CHRONICLES DATABASE PROGRAMMER STUDY GUIDE
UPDATED ANSWERS 2023-2024
What unique information can be gained by knowing an item's RESPONSE TYPE? -
correct answers* Determines the number of values that can be stored in the item
* Controls the relationships amongst groups of items
What are the 4 Response Types? - correct answers1. Single - can only hold one value
per contact if it is "Response each time" (e.g., Weight) or "Lookback" (e.g., PCP). A
"NoAdd Single response" (e.g., Sex) item can only hold one value for the entire record.
2. Multiple - can hold multiple values (e.g., list of discrete values like symptoms; or
multiple lines of data like street address)
3. Related - can hold multiple values, with a line-to-line correspondence with one or
more other related response items. These items have an additional attribute - a related
group number (usually the same as the lowest item number in the group) (e.g.,
Allergen)
4. Related-Multi - similar to Related, but can have multiple values per line. Usually used
when the system needs to specify one-to-many relationship (e.g., <allergen> Reaction)
What unique information can be gained by knowing an item's DATA TYPE? - correct
answersDetermines what format of data can be stored for that item (free text, number,
date, etc)
What are the 6 commonly used Chronicles Data Types? - correct answers1. String -
free text, very few limits besides 32KB length for a single string in Cache. Beyond that,
the format is usually controlled by restrictions in user entry interface in Hyperspace or
Text.
2. Number - can only be numeric and cannot contain symbols or punctuation other than
decimal or an "e" for scientific notation (1e2 = 100). Any leading zeroes (00123 = 123)
or trailing zeroes (456.78000 = 456.78) are stripped.
3. Date - can contain any valid date after 12/31/1840. Can be entered using slashes
("/"), dashes ("-"), or dots (".") as separators in Chronicles and in Hyperspace. Two- and
Four-digit years are acceptable. You can also enter a literal month (e.g., June 20, 2007)
or you can use Epic's relative dates:
T = today
W = week
M = month
Y = year
MB = month begin (the 1st of the month)
ME = month end (the 28th, 30th, or 31st of the month)
*converted to internal format when stored in Chronicles
4. Time - must be entered either in military format or with AM/PM appended
, N = now
H = hour
*converted to internal format when stored in Chronicles
5. Instant - combination of date and time. Not entered by the user, but the result of
system-generated timestamping of events
6. Category - discrete list of choices associated with a category list
*Category lists are always associated with an item...but it is possible for a single
category list to be shared amongst multiple items
What are the 4 basic parts of a Category? - correct answers1. Value - usually a number
(in some rare cases, it is possible to use a string)
2. Title - string of descriptive text about that particular category (user-facing) - 80
character limit
3. Abbreviation - abbreviation appropriate to the category - 12 character limit
4. Synonym(s) - optional, one or more descriptive strings which might be entered by an
end user to choose that category
What unique information can be gained by knowing an item's ADD TYPE? - correct
answersDetermines how information will be handled for that item over time.
What are the 3 Add Types? - correct answers1. NoAdd - associated with the RECORD
and is not over time. If this item's value is changed, the old value is REPLACED with the
new value. (E.g., Name, ID)
2. Response Each Time - associated with the CONTACT for which it is entered. If no
value is entered for a given contact, then the value of that item at that contact is blank.
(E.g., Vitals)
3. Lookback - changes infrequently, but retains historical values. If a CONTACT has no
value for a lookback item, Chronicles will search past contacts for a value and assume
the most recently recorded value as the correct value. If a new value is entered on the
current contact, the old value remains on the previous contact, but the new value is
used for the current and future contacts until it is changed again.
A. Lookback with deletion - some lookback items allow deletion (e.g., PCP) If the PCP
is Dr. B on 6/12, but then that provider retires on 6/16 - the PCP can be deleted from the
patient's record. If someone were to look at the patient's record on 6/18, even though
PCP is a lookback item, the PCP would be blank because it has been deleted.
B. Lookback without deletion - some lookback items will not allow deletion (e.g., Marital
Status) If the Marital Status is "Married" on 6/12, you cannot delete the Marital
Status...you can only update it to another. On 6/18, registration staff opens the patient's
chart, see's the Marital Status is "Married" and updates to "Divorced"...there can be no
blank value in between once this item has been set.
Which two items are always the same across all Masterfiles? - correct answers.1
Record ID
.2 Record Name (if there is a record name)
UPDATED ANSWERS 2023-2024
What unique information can be gained by knowing an item's RESPONSE TYPE? -
correct answers* Determines the number of values that can be stored in the item
* Controls the relationships amongst groups of items
What are the 4 Response Types? - correct answers1. Single - can only hold one value
per contact if it is "Response each time" (e.g., Weight) or "Lookback" (e.g., PCP). A
"NoAdd Single response" (e.g., Sex) item can only hold one value for the entire record.
2. Multiple - can hold multiple values (e.g., list of discrete values like symptoms; or
multiple lines of data like street address)
3. Related - can hold multiple values, with a line-to-line correspondence with one or
more other related response items. These items have an additional attribute - a related
group number (usually the same as the lowest item number in the group) (e.g.,
Allergen)
4. Related-Multi - similar to Related, but can have multiple values per line. Usually used
when the system needs to specify one-to-many relationship (e.g., <allergen> Reaction)
What unique information can be gained by knowing an item's DATA TYPE? - correct
answersDetermines what format of data can be stored for that item (free text, number,
date, etc)
What are the 6 commonly used Chronicles Data Types? - correct answers1. String -
free text, very few limits besides 32KB length for a single string in Cache. Beyond that,
the format is usually controlled by restrictions in user entry interface in Hyperspace or
Text.
2. Number - can only be numeric and cannot contain symbols or punctuation other than
decimal or an "e" for scientific notation (1e2 = 100). Any leading zeroes (00123 = 123)
or trailing zeroes (456.78000 = 456.78) are stripped.
3. Date - can contain any valid date after 12/31/1840. Can be entered using slashes
("/"), dashes ("-"), or dots (".") as separators in Chronicles and in Hyperspace. Two- and
Four-digit years are acceptable. You can also enter a literal month (e.g., June 20, 2007)
or you can use Epic's relative dates:
T = today
W = week
M = month
Y = year
MB = month begin (the 1st of the month)
ME = month end (the 28th, 30th, or 31st of the month)
*converted to internal format when stored in Chronicles
4. Time - must be entered either in military format or with AM/PM appended
, N = now
H = hour
*converted to internal format when stored in Chronicles
5. Instant - combination of date and time. Not entered by the user, but the result of
system-generated timestamping of events
6. Category - discrete list of choices associated with a category list
*Category lists are always associated with an item...but it is possible for a single
category list to be shared amongst multiple items
What are the 4 basic parts of a Category? - correct answers1. Value - usually a number
(in some rare cases, it is possible to use a string)
2. Title - string of descriptive text about that particular category (user-facing) - 80
character limit
3. Abbreviation - abbreviation appropriate to the category - 12 character limit
4. Synonym(s) - optional, one or more descriptive strings which might be entered by an
end user to choose that category
What unique information can be gained by knowing an item's ADD TYPE? - correct
answersDetermines how information will be handled for that item over time.
What are the 3 Add Types? - correct answers1. NoAdd - associated with the RECORD
and is not over time. If this item's value is changed, the old value is REPLACED with the
new value. (E.g., Name, ID)
2. Response Each Time - associated with the CONTACT for which it is entered. If no
value is entered for a given contact, then the value of that item at that contact is blank.
(E.g., Vitals)
3. Lookback - changes infrequently, but retains historical values. If a CONTACT has no
value for a lookback item, Chronicles will search past contacts for a value and assume
the most recently recorded value as the correct value. If a new value is entered on the
current contact, the old value remains on the previous contact, but the new value is
used for the current and future contacts until it is changed again.
A. Lookback with deletion - some lookback items allow deletion (e.g., PCP) If the PCP
is Dr. B on 6/12, but then that provider retires on 6/16 - the PCP can be deleted from the
patient's record. If someone were to look at the patient's record on 6/18, even though
PCP is a lookback item, the PCP would be blank because it has been deleted.
B. Lookback without deletion - some lookback items will not allow deletion (e.g., Marital
Status) If the Marital Status is "Married" on 6/12, you cannot delete the Marital
Status...you can only update it to another. On 6/18, registration staff opens the patient's
chart, see's the Marital Status is "Married" and updates to "Divorced"...there can be no
blank value in between once this item has been set.
Which two items are always the same across all Masterfiles? - correct answers.1
Record ID
.2 Record Name (if there is a record name)
