Quote:
Originally Posted by satexasguy
i have a client that is getting rid of her old patient management system and installing a new one. She is trying to gain access to the data in the old system so the data can be transferred to the new system. The old system is a SCO Unix based PC. I'm not sure the type of database system it is running.
Here lies the problem. The company that sold her the old system does not want to give her the userid and password for the old system because they say doing so will give her access to their proprietary system. This is BS because that is like Microsoft saying you can use Word to create documents and print them but you cannot access them to save them.....
Thanks.
|
Herein is the problem. She may have the records in the system, but if she purchased a ready to go program, without any program writing on her part, she probably does not have any right to see the internal working of the system which the password controls.
Her password would give her access to the files. For most data base programs there is probably an import/export program. Most of these systems are tab deliminated, or paragraph/line deliminated. These settings will be capable of being exported to another data base, or a spreadsheet like excell.
Stay away from any program by Microsoft, except excell which they purchased and did not write. You absolutely need a program that is not connected to the computer operating system like Microsoft Word.
For the unix system I would suggest giving Filemaker pro a try, It can serve as a front end to the Unix system and can be loaded on either a Windows or a Mac machine.
Excell loads directly into Filemaker. But I would suggest that you view the spread sheet data first to see how it loads. You want to be sure that the fields are aligned and labeled as you want. (Is the first row data, or is it the name of the column?)
Again, which password is being used. Usually their are some permitted items with every password. She probably has an administrator password and not just a data input that would be used by the front office. The doctor, will without a doubt have something more.
I think we are talking about two things. They will not give her the ability to take the system down to the programing level, or they loose their investment.
Import and export are something else. A good data-base programmer may help. Most DB programmers know how to parse the data to add codes before and after the old data for controls on the export into new fields.
The confusion comes with the new relational DB where multiple tables feed information to each other. e.g. The patient information feeds into the information for office visits. (patient 123 in the address file only has the basic information for the name, address, phone numbers, etc.) while the patient number 123 in the office visit file would only have the information for date of visit and office notes) The tables are connected by the patient ID number 123. A prescription table would connect the same way, and give a list of all prescriptions used by patient 123 and add the patients address data from the address file.
Flat files attempt to get all of the data in one file, and that becomes difficult.
Seriously, look at Filemaker. There are lists of certified programers. They serve as the control front to huge data base like UPS, they can be accessed from remote locations, read other data base systems, etc. In addition the mobile program, Filemaker Go allows the system to be accessed on an Ipad or Iphone so that the information is available on the go and entries can be made without using a computer. I access files all over the country with filemaker Pro by using the IP address, no web site is required. You use any web access program and enter the IP address to handshake the two machines and enter your password. The Iphone and Ipad use the same system to enter directly into the master files.
I just hope that they did not lock her out completely.
JR
who owns the data in a database
