Category:Task Elements

We are collecting tasks as indicators of quality care, nursing work load and for other future uses. When you collect tasks, think of them as not only an indicator of nursing workload. Please follow the guidelines given in the individual article for each task, and these guidelines will be taken into account for any analysis of task data.

Tasks are collected in L_Dxs because at the time we started collecting this we were limited in where/how we could store data. Accordingly, the task options are stored in S AllDiagnoses.

To facilitate task collection in starting in CCMDB.mdb ver 1.9951 sometime after 2010-Oct-29 we will start to automatically add a task entry "fill" for each of the tasks. The corresponding dx codes are ((task - none) - 1) which means the "fill" tasks sort before the allowed tasks, so clicking on any one of them will bring up the allowed tasks as next options. Using a "fill" task instead of defaulting to "none" will prevent anyone from just forgetting to set this while still facilitating easier entry of tasks.

Start Date

• Start Date: December 15, 2006; Medicine Program only (in Task.mdb collection started on Dec 19.2006)

A comment regarding improving the input for the tasks once the laptop arrives has been added to Requested CCMDB changes for the next version#Improve Data Entry for Tasks

Automatic entry of tasks

Is this working for you? Please comment... Template:Discussion

Harder to enter

Debbie described that she enters these tasks using just the keyboard and tabbing.

Personally I use the tab button to move from one cell/field to the next. Prior to this new addition I would place the cursor in the type column, then type t, for task. Access would enter the appropriate word, i.e. task. I would then tab twice to get to the diagnosis code cell. I type in t, and tracheostomy-none was intuitively entered. Tab three times to get to the next type cell. Hit t again, and task shows up. Keep tabbing and entering h for hemodialysis, p for peritoneal dialysis, b for bipap, and i for isolation and you are done. This method is SO much quicker. DPageNewton

• • I find that once you enter the first task under the fill option, that task is eliminated from the drop-down. ie:trach none enterred the next prompt is hemodialysis automatically so you do not have to scroll or hunt around.--CMarks 14:08, 5 November 2010 (CDT)
    • any time you partially enter something into a field, it always puts whatever you have entered to the top of the list once you then hit the drop down arrow with your mouse. Unfortunately you still have to hit the drop down arrow for each and every task that has to be entered, instead of typing in just one letter in order to get none. DPageNewton 14:26, 8 November 2010 (CST)

According to her this takes about 3 seconds; I did a little test of this, and while I don't do this every day it still only took me about 10. That is faster than I could do with the pre-entered tasks and the touchpad, and about the same as I could do with a mouse. I am happy to hear that some of you are adopting tabbing in your data entry as it is definitely faster than using the mouse, but I have no idea how many people are tabbing vs. mousing. Template:Discussion

• I would like to get a better idea how you guys have adopted using the laptops so I can set up the CCMDB in the way that works best for most. Who is using tabbing extensively in entering data, who is using the mouse, and who uses touchpad? I assume everyone uses mouse or touchpad to some degree, so you might enter several of the sections. Thanks! Ttenbergen 10:26, 3 November 2010 (CDT)
  • tabbing
    • Debbie Page Newton-I tab & type as much as I possibly can. It is so much quicker.
      • Marie Laporte--I tab for all fields except for Diagnosis and Comorbids I use the mouse and select from the dropdown (have not figured out a quicker or easier way..are there any?)
        • If you tab into the diagnosis, or comorbid field, then start typing what you want to enter, access intuitively enters what you have started typing. e.g. for comorbid of myocardial infarction, start typing m for myocardial, and it will come up with myocardial infarction. Two caveats however, one-if you want a subcode attached, you still have to hit the drop down arrow to get a list of the subcodes. However, when you hit the drop down to get your subcode (e.g. inferior mi) access puts all the myocardial infarction codes and subcodes at the top of the list, so you don't have to scroll and hunt for the specific code you want. The other caveat is that you have to start typing the code exactly as it is entered in the code list. e.g. to get atrial fibrillation as a code you have to start typing tachyarrthmia's, because that's how it is entered in the list of codes. I still find this method way quicker, especially once you are familiar with how the codes are entered in the code list. DPageNewton 12:15, 8 November 2010 (CST)
  • touchpad
• I use the touchpad when space is a big issue.--CMarks 13:39, 5 November 2010 (CDT)
  • mouse
    • • I tab the majority of the time, and mouse for Dx, Co-mords, and tasks. --FLindell 12:47, 5 November 2010 (CDT)
        • I do roughly the same as Fran.--CMarks 13:39, 5 November 2010 (CDT)

Why not default to "none"

• ...If you had the pre-entered tasks set to default to NONE, that would be great. Having these pre-set tasks default to FILL is a huge pain. I somehow ended up with an entire set of duplicate tasks, when I hit the drop down arrow to get to a tracheostomy - none line. Don't know how I managed that! DPageNewton 17:51, 2 November 2010 (CDT)
  • ... however, if the tasks were set to none this would definitely be the most efficient.--CMarks 08:02, 3 November 2010 (CDT)
    • We thought about defaulting these to "none" but decided not to do this because some of them are rare and the risk of missing those if they are always defaulted would be to great. Ttenbergen 10:26, 3 November 2010 (CDT)
      • Now that I am forced to use the mouse, and the drop down arrow, I find I am making way more mistakes (that I could see in the future that I would conceivably not catch, especially if I was in a rush). The chance of "forgetting" to change a task to the appropriate one, from a pre entered NONE, is minuscule, compared to entering a wrong task in the first place, when they are pre entered with FILL. DPageNewton 12:52, 4 November 2010 (CDT)

Another way to collect tasks

• • • • • would it be possible to make a new tab in access for TASK items that just has checkboxes? Her my suggestions:

• • This would require just as much clicking as doing it the way I set it up, but it would require considerably more programming, and again, a different data structure. Can you make a good case why this would be worthwhile, keeping in mind that this would hold back other improvements like Changes#Facilitate_exchange_of_patient_discharge_times? Ttenbergen 00:07, 5 November 2010 (CDT)

Legacy

When the MOST Score was implemented for the Medicine Program, the collection of iTISS data was stopped. A need was identified to continue to collect some information on nursing workload therefore the medicine program adopted a list of Task Elements they wanted to track.