Postal code collection

The entry TmpV2 entry for Postal Code collection will be automatically created for any new patient created as of 2011-12-08. It needs to be filled in for any patient.

• Start putting in the postal code for new admissions on and after January 1, 2012.

• Project: PostalCode
• Item: Postal Code
• "Q"(note, that's the last field on the form, not the first!): enter the patient's postal code X1X1X1, ie no space
  • Use Upper Case letters in the postal code with no space between please.
  • When the postal code is not available, tick off the "B" and leave the space for postal code blank

Special Cases

Homeless with proxy address

If you have a homeless person admitted who lists their address as Siloam Mission or the Salvation Army/Booth's Place, use their postal code as provided.

Institutionalized patients

For patients who live in care homes, use the institution's postal code.

Inmates

For inmates such as from Stoney Mountain or Headingley use the institution's postal code.

Postal Code not available

If a postal code is unavailable for a patient, tick off the "B" and leave the space for postal code blank. e.g.:

• John/Jane Doe
• out-of-country patient
• chart doesn't have postal code

Uses for the data

Social economic stratification of population by geographic area.

Requirements to enter the data

• I find that if you don't have postal codes for some of your pts before you send even if they are not complete you cant send your completed files without entering a postal code or a check mark on those unsent pts. Would it be possible to have that safety feature on just the completed files?
  • The program will already accept not having the line at all. However, if the line is present it needs to have either a postal code or a "not available" check. To make collection easier I set up the program to enter the line automatically so collectors can save a step. If you would like me to take out that feature, which would eliminate errors for incomplete patients, then let me know. Ttenbergen 14:56, 2012 February 9 (CST)
  • It would be easier to send if the postal code did not come up as an error if not done on unfinished profiles so I would like it if you took out the automatic postal code line. Lois
    • I agree with Lois as I was trying to explain with the above note - Shirley
      • Tina - so what you are saying is if you take out the “automatically” added line for postal code, then any “incomplete” files would “not” affect the sending of completed files however, the program would not allow the sending of any "completed" files where a postal code line was not added and filled in. Is this correct? If that is the case get rid of automatically adding line. The trade off would be collectors would have to add a line manually.Trish Ostryzniuk 17:13, 2012 February 21 (CST)
        • I just tested this: not having the line at all will mean that no error gets launched. I could definitely stop the line from being automatically generated. However, that would mean that nothing stops the patient from being sent without a postal code. I think we are really looking for something else. The line should continue to be generated automatically, but postal code data should not be checked until a patient is final checked. I will add this to requested changes. Please comment if I misunderstood.

• Tina, Can you make it so if the button has been checked for no postal code but you do enter one once you find it that the check button will automatically clear so the system knows one has been entered.--CMarks 14:04, 2012 February 10 (CST)
  • I am not sure that is such a good idea. The only reason I can see why this would be relevant is if patients routinely had the "not available" box checked and then later a postal code entered. If that were happening then maybe we would need to review how we do postal code collection... Ttenbergen 14:47, 2012 February 10 (CST)