Produce a project involving the use of communicating and handling data.

Specification

• A database on Access can store information easily. The secretary will store information such as Names, Addresses, Telephone numbers and problems the patient may have i.e. toothache.

• After the database Word can be used to alongside Access to mail merge the document. This document can be saved, as extra copies may be needed

• The Internet can be used to send e-mails to friends or colleagues. The dentist can join online chat rooms to discuss dentistry methods

• Creating an Access database will make it easy to store confidential details such as addresses, as the head dentist can put passwords on the document to make sure that the details do not get out in the open.

Evaluation

Microsoft Access can provide a quick and easy route to the data. Although Access is not the easiest of the Microsoft applications to get to grips with, when you have got used to it, it is very simple. With the filter system you can sort patients by Name or by Age or whichever you wish. The surgery can create backup files on floppy disks as they are very cheap and it can be quickly done with out all the space taken up by the old paper based record system. Therefore I have decided that Microsoft Access would be the better application to use for this particular situation.

Design of Solution

Using a database on Microsoft Access would be the solution to this problem. The surgery can store many patients’ details on this database including Names, Addresses and Ages etc. When the database is complete word can be used to mail merge. This document can be saved and if a patient changed addresses then this could be up dated quickly and easily. The Internet can be used to send e-mails to other surgeries or join online chat rooms to chat about problems. If the surgery used an Access database then it would be easy to store important details such as social security details. Therefore passwords can be put on to this part so that the information can be received by anyone.

Problems such as people double booking and poor handwriting and the losing of the paper records would all be solved. The updating of records would be easy to do and a just as easy to read with no writing over present writing.

How to Mail Merge

• Prepare From Letter
• Prepare Database
• Tools
• Mail Merge
• Create

• Get Data

• Edit
• Enter Insert Word Field
• Tools Mail Merge
• Merge
• OK

Resources

There will need to be three computers with the following specification:

• AMD Athlon 900MHZ processor
• 15” SVGA monitor

• 56k modem
• 128 SD-RAM
• 20G Hard Drive

• 40x CD-ROM Drive with CD-RW
• Hewlett Packard 610 Colour Ink Jet printer
• Microsoft Windows XP

I have taken into account the current financial status of the surgery and one computer for the each of the two dentists and another for the receptionist would be best. These computers could all be connected up to each other using a Local Area Network (LAN). This way all the people in the surgery can share the data about the patients’ details etc. All the computers will require Internet access and for this a 56K modem will be used. AMD Athlon processors will be used as they are relatively fast and can be easily upgraded in the future to 1500 MHz. The dentists can join online chat rooms to discuss new methods of dentistry or problems they have found in their work. The three computers will all be connected up to a dot-matrix printer. This is because the surgery will only need to print off very few databases. A floppy or A: drive will be required so that the surgery can save databases cheaply as floppy disks can be purchased. A CD-RW would be perfect to store data onto disk quickly and effectively but are not required as many databases can be stored onto one floppy disk. The databases and documents can be stored on the hard drive although backup copies can be easily created using as I have said floppy disks or a CD-RW.

Microsoft office 2000 would be the obvious choice as it has many applications such as:

 

• Word                
• Access

• Excel

• Publisher

• Power Point

Data Collection, Data Capturing and Input

I have decided that the main inputs of data will be:

• Entering patients’ details, which would need an appropriate data collection from that matched the data input and that would allow you to do this. Linking the database fields to the input boxes on-screen.

• Financial details such as profit/loss so the dentist can see how the surgery is performing.

• Problems that patients are suffering from e.g. Toothache.

I therefore need to produce a database containing these details. I have decided that a straightforward Access database would be easiest to use. Two spreadsheets would be easier as one sheet could contain females and the other males. It reduces the time taken by possibly half, as you would not have to scroll down as much.

Data Verification and Validation

All of the data I have collected from the head dentist about the old paper based record system I have checked and gone through and compared with what was on the screen. The errors that had been made were easy to see as it had the same layout as the entry on the screen. To feel 100% sure I printed off the database and read through it thoroughly. There were few mistakes apart from a couple of addresses were entered wrong. I therefore edited this so that it was correct because if it stayed wrong the output form the database would be incorrect and sending reminders about forthcoming appointments would be sent to the wrong addresses to people who have nothing to do with the surgery. It was agreed that extreme measures had to be taken to get their system up to date.  Microsoft Access will say what type of data was included in any field and also as it allowed me to say the maximum length allowed for any particular field. In the database that I made, I used the following validation checks:

Data and Program Structures

I have chosen to use Microsoft Access, as it is the best solution to the specification required. This is a copy of the validation checks that I made. They are also seen in Data verification and validation section above. This shows my reasons for using text or numeric forms

                                                     

The fields will be structured so that they go from left to right one after another. Reasons because are:

• The doctor or the receptionists can sort through the data easier and quicker.
• Data can be entered quicker and easier as the cells are next to each other.

Output Format

This screen dump that I have designed is a database in Microsoft Access. It has been designed to show patients first names first as this will make it easier to search for individual patients.

This is a simple Microsoft Access database, which is sorted by name using the easy to use filtering system. The database contains necessary information about the patients.  Problems such as people double booking and poor handwriting and the losing of the paper records would all be solved. The updating of records would be easy to do and a just as easy to read with no writing over present writing. The database is then split up into fields such as Last Name and Address so that the data can be easily found. The filter system can be used to sort patients by name or addresses. E.g. if you sorted the database by last name then Boporan would come up first.

Testing Of Solution

I have decided to use the system using a large range of data that would include examples that were inside and outside of my specifications. The first test I tried was on the output side. This involved trying to search for both incorrect and correct data on the database. I searched for two patients who I knew had the correct data entered into the database. The computer produced the results that I wanted bringing up the correct information that was relevant. When incorrect data was searched for E.G names beginning with “Z” then nothing came up.

Then I tried the input selection. This involved typing initial data that was both incorrect and correct, and checking weather the computer would allow me to type that data. When I input the correct data no errors occurred. The data validation did not need to come into play. When I typed in incorrect data the data validation checks came into play. It would not allow me to type in an age of 150 years.

 

Finally I tested the databases capabilities to see weather I could access the database and then change the contents. The password created no problems. The data was then changed. No problems were encountered here, and the testing of the solution was complete. The database is now capable of performing all the surgeries tasks.

Documentation Of Solution

Because the dentists and the receptionist are not very I.T literate they will need to refer to a step-by-step guide that will help them to enter or edit data:

• First open the database saved as “Surgery”

• Highlight the cell that you wish to add or edit

• Then type in the correct data

• Click the “save” button in the “File” drop down menu.

So if Adam Wills had changed address then could highlight the correct cells and edit the data.

How to respond error messages such as:

In order to use the database efficiently and effectively the Dentists and the receptionist will require a step-by-step guide to enter and edit data.

• Open the database which will be saved as a file that they can easily recognise E.G. surgery.doc

• Highlight the cell in which the data is incorrect and needs editing   or deleting and type in the new text or numbers.

• Click ‘File’ and ‘Save’.

If this appears during the editing process then you have caused an error. You will need to consider:

• What type of field am I typing in E.G. Text or Numeric

• What restrictions are on that field E.G. No more that 20 characters.

The field is a numerical one. You may have input a letter or character symbol. If this is the case then the characters must be deleted and typing can commence again.

But if you are entering the correct data for the correct field then you may be typing in more text than the limit allows. You will have to change the limit by:

• Opening the database. Select ‘View’ then ‘Design View’
• Click on the problematic field
• Towards the bottom is a whit bar with the words ‘Field Size’
• If you change the number in the bar, the field size will increase.

.

Evaluation Of Solution

The project now needs to be examined thoroughly to see if it has fulfilled the criteria need by the surgery. Before starting this project this criteria was used:

• User friendly to the user.
• Will the system work properly
• The speed of the new system compared with the old paper based one.

User Friendly

As the receptionist and the dentists are not very I.T literate it was crucial to make the database easy to use or else they would have a lot of difficulty entering and editing data. Therefore this came in consideration. It is now unlikely that they will encounter problems now.

Will the system work properly

There are no problems with the system in terms of entering and editing data. The security on the computer as it requires, a password is needed to access the databases and documents. Therefore problems should be at a minimum.

The speed of the system

The amount of time taken to sort data will decrease. There is a huge improvement in the amount of time taken to ‘Edit’ the data. It takes about one minute to do this, which is a huge improvement on the old paper based record system.

Therefore the solution is successful.