Messages are broken into - ANSWER-segments
Segments are broken into - ANSWER-fields
Fields are broken into - ANSWER-components
Components are brok... [Show More] en into - ANSWER-subcomponents
True/False: Every message needs to be encoded with |^~\& - ANSWER-False. The choice is arbitrary; any printable character is acceptable.
Which segment must begin every message? - ANSWER-MSH
Why is the NTE segment special? - ANSWER-Context. Its meaning is based on the preceding segment.
What is the difference between an empty field | | and the delete character |""|? - ANSWER-An empty field is ignored by the interface, whereas the delete character will delete information from the database, assuming the field in question supports the delete character.
What other standards are supported in Bridges, aside from HL7? - ANSWER-X12, FHIR, NCPDP, DICOM, Direct
Why are MSH-11 and MSH-12 important? - ANSWER-HL7 processing ID and version. Checked on incoming message and rejected if they don't match expected values.
What are Z-segments? - ANSWER-Custom segments for a specific implementation. May require extra coding by Epic -> extra time and cost.
What is FHIR? - ANSWER-Fast Health Interoperability Resources. New standard developed by HL7 to address limitations with previous standards. Integration with web and mobile apps.
What is X12? - ANSWER-Format used for real time eligibility messages in healthcare industry.
What is Bridges? - ANSWER-Epic's interfacing app
What is stored in the Event Queue? - ANSWER-Info needed to build a message; patient ID, encounter DAT, type of message, etc
What is stored in the Data Queue? - ANSWER-Text of HL7 message and additional metadata like timestamp info about the message processing
What is stored in the Control Queue? - ANSWER-To-do list with instructions to send or file messages stored in Data Queue; maintains a list of messages waiting to be processed
Trigger - ANSWER-Serves as the integration point between the application workflow and bridges
Filer Daemon - ANSWER-Translates HL7 data into something that can be stored to the database
Event - ANSWER-Contains directions for where the interface should pull the information it needs from the database
Interconnect - ANSWER-Communicates messages securely using an HTTPS framework
Communications Daemon - ANSWER-Sends or receives acknowledgements over a TCP/IP connection
Holding Queue - ANSWER-Acts as a waiting area for messages that cannot get a lock to store info to the database
Event Daemon - ANSWER-Builds HL7 message based on data pulled from the database
Chronicles - ANSWER-Contains all the info for a patient in the form of records
What does it mean for an interface to process a message? - ANSWER-The incoming interface's filer daemon tries to find the correct patient and file the data in the message into Chronicles.
The outgoing interface's Event Daemon creates an HL7 message, based on info in Chronicles and send it out through the port defined in the Communications Daemon
True/False: Messages can be manually deleted from the Data Queue - ANSWER-False; they can only be purged by an automatic purge job
Name two ways that interface messages are sent and received - ANSWER-TCP/IP with an interface engine (most common communication method)
Interconnect for HTTPS or communication outside local network
Can you start more than one interface at once with the Interface Monitor? - ANSWER-Yes. You can start any or all of the interfaces in a given interface monitor.
What do you have to do before you can add an interface to an interface monitor definition? - ANSWER-Make sure that interface is monitored by the Background Monitor
What kinds of alerts can be set up in the Background Monitor? - ANSWER-Rules-based alerts. E.g. a rule can be configured to check if an interface daemon is on a specific monitor and has been stopped for a specific amount of time. Alerts can be used to send out an email or even trigger out a page or text message.
Background Monitor - ANSWER-Ensure that the interfaces are running
Radar Dashboard - ANSWER-Radar provides a centralized location for important reporting tools and metrics inside Hyperspace. A Dashboard is a screen of information that pulls data from multiple sources into one centralized location for a group of end users.
What information about the message is available within the Message Viewer (apart from the text of the message)? - ANSWER-Errors associated with that message and message submission details such as timestamps when the message was added to the data queue and processed.
Can an entire segment be edited at once, or must each field be edited individually? - ANSWER-The entire segment can be edited at once. You can also edit each field individually.
Does the Message Editor perform validation when you edit a field? - ANSWER-No. It's a free text editor and has no idea how the message should look.
If running a message search, how should you reduce the impact on your server? - ANSWER-Limit the time range searched, search for a value in a specific segment and field, limit number of criteria to search for, specify a max number of messages to return, and search on a shadow server if available.
Do you delete a message from the Data Queue with the Skip Message action? - ANSWER-No; no messages can be manually deleted with any Bridges utility. This utility only removes the entry from the control queue.
What happens if you resume a search in the Message Search? - ANSWER-Depends. If a search had been paused, it will resume. If a search ran to completion and the time range includes the present, it will search the messages that were added to the queue after it finished its previous search.
What is the effect of resubmitting a message? - ANSWER-For an incoming interface, resubmitting will create a new entry in the Data Queue and place the new message on the Control Queue. The Filer Daemon reprocesses the message and allows the user to attempt to file changes made directly to the message.
For an outgoing interface, resubmitting a message similarly creates a new entry in the Data Queue, and places that new message on the Control Queue. In an outgoing flow, the Control Queue is after the Event Daemon, so a message is simply sent out the Comm Daemon exactly as it appears when resubmitted.
What are two actions you can take on the message associated with an error when running an error log report? - ANSWER-Edit the message, view the message, or resubmit the messages.
Can you delete a message with the Error Log Report activity? - ANSWER-No; you can't manually delete a message from the Data Queue with any Bridges activity.
What are three additional actions that only a workqueue provides compared to the Error Log Report? - ANSWER-Add a note, transfer, and release an error.
What types of errors should be added to a workqueue? - ANSWER-If the error falls into the bucket of requiring ongoing maintenance and has a defined resolution path. it should be an error than can be assigned to a user, and is not already being collected in another workqueue.
What build is required to create an error step for a particular error? - ANSWER-Need to create a group and then add one or more steps to it. Lastly, you will need to link the group to the interface for a particular error.
Warning message - ANSWER-Something went wrong with a message, but it was not severe enough to prevent the rest of the message from processing. Also happens with a notification
Fatal Error - ANSWER-There is enough wrong with the message that the entire message cannot be processed. Also happens with a critical error.
If you change a profile variable setting in one interface specification, does it affect every interface specification? - ANSWER-No, just the one in which the change was made.
What is the INTF_USER profile variable for? - ANSWER-It is the user associated with interface audit trails entries if no user is present in the message.
True/False: the Technical Specification should be the first place you go for help with an interface - ANSWER-False, the Reference Guide contains all of the published information Epic has about a specific interface, while the Technical Specifications are limited only to showing the HL7 fields that are supported.
What must be done once you made changes to a custom override to ensure that the changes will take effect? - ANSWER-First stop the interface daemons, then after making the change, compile the custom override and restart the interface.
What is contained in the System Definitions? - ANSWER-The triggers for outgoing interfaces, system-wide profile variables, and system-wide error handling.
Interface specification - ANSWER-All of the settings and options that define how a single interface operates are stored in here
Profile Variable - ANSWER-A single configurable option in an interface specification that lets you control how the interface will behave. Set of profile variables available to each interface is intended to provide a large degree of flexibility without requiring any custom programming.
Custom Override - ANSWER-Used to suppress a field, change the formatting of the data in a field, swap in a different translation table to map a field, or change how a field is stored or retrieved from Epic. Can also add support for a new field not supported by Epic.
What do you need to identify a patient using Identity? - ANSWER-ID and ID type
Must an ID be system unique? - ANSWER-No
In what master file are a patient's IDs and ID types stored? - ANSWER-EPT
Must you receive an ID type over the interface to find a record in Epic? - ANSWER-No. An ID Type can be defaulted, or a programming point can be used to find an ID type.
Can a translation table support a many to one mapping. - ANSWER-Yes, a table that translates in a single direction (incoming or outgoing but not both) can use a many-to-one mapping. [Show Less]
