Health Professionals
If you're looking for information about GPs and the NHS services they provide, visit the Public section of this web site.Docman FAQs
Can we export Docman files for temporary residents?
I have exported the Docman records for a patient in error, how do I get these back?
Do Practices have to export Docman files for deceased patients?
What do I do if I accidentally run the Archive Routine before I have imported all the Docman files?
Where should I file the Patient Summary in Docman?
Where do I find information on the latest Docman Releases?
What do we do if we need to refer back to a patient’s Docman file once they have been exported eg deceased patient records?
Once Docman records have been exported, they are archived on the practice system. If GP practices require access to the Docman records after exporting, eg for deceased patients; please contact your local Practitioner Services Regional Office who will retrieve both the paper medical records and any Docman records for that patient.
We are unable to send back the Docman records for deceased patients electronically. However, Practitioner Services will organise for the Docman records to be printed and included within the paper medical records and return to the requesting GP Practice to enable them to complete the necessary forms etc.
NB: Some GP practices are choosing to keep hold of both the paper medical records and Docman records for a few weeks after the date of death in case of any information requests and then exporting and returning the paper medical records after that time to Practitioner Services. We are happy with this process if this is more convenient for the practice. Practitioner Services will check for any outstanding records after 6 weeks.
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For summarising the medical records within 8 weeks of receipt, when does this start? Is it when the Docman Files & scanned Summary come through, or when the paper records arrive?
You should update the clinical system to “medical records received” once the complete medical record has been received by the GP Practice, irrespective of the combination, eg, paper only, paper plus Docman or Docman only, but only on receipt of the complete record.
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Can we export Docman files for temporary residents?
For those GP Practices that have scanned images for temporary patients on Docman, we would ask that you print these out and send them to Practitioner Services in paper format (as per current process). Due to the lack of CHI numbers on temporary records the current system is unable to accept any electronic records for these.
I have exported the Docman records for a patient in error, how do I get these back?
If you have exported records in error, please contact your local Practitioner Services – Medical Office, who will log a helpdesk call for the Docman records to be returned to you.
We would remind GP Practices to ensure that the patient has been deducted from their patient list before exporting. GP Practices sending in Docman records before deductions have been sent and accepted cause exceptions in the MedEx system. This leads to Practitioner Services staff having to contact the GP Practice to check the status of the patient, as they will still be showing as registered on the Community Health Index (CHI).
Therefore, do not export the Docman records until you have received and accepted the deduction for the patient via Partners.
NB: Please also remember to check the reason for removal as not all deductions require the Docman records to be exported, for example: K Transfers - Transfer within the Practice.
Do Practices have to export Docman files for deceased patients?
Yes. If a deceased patient has Docman images, they should be exported and the paper medical records returned to PSD.
I have noticed a zipped file in my Import Folder. I have not seen this before and I am not sure what to do to access the records. Can you advise?
If you notice a zipped file in your Import Folder, please contact your local Practitioner Services – Medical Office, who will log a helpdesk call for this to be investigated.
What do I do if I accidentally run the Archive Routine before I have imported all the Docman files?
If you accidentally run the archive routine, please contact your local Practitioner Services – Medical Office, who will log a helpdesk call for these to be retrieved and returned to your Import Folder.
Reminder: The archive routine moves ALL documents from the Import folder to the archive folder. This therefore should only be run once all patient documents have been imported.
What happens when a patient’s Docman records are exported and they move onto a practice that does not have Docman?
Practitioner Services will print off the Docman records and send them together with the paper medical record to the new practice.
Once the patient transfers onto a practice without Docman, then through time applies to re-register at our Practice, do we just receive the paper record and have to scan once again?
Yes, the practice would be required to scan the records into Docman, as per the normal process for new patient registrations. However, with the continued roll-out of Docman Transfer across Scotland this will reduce over time - for patients that had moved within Scotland. However, this will not reduce the ones who may have moved outwith Scotland and then return until work begins on the GP Connect Project.
Where do I find the individual system instructions for adding the patient summary to Docman electronically?
Individual system instructions can be found on the PSD website.
Where should I file the Patient Summary in Docman?
National Filing Folder Name: Clinical
Description: GP System Record
Organisation: Exporting Practice Name and Practice Code
If a practice received the records for a patient, but identifies that there is no patient summary included in the Docman or paper records from the previous surgery, who should they call to request a copy?
If a practice finds that the patient summary has not been included in the Docman records the practice should contact their local Practitioner Services – Medical Office and they will follow this up with the previous practice.
I have received a Docman record that has an MDI file which I cannot access, who should I contact regarding this?
Contact your local Practitioner Services – Medical Office, who will log a helpdesk call for this to be looked into.
For information, if GP Practices add the patient summary to Docman as an MDI (Microsoft Office Document Imaging) file, this can cause problems at the receiving practice if they do not have MS Office 2003.
Therefore, when setting up the Virtual Print Driver – Using Microsoft Office Document Image Writer for adding your patient summaries practices should ensure that the output in the Advance tab of the printing preference screen is set to TIFF (100 DPI) - (The MDI option is selected as default but should be changed to TIFF (100 DPI)) - see Step 14 of the Setting up a Virtual printer Driver document on the PSD website.
These are files where instead of adding an actual document to Docman a link (.LNK) to the document has inadvertently been added instead. Whilst the link will still probably access the file locally within the GP Practice, it would not export the documents when the patient leaves.
If a GP Practice finds they have some .LNK files they should contact Microtech who will advise them how to rectify this. The screen shot below shows how the link would look in Docman:
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GP Connect is the name of the records transfer programme covering aspects such as Docman Transfer improvements, clinical systems data transfer (GP2GP type messaging), and options for cross border transfer. It will also work with SGHD and SCIMP to look at the options available for removal of the paper record.
GP Connect will move towards full record transfer regardless of clinical system using the existing Docman Transfer process. For practices who do not wish to import data directly into their clinical system there will be the option to view the information as a PDF report.
Our GP Practice is looking into the possibility of backscanning our patient medical records. Is there any guidance available?
Some GP Practices are looking into the possibility of back scanning their historical medical records.
The GP Connect Project will look at the options available and put together guidance/recommendations for the service for moving to a paper-lite environment.
In the meantime, SCIMP have published a back-scanning advisory paper available on the SCIMP website.
Where do I find information on the latest Docman Releases?
For information on the latest Docman releases please check the Microtech website.
Where do I find information on the acceptable file types/format of attachments for electronic records?
Details of acceptable file types/format of attachments can be found in the SCIMP Good Practice Guide. Please refer to section 6.4 – “Format of attachments”.
Currently the Medex system (PSD system used to support Docman Transfer) holds a ‘blacklist’ of file types known to cause problems in transit (e.g. unable to print, unable to be viewed without specific software). The list operates on file extension type and will halt, within Medex, medical records received from Practices which contain one or more of these file types. Both PSD and Microtech are required to intervene to resolve file type issues and to arrange for Practices to resend Docman packages.
In order to reduce the level of intervention currently required by multiple parties, and to bring file types more in line with those used in England (thus reducing the likelihood of cross-border transfer issues in the future), a ‘whitelist’ of acceptable file types will be developed (expected mid-2009). This whitelist will be aligned with the GP2GP programme in England, and will be developed within Docman. As such, if Practices attempt to export Docman packages containing unacceptable file types, they will be required to convert the problem file(s) to an acceptable file type before packages will successfully export.
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