How to work with samples

Information for System Administrators

• The Processes Work Queue Registry entry must be set in order for a user / group to have access to sampling functionality such as Tools>Generate Sample.
• See Samples Registry entries for details of Registry entries to configure the sampling process.

Sampling facilitates the selection of a subset of records on which to perform some processing or other. This is particularly useful when an external agency is responsible for data entry of records and it is desirable / required to perform quality assurance on the records before accepting them into the production system.

The QA of samples involves five steps:

1. Importing records into Vitalware
2. Creating a sample of records

   1. Search a registration module for the records to be sampled.

      A typical use of the Samples functionality is to QA records that were keyed by an external agency and then imported into Vitalware. Records can be imported in a variety of ways, including with the Vitalware Import Tool. When the Import Tool is used, the batch of imported records can be identified using the Import and / or System Identifier:

      

   2. From the Tools>Generate Sample Menu option:
      • Select the required sampling type, e.g. Ordinary or Endorsements (or whatever label your organization has specified to indicate the type of records that are being sampled).
      • The type of sample, for example Ordinary and Endorsements, might specify ordinary records in contrast to records that have had legal changes made to them. Typically when performing QA, a larger number of the Endorsements records would be sampled due to their legal nature.
      • Select the required sampling subtype, e.g. Maximum, Normal, Minimum (or whatever label your organization has specified to indicate the relative number of records to be sampled).
      • The subtype, for example Maximum, Normal, Minimum, indicates the relative number of records to be sampled. You would select Minimum, for example, if you were confident that the batch of records to be sampled was of a high quality. The less confident you are, the more records you would want to sample.

      For example, you might select Tools>Generate Sample>Ordinary>Normal.

   Note: Sampling options are defined in the Registry. In particular, refer to the Lot Sizes Registry entry, which specifies the type, subtype and number of records to be selected randomly for the sample.

   The Sample Name dialog box displays:

   

   3. Enter a descriptive name for the sample:

      

   4. Click OK.

      The records for the sample are chosen at random from the records returned by the search (Step 1) and saved as a record in the Samples module using the name entered at Step 3:

      

      Troubleshooting sample generation

      A critical validation error (such as registration year earlier than Birth year) in any one of the records randomly selected for the sample may cause the sample creation to fail. A message stating that the Sample cannot be generated will be displayed. In this case, try to generate the sample again.

3. Processing (QA) the sample

   In the registration module with the samples to be processed:

   1. Select the Process>Sample Menu option:

      The Select dialog box displays with a list of samples generated:

      

   Note: If there is only one unprocessed sample, the Select dialog box will not display and records in the sample will be displayed automatically.

   2. Select the sample to be processed and click OK:

      All records in the sample are returned and the module enters Edit mode:

      

   Note: The standard record navigation buttons are disabled and the only way to progress through the sample records is by using either the Accept or Reject button in the Tool bar.
   Records can only be viewed in Details view (all other views are disabled).

   3. Check the record.
   4. If the record is correct / acceptable, click Accept in the Tool bar.

      The record is saved and the next record displays.

      -OR-

      If the record is incorrect / unacceptable, click Reject in the Tool bar.

      The Reject Record dialog displays:

      

      1. Select a reason from the Reason for rejection drop list.
      2. Enter a comment if necessary.
      3. Click OK.

      The record is saved and the next record displays.

   5. Continue processing until all records in the sample are processed

      -OR-

      Click Cancel in the Tool bar.

      You can return later to complete processing the samples (select Process>Sample from the Menu bar to continue where you left off).

      When all records are processed, the following message will display:

      

   Troubleshooting sample processing

   Occasionally, validation errors in a record may make it impossible to Accept or Reject the record. In order to process the record it will be necessary to correct the error.

   Processing records

   Using the Show Multimedia Images Registry entry it is possible to specify that if a record has attached multimedia, the multimedia will display as the sample record is displayed:

   

4. Assessing the sample (Supervisor)

   Assessment of a sample is typically undertaken by a supervisor. It comprises:

   1. Checking the progress of the sample processing

      In the Samples module:

      1. Search for a sample (by Status, Module, Processed, etc.)

         

      2. For the current or selected record (current in this example), select Sample>Check Progress from the Menu bar:

         

         If processing of the sample is incomplete, a dialog box will display indicating the total number of records in the sample, the number processed, and how many have been accepted and rejected:

         

         If all records in the sample have been processed, a dialog box will display similar to the following:

         

      3. Click Yes to update the Samples record in the Samples module:
         1. Status: (Sample Details) is set to QA Complete.
         2. Processed: (Sample Details) is set to Yes.
         3. Number Accepted: (Sample Details) and Number Rejected: (Sample Details) are updated.

            

      Note: The Sample name is also removed from the list of available Samples in the registration module.

   2. Final assessment of the sample

      When a sample has been set to QA Complete, a supervisor is able to select the Sample>Final Assessment option from the Menu bar:

      

      Final Assessment marks Status: (Sample Details) as either:

      • Accepted (if Number Rejected < Reject Level)

        -OR-

      • Rejected (if Number Rejected >= Reject Level)

      Note: The Reject Level is specified using the Lot Sizes Registry entry.

      

      Note: Depending on your institution, selecting Final Assessment may produce a number of reports about the sample and its outcome.

5. Transferring the QA accepted records to the production system (if configured)

   Note

   The menu options Sample>Transmit to Production and Sample>Remove Records will only display in Vitalware systems that have been set up with a Quality Assurance (QA) environment which accepts records imported / uploaded (typically) from a third party. During the Sampling process, records that have been accepted or rejected are either moved into the Production system (Transmit) or removed from the QA environment (Remove).

   The Sample>Transmit to Production menu option displays when the Sample Status is Accepted.

   Selecting Sample>Transmit to Production from the Menu bar will result in the following:

   1. All records in the batch from which the sample was taken are transferred from the QA environment to the relevant Production module (e.g. Births, Deaths, etc.).

      The complete list of IRNs for the batch are listed on the Batch tab for the Sample record in the Samples module.

   2. All of the records in the batch are deleted from the QA environment.
   3. The Sample's Status: (Sample Details) changes to Transmitted to Production.
   4. The Date Authorized: (Sample Details) and Authorized By: (Sample Details) fields for the Sample record in the Samples module will be updated.

   The Remove Records menu option (Sample>Remove Records) displays when the Sample Status is Rejected and your institution is configured to QA records.

   When this option is selected:

   1. All of the records will be deleted from the sampling environment.
   2. The Sample's Status: (Sample Details) changes to Removed from QA
   3. The Date Authorized: (Sample Details) and Authorized By: (Sample Details) fields for the Sample record in the Samples module will be updated.

Related Topics