OPEN HANDBASE

To run HanDBase from your PDA, tap the 'HanDBase 3' icon on the application screen. (The screen will differ for Pocket PC users who should run HanDBase from Explorer).

 

OPEN RCA LOGBOOK

To open your logbook, choose 'RCA Logbook' from the list displayed by HanDBase and tap the 'Open' button.

 

ADD NEW CASE

Assuming you have yet to enter any cases, the logbook list will be empty. To add a case, tap the 'New' button at the bottom of the screen.

In this example we are going to add a case - a lumbar epidural for labour analgesia in a 24y female who is otherwise well.

 

ENTER 'REF'

You may choose to enter a Reference number in this field. Please refer to current RCA opinion before collecting any patient hospital numbers in this field.

 

Here I have just entered the number '12345' into the 'Ref' field as an example.

 

ENTER SEX

By tapping the downward pointing arrow (or [Sex] box on Pocket PC) you can access the popup list from which you can quickly tap 'M' for male or 'F' for female.

 

The 'Sex' field is then  updated accordingly, for example here with 'F'.

 

ENTER DATE OF BIRTH (DoB)

The default entry in the 'DoB' field is '01/01/19'. This is to encourage people to add the year of birth for the patient, therefore limiting possible patient identifying details within the logbook record. Here I have added '78' to complete the DoB field to read '01/01/1978'. Subsequently the PC logbook will use this value to calculate the patient's age (here 24) automatically.

 

Tapping the down arrow selects the popup list which enables the user to take a shortcut to '01/01/200' and thus add a single digit for patients born after 2000. I have not changed the field here.

 

ENTER AGE (OPTIONAL)

Some users may wish to record age rather than DoB and the logbook has been written to give people that option. By entering the age into the 'Age' field, the DoB is subsequently ignored and the entered age is used not the calculated age.

 

ENTER DATE

The date defaults to the current date when adding a new case, however if you are entering a case retrospectively, by tapping the date (here tapping '26/4/02') you can access the calendar to change the date.

 

DATE CALENDAR DIALOG

This screen shows the Palm 'Calendar' dialog which can be used to change the date of the case.

 

ENTER TIMES

Times are required to enable reports on when cases are being anaesthetised. Only a 'Start time' is absolutely required for this, though recording an 'End time' may allow reports on duration of cases.

To enter a Start time, tap the down arrow in the 'Start' box to access the popup list.

 

A popup list of times in half-hour increments starting from '08:00' is displayed. Choose the time closest to the anaesthetic start time of the case.

 

Here we have selected '08:30'.

 

Similarly tapping the down arrow in the 'End' field box will display a similar popup box to choose the end time.

 

The end time we have chosen is '09:30'.

 

ENTER ASA

Tapping the down arrow in the ASA field box will display the ASA popup list from which a suitable value can be selected.

For help with ASA definitions, tap the red question mark to the right of the screen to display the ASA help screen.

 

ASA HELP SCREEN

 

Here we have identified our patient as 'ASA1'.

 

ENTER PRIORITY

Display the popup list for the priority of the case by tapping the down arrow in the Priority field box.

The popup list can be used to choose priority from the four RCA approved terms.

 

The four officially recognised terms are:

'Routine' = elective or scheduled cases.
'Day case' = day cases.
'Urgent' = unplanned cases not on a printed list that are planned according to clinical need (e.g. CEPOD list cases).
'Emergency' = cases that require immediate anaesthetic and may therefore be undergoing resuscitation at the same time (e.g. ruptured AAA repair).

 

 

Here we are entering an epidural for labour analgesia which has a priority of 'Urgent'.

 

ENTER SPECIALTY

Tapping the Specialty popup list will display the recognised list of specialties to choose from.

 

Here we have chosen 'Obstetrics'.

 

ENTER OPERATION

Tapping the Operation popup list will display a list with 'Obstetrics >' on it. The operation field can be entered using free text or by adding common cases to the popup list (by selecting 'Edit Popup List').

Currently the RCA only requires trainees to record certain obstetric procedures (LSCS and labour analgesia) however this may change. The option to add operations to this popup list will allow users to customise it to record other operations for self-interest.

 

By tapping 'Obstetrics >' on the popup list you can access the relevant operations. Here we wish to record 'Labour analgesia' so tapping that will record that value in the field.

 

Thus.

 

ENTER ANAESTHETIC TECHNIQUE

By tapping the tab 'Anaes' at the top of the screen you can access the fields for recording the various aspects of the anaesthetic technique. This can include primary/secondary anaesthetic techniques, up to three additional procedures and the anaesthetic supervision received.

The RCA approved terms can all be accessed quickly and easily using the popup list system previously demonstrated.

 

ANAESTHETIC (PRIMARY)

The popup list contains all of the RCA approved terms.

In the case of our labour epidural, the term 'LA' is recorded.

 

Thus.

 

ANAESTHETIC (SECONDARY)

The other anaesthetic field contains a popup list of regional anaesthetic techniques which may be employed alone or in conjunction with another primary anaesthetic (e.g. GA).

 

For this case we have recorded 'LA' and 'Epidural Lumbar'.

 

ENTER PROCEDURES

Up to three procedures can be recorded per case by use of the popup lists in the Procedures fields.

The popup lists contain all of the RCA approved terms.

 

Because in this case no additional procedures were performed, no additional procedures have been recorded.

If you accidentally enter a procedure, it can be erased by highlighting the text in the field and deleting it (please refer to your PDA instructions regarding text editing).

 

ENTER SUPERVISION

Tapping the supervision popup list displays all of the RCA approved terms for trainee supervision.

Immediate supervision is when the trainee is being directly supervised.

Local supervision is when the trainee is being supervised from within the theatre suite or hospital indirectly.

Distant supervision is when the trainee's supervision is indirect and offsite.

 

Tapping the 'Immediate >' option will popup a list of grades for the user to enter the grade of the supervisor providing the immediate supervision.

 

Tapping the 'Teaching >' option allows more senior trainees to record their teaching experience.

By definition, a senior trainee teaching another trainee is him/herself being supervised indirectly.

 

Tapping the 'Teaching >' option popups a list of grades who are being taught.

 

In the case being added here, the labour epidural was performed with 'Local' supervision.

 

ENTER NOTES

Tapping the Notes tab at the top of the screen will access the third and final data entry form.

Unlike previous logbooks, emphasis has now shifted away from recording critical incidents as more formal systems are now in place to record them directly.

Reflecting this, the Notes screen contains six fields which can be customised by the user but contain un-populated popup lists because there are no approved RCA terms for these fields.

 

Finally by tapping the 'OK' button on any of the three data entry forms ('Case','Anaes' or 'Notes') will save the case and return you to the (now populated) logbook list screen.

Hopefully this example demonstrates how to enter cases using the RCA Logbook for HanDBase any further requests for help should be directed to the Royal College of Anaesthetists at:

www.rcoa.ac.uk