<p>Author: Dale Sahlberg - 1 - 3270 DATA SCRUBBER</p><p>Review the data in the following fields - anything amiss?</p><p>DIAGNOSIS: Headache & fever PT LAST NAME: O'Reilly PT FIRST NAME: Jo Ann-Worley CITY: Miami/Dade CHIEF COMPLAINT: Hand + Elbow Burns</p><p>Do these interface messages create a headache for you?</p><p>TYPE TIME |---+----1----+----2----+----3----+----4----+----5----+----6-- G 08:42:21 ARKI20033: (A5Z0L2), TRANSACTION SKIPPED DURING ERROR PROCESSING TYPE TIME |---+----1----+----2----+----3----+----4----+----5----+----6-- G 08:04:21 ARKE20016: (J5X0S2), UNIDENTIFIABLE RTRNFILE TRANSACTION </p><p>Special characters ( @ # $ % & * + = : ; ? ) in a field can wreak havoc on interfaces and cause database problems.</p><p>Would it be nice to have a way to scrub away bad characters from your data? Well – there is good news!</p><p>Introducing: SCRUBBER</p><p>Scrubber removes bad characters ( ~ ! @ # $ % * ( ) + : ; ? ) from a field and can clean an entire sequence of fields before information goes to an interface or database. </p><p>Author: Dale Sahlberg - 2 -</p><p>HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SCRUBBER</p><p>A) Create these user fields - </p><p>B) Program a new member "SCRUB" into PRALC - Member = SCRUB ENTER EXPRESSION(S) - </p><p>C) Program a new member "SCRUB2" into PRALC - Member = SCRUB2 ENTER EXPRESSION(S) - </p><p>D) Make a tcl - $T = SCRUB STACK COMMAND DEFINITION - CONDITIONAL Author: Dale Sahlberg - 3 -</p><p>E) Build this tcl - $T = SCRUB2 STACK COMMAND DEFINITION - CONDITIONAL </p><p>F) Create a tcl - $T = SCRUB3 STACK COMMAND DEFINITION - CONDITIONAL </p><p>Load into this tcl the special characters to remove.</p><p>There is one literal that requires special processing to detect. This literal can show up in a name as in the following: </p><p>Author: Dale Sahlberg - 4 -</p><p>G) If you need to also check for the apostrophe ' as a bad character in a field, then include this field on the last screen in a pathway so the apostrophe can be defaulted into a variable for the SCRUBBER to check. USCRUBAP SCRUB APOSTROPHE 1 XF</p><p>The apostrophe ' (single quote) is used as a list delimiter as in the following list AND "USCRUBIN" IN ('!','@','#','$','%',';','=','?','/','\') so it cannot be coded as a literal value to check.</p><p>The system will generate a syntax error if you try to code: AND "USCRUBIN" IN (''')</p><p>However, a screen will allow the ' to be stored in a field as a value. This single character field can then be checked as a variable in the middle clause of the $T = SCRUB3 tcl. Place the field in an inconspicuous spot on a screen (header or footer) where the user will not accidentally key in that field and change the value.</p><p>Ensure that this field will always and only have the 'as a value.</p><p>When the USCRUBAP field displays, it will look like this: </p><p>H) Build this tcl - $T = SCRUB4 STACK COMMAND DEFINITION - CONDITIONAL Author: Dale Sahlberg - 5 -</p><p>I) Code a field specific tcl - $T = 0PTADDXA STACK COMMAND DEFINITION - CONDITIONAL </p><p>This example tcl is called the same name as the data field to be cleaned: OPTADDXA </p><p>Duplicate the logic in this tcl for as many fields as you want to clean, one tcl for each field. </p><p>TCL is recursive and returns the scrubbed data back to the original field after the clause.</p><p>Make sure all the field names and tcls are matched for each field you want to scrub.</p><p>Read the instructions in the tcl. Author: Dale Sahlberg - 6 -</p><p>J) Build a master control tcl - $T = SCRUBBER</p><p>Add the tcls for all the fields you want to clean, one tcl per field.</p><p>J) Add to a pathway - Insert the master control tcl into a pathway where it will automatically scrub the fields.</p><p>This code is presented “as is” and it is up to your hospital to thoroughly test it and verify the cleaned data before any implementation.</p><p>With SCRUBBER, there is a way now to scrub away bad characters. </p><p>Dale Sahlberg www.ecsahlberg.com/Help.html [email protected]</p>