RCA Logbook - Frequently Asked Questions

OPENING YOUR LOGBOOK
When you tap the HanDBase3 icon on your PDA you will be presented with a screen that looks similar to the image on the left. In order to open you logbook, tap on the 'RCA Logbook' file and tap the 'Open' button.

ADDING A NEW CASE
Having opened your Logbook, you will be presented with a 'Case List' screen showing the date and operation for each case. The list shown here is empty. To add a new case tap the 'New' button at the bottom.

ENTERING CASE DETAILS
This is the first of three forms with which you can enter the case details. This first form has the tab 'Case'. To navigate the forms, tap the relevant tab, e.g. tap 'Anaes' to enter the anaesthetic type and procedures.
Using the 'Case' form you can enter details about the case such as Ref no, sex, DoB or Age. In order to use non-patient identifying data, we suggest you record the year of birth rather than the full Date of birth by appending the DoB text box.

USING 'POPUP LISTS'
The 'down arrows' in most of the boxes when tapped bring up a 'popup list' of commonly entered values.
For example here we tapped the Sex 'popup list' arrow to get the popup list containing 'M', 'F' and the option 'Edit Popup List' (which enables the popup lists to be customised). By tapping the entry 'M', we have set the Sex field to 'M' (Male).
The fields can be completed either using text or the popup lists, which have been populated with RCA approved details to be collected.

RECORDING AN ANAESTHETIC
By tapping the 'Anaes' tab at the top of the screen, you can move to the next data entry form. Here the same principles apply whereby the case details can be added using the relevant popup lists.
There are two fields for Anaesthetic to enable you to collect data on primary technique and regional technique, e.g. 'GA ETT IPPV' plus 'Epidural lumbar'.
The supervision field popup list is divided into 'Immediate', 'Local', 'Distant' and 'Teaching'. Immediate supervision is defined as 'Direct', i.e. where your supervisor is in the theatre with you. By selecting 'Immediate' you can then enter the grade of the anaesthetist supervising you.

ADDING FURTHER NOTES
By tapping the 'Notes' tab, you can enter further information about the case. The three 'Incidents' fields can be entered again using either text or the popup lists. In the basic template the popup lists are un-populated but in the extended ('x') template these have been populated with various incidents.
The Notes field is a free text field for entering miscellaneous details about the case. The two 'User' defined fields give the opportunity for you to collect further information about the case for subsequent analysis.
It is possible to collect accurate logbook information without entering any case data on this 'Notes' form.
When you have finished your data entry, press the 'OK' button to save the case and return to the 'Case List' screen.

SAVING THE CASE AND VIEWING/EDITING CASES
Here you can see that a case has been added for 'Labour analgesia' on '26/04/02'. In order to view or edit the details of that case, just tap the case on the list you wish to view/edit.

	OPENING YOUR LOGBOOK When you tap the HanDBase3 icon on your PDA you will be presented with a screen that looks similar to the image on the left. In order to open you logbook, tap on the 'RCA Logbook' file and tap the 'Open' button.

	ADDING A NEW CASE Having opened your Logbook, you will be presented with a 'Case List' screen showing the date and operation for each case. The list shown here is empty. To add a new case tap the 'New' button at the bottom.

	ENTERING CASE DETAILS This is the first of three forms with which you can enter the case details. This first form has the tab 'Case'. To navigate the forms, tap the relevant tab, e.g. tap 'Anaes' to enter the anaesthetic type and procedures. Using the 'Case' form you can enter details about the case such as Ref no, sex, DoB or Age. In order to use non-patient identifying data, we suggest you record the year of birth rather than the full Date of birth by appending the DoB text box.

	USING 'POPUP LISTS' The 'down arrows' in most of the boxes when tapped bring up a 'popup list' of commonly entered values. For example here we tapped the Sex 'popup list' arrow to get the popup list containing 'M', 'F' and the option 'Edit Popup List' (which enables the popup lists to be customised). By tapping the entry 'M', we have set the Sex field to 'M' (Male). The fields can be completed either using text or the popup lists, which have been populated with RCA approved details to be collected.

	RECORDING AN ANAESTHETIC By tapping the 'Anaes' tab at the top of the screen, you can move to the next data entry form. Here the same principles apply whereby the case details can be added using the relevant popup lists. There are two fields for Anaesthetic to enable you to collect data on primary technique and regional technique, e.g. 'GA ETT IPPV' plus 'Epidural lumbar'. The supervision field popup list is divided into 'Immediate', 'Local', 'Distant' and 'Teaching'. Immediate supervision is defined as 'Direct', i.e. where your supervisor is in the theatre with you. By selecting 'Immediate' you can then enter the grade of the anaesthetist supervising you.

	ADDING FURTHER NOTES By tapping the 'Notes' tab, you can enter further information about the case. The three 'Incidents' fields can be entered again using either text or the popup lists. In the basic template the popup lists are un-populated but in the extended ('x') template these have been populated with various incidents. The Notes field is a free text field for entering miscellaneous details about the case. The two 'User' defined fields give the opportunity for you to collect further information about the case for subsequent analysis. It is possible to collect accurate logbook information without entering any case data on this 'Notes' form. When you have finished your data entry, press the 'OK' button to save the case and return to the 'Case List' screen.

	SAVING THE CASE AND VIEWING/EDITING CASES Here you can see that a case has been added for 'Labour analgesia' on '26/04/02'. In order to view or edit the details of that case, just tap the case on the list you wish to view/edit.