometimes do their on-call back at base, sometimes not; and locums; and seamlessly for staff who are promoted within the hospital. (I've still to see a commercial system which does all of these).

So although the Pascal code itself would not port, the underlying database structure (which is NOT obvious) and current 15 or so interface screens would surely give a better starting point than "scratch".
Anaesthesia: it's a gas!
Grant
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Re: Web-based Anaesthesia Rota Management

Post by Grant »

OK, sorry, I wasn't quite getting it. :oops:
If the underlying DB structure is well-defined and easy to replicate in (say) MySQL then that would be an excellent starting point and would probably account for at least 30% of the effort of the project.
Question is whether you'd be willing to share this, at least for SCATA's use and/or make it public ?
G
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Alan Hope
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Re: Web-based Anaesthesia Rota Management

Post by Alan Hope »

Happy to share - where do you want me to post the database details?
For SCATA / personal use only - I don't really want commercial companies grabbing this.
Anaesthesia: it's a gas!
Alan Hope
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Re: Web-based Anaesthesia Rota Management

Post by Alan Hope »

A follow-on from my post earlier in the thread ...

Another option ... (finding myself still maintaining my Delphi Rota program in order to support deployment across the Glasgow hospitals). So, OK, it's not web-based, which has advantages as well as disadvantages, but I think a viable alternative to the proposals in this thread.

This program was written and deployed during my 2-year stint as rota-runner here. Our dept must be up there with the largest and most complex in the country, and the program has run successfully - on a daily basis - for 5 years, through 2 other rotarunners (we do a 2 year stint). It does a fair bit: staff management (inc locums, visitors, odd sessions provided from other hospitals, jobplans including weekly or longer rolling duties), contracts of employment (ie it supports promotion within the dept); leave of all types; daily running (sudden absences, extra sessions, exactly who is where, and who is available); yearly, monthly, 3-weekly, weekly, daily views; shifts (starting and finishing at any hour of the day); trainee career rotations through other hospitals (where they may or may not be available for on-call back at base); weekly rota printouts; direct export of weekly and monthly rotas into Excel - from which they can be distributed (email / local access); differing printed lists for our 3 telephone exchanges;) I'll stop there.

I am still maintaining this, mostly incremental changes to fine-tune things for secretarial staff in the other Glasgow hospitals here to run this. Fortunately I can access all of the installations on the WAN from my desk.

Given that it is easy to deploy on a Hospital LAN or WAN, and I am still maintaining this (ulp), this could give SCATA a complete working system with full source code. I'm not looking to make money or anything here, but nor do I want to saddle myself with the reponsibility of training up and supporting departments outside Glasgow.

I know Grant has Borland Delphi experience. Every time I go back to the IDE I am struck how pleasant it is to work in. Grant, the source code compiles in a basic installation of either Delphi 7 or Turbo Delphi 2006. ie does not need any addons, and does not need the current (and stupidly expensive) version of Delphi. The underlying database is Access format, which is used natively by Borland Pascal.

Would one way forward be for SCATA to take on a complete working project like this? I would be happy to provide initial training within SCATA, then it would be up to SCATA members to take on training and support for other local deployments. And - no - there is not currently a detailed manual (always the bit done last).

Took a deep breath before I submitted this. I will post a load of screenshots, to let you see the scope of the program, and the interface.
Anaesthesia: it's a gas!
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