Conflict of Interest Disclosure The faculty and planning
committee have declared no conflict of interest.
Slide 4
Goals and Objectives Recognize the importance of computed item
within clinical documentation Describe required elements of a
computed item formula (if, then, else, @, open and closed
parentheses, dealing with item names with mathematical symbols)
Describe in words what the computed item formula is saying Describe
the meaning of and appropriate use of the @ sign in computed item
formulae Describe how to go from concept to computed item formula
Discuss several ways to make testing computed items more easy State
how to configure a formula that will tell the user when one or more
items do not exist State how to compute the existence of and
display time of a text type item Discuss reasons why a computed
item does not yield expected result and ways to trouble shoot
Q&A (throughout presentation) Evaluation Criteria for
successful completion include attending the entire session and
turning in an evaluation form.
Slide 5
Benefits of computed items when used in nursing documentation
Elements (anatomy) of a computed item What does this formula mean?
Describe in words what a formula is saying or doing Use of @ in
computed item formulae Starting with what I want to compute in my
own words Restating what I want in computed item language Syntax
errors Tips and Tricks for creating computed items Tips and Tricks
for testing computed item results o Test Chart o Cycling PDATS o
Loading and unloading patients Computing when something does not
exist Computing the display time of text type items Troubleshooting
when computed item doesnt yield expected results Q&A
(throughout) Evaluation and suggestion for future
Slide 6
Benefits of Computed Items in Documentation Saves time Ensures
accuracy of computed values Can be used to display color to
indicate severity of information Can inform user when information
is missing Can remind user to perform a task
Slide 7
Elements of Computed Items Operators Math: +, -, *, /, ^
Comparison:, =, =, # Other Functions %MAX, %Min, %COUNT, %SUM,
%TRUNC, %FRACT Logic Expressions %IF (?), %EXISTS, %THEN (\), %ELSE
(\\), %FAIL %NOT (~), OR (|), & Time Functions %Time, %Today,
%DTIME, %MTIME, %STIME Other @, Parentheses ( )
Slide 8
Elements of a computed item (contd) Item Controls Result Format
Numeric Date only Full date/time It is not necessary to change the
absolute and questionable bounds. They have no effect on the
computation of the item.
Slide 9
What is this formula saying? Fall Score Compute ( Fall History
+ Fall Secondary Diagnosis + Fall Ambulatory Aid + Fall IV Therapy
+ Fall Gait + Fall Mental Status ) NB Physical Maturity Score ?
%EXISTS ( NB Genitals Male Compute ) \ NB Skin Compute + NB Lanugo
Compute + NB Plantar Surface Compute + NB Breast Compute + [NB
Eye/Ear Compute] + NB Genitals Male Compute \\ ? %EXISTS ( NB
Genitals Female Compute ) \ NB Skin Compute + NB Lanugo Compute +
NB Plantar Surface Compute + NB Breast Compute + [NB Eye/Ear
Compute] + NB Genitals Female Compute \\ %FAIL Length of Stay, Days
(OB) ? %EXISTS ( [PT-ADMITDATE] @ 0. ) & %EXISTS ( [LD
Discharge Date/Time] @ 0. ) \ ( [LD Discharge Date/Time] @ 0. -
[PT-ADMITDATE] @ 0. / 3600. ) / 24. \\ %FAIL
Slide 10
Use of @ in computed item formulae The '@ ' portion of the
formula determines how far back in the patient file that the system
will look for an item @ n the number of hours (or minutes) from the
time the item or trigger item displays on the chart @ 0 looks for
the most recent time the item was charted no matter how far back in
time @ 23.98 - used to calculate something every 24 hours. If you
use @24, something that is charted exactly on the minute of the
calculation could be counted in the current day as well as the
previous 24 hours Do not use @ with an item, when you only want
something to calculate at that exact time the item is
documented
Slide 11
Examples
Slide 12
What a difference the @ makes
Slide 13
Syntax errors Means there is a problem with the grammar of the
formula the system cannot interpret the meaning. 1.Count the number
of parentheses. 2.Check the spelling of all the commands. 3.If you
have an %IF statement, you must have %THEN and %ELSE statements.
4.Compare the typed formula to the one you developed on paper,
symbol by symbol. 5.Remove all but one line of the formula and try
saving again. (Start with simple that works, then add more.) 6.If
you continue to get the error message, it can be helpful to delete
the entire formula and try retyping it. Sometimes the errors can be
very subtle and difficult to locate.
Slide 14
Syntax Errors (contd) Troubleshooting removed part of the
formula
Slide 15
Starting with what I want to compute in my own words Sample 1
What is the patients highest temperature in the last 24 hours?
Consideration: Do you want 24 hours from charted temperature, or
every 24 hours at a specific time?
Slide 16
Highest Daily Temperature
Slide 17
Starting with what I want to compute in my own words Sample 2
What is the patients biophysical score, if the patient didnt have
an NST at the time of the BPP?
Slide 18
Slide 19
Tips and Tricks for creating computed items Is there an
existing formula? e. g. Temperature conversion from F to C or vice
versa? Is there another computed item similar to what you want to
create/do? More than 1 Designer open at a time Copy and paste!!!
After creating the computed item, add it to a computed items chart
and test
Slide 20
Computed Items Charts {{Automatically Computed Items}} {{Care
Plan Generator}} {{Case Mgmt Plan Generator}} {{Discharge Plan
Generator}} {{Patient Ed Plan Generator}}
