Report Preferences

(Topic Last Updated On: 05/08/2018)

Administration > Preferences > Report Preferences

The Report Preferences menu item on the Preferences submenu, under the Administration menu, launches the Report Preferences screen. This screen is used to configure details for each report in Methasoft in order to maximize reporting efficiency. Reports can be linked to different report categories from this screen, allowing users to filter reports displayed in the 'Reports' list by 'Report Category'. Each report's default sort and order parameters can be modified from this screen, and default signature lines can be fully customized. By configuring each report's default parameters and categorizing reports, users can then use the Print All feature on the 'Run Reports' screen to easily print multiple reports at once, with the correct criteria selections already defined. The 'Show Criteria' option allows administrators to hide report criteria fields as needed for any report. Reports can also be deactivated from this screen to remove them from the 'Reports' list.

Field Descriptions

Show Inactive Reports

Checking this checkbox will cause the grid to refresh and include 'inactive' reports in the displayed list.

Report Title

This field contains the default name of the report. Report names can be renamed if necessary.

Report Description

This field contains the default description of the report. Facilities can re-describe reports if necessary.

Report Assembly

The field displays the internal report assembly name. The assembly name is used by the Methasoft system to publish and retrieve report parameters.

Default Sort / Order

These fields are used for selecting the default parameters by which the report will be sorted and ordered by. Options for how the report results will be displayed are either in an 'Ascending' or 'Descending' order. Options in the 'Sort' field vary for each report.

Active

If this field is checked, the report is 'Active' in the system and will be available for selection on the 'Run Reports' screen.

Report Categories

This box list available 'Report Categories' as configured from the 'Report Categories' Code Table Type on the Code Tables screen, found under the Administration Menu. This field is used for associating reports to specific categories. Once a report has been associated with one or more categories, selecting a category from the 'Report Category' field on the 'Run Reports' screen, will only display the associated report(s) in the list for selection.

Show Criteria

This field is checked be default and makes all 'Criteria' parameters available to users on the 'Run Reports' screen. These fields are used to filter the data the report will display.

Interactive

Certain reports have the ability to allow for interactions like 'drill down' or ' field expansion'. Interactive reports will have this field checked by default.

Enable Save

This checkbox field enables the 'Save and Link' feature on the report. This feature allows the report to be saved to the Methasoft Document Manager at the patient or clinic level. *See the Report Viewer topic for more information on this feature.

Schedulable

If this field is checked, the report will be available as a 'Scheduled Item' on the 'Task Scheduling' screen, found under the Administration Menu. *See the Task Scheduling topic for more information on this feature.

Grid Columns

Report Title

This column displays the name of each report, as entered in the 'Report Title' field.

Report Description

This column displays the description of each report, as entered in the 'Report Description' field.

Command Buttons

Edit

This button allows users to make changes to the selected reports preferences.

Default Parameters

This button is available after selecting a report and clicking the Edit button. Clicking this button will open the 'Default Parameters' application pop-up window. This window is used for setting default 'Criteria' parameters that will apply to the report when it is selected on the 'Run Reports' screen.

Default Signatures

This button is available after selecting a report and clicking the Edit button. Clicking this button will open the 'Report Signatures' application pop-up window. From this window, users can configure the quantity (up to 6) and description of signature lines that will appear at the bottom of the report when it is printed from the 'Run Reports' screen.

Save

After making edits to the report's preferences, clicking this button applies the changes.

Cancel

While making edits to report preference fields, clicking this button will disregard any changes made, and revert the report preferences back to their prior state.

This button closes the Report Preferences screen.

Procedures

How to Edit a Report's Preference Settings
1.) Select the report to be edited from the grid. 2.) Click on Edit. 3.) Make changes as needed to the report preference fields, 'Default Signatures', and/or 'Default Parameters' in the detail section of the screen. 4.) Click on Save.

How to Edit a Report's Default Parameters
1.) Select the report to be edited from the grid. 2.) Click on Edit. 3.) Click on Default Parameters. The 'Default Parameters' application window will appear. From this window, the report's specific 'Criteria' parameter fields can be configured. 4.) Make selections as needed to the report's parameter fields. 5.) Click on Save. This will save the selections made, close the 'Default Parameters' application window, and return the user to the 'Report Preferences' screen. - The saved parameter selections will now be applied to the report by default when the report is selected on the 'Run Reports' screen. 6.) Click Save.

How to Edit a Report's Default Signatures
1.) Select the report to be edited from the grid. 2.) Click on Edit. 3.) Click on Default Signatures. The 'Report Signatures' application window will appear. The report's printed signature lines are configured from this window. 4.) Place a checkmark in the 'Signature #1 - #6' checkbox as needed to specify the quantity of available signature lines. 5.) Select the 'Free Text' option from the 'Type' field beside any of the checked 'Signature #' lines. 'Free Text' is currently the only available selection in this field. 6.) Enter in the desired text as it should appear beneath each signature line in the corresponding 'Enter Text' and/or 'Enter Field Name' fields for each signature line. 7.) Click on Save. This will save the selections made, close the 'Report Signatures' window, and return the user to the 'Report Preferences' screen. 8.) Click on Save.

How to Deactivate a Report
1.) Select the report to be deactivated from the grid. 2.) Click on Edit. 3.) Uncheck the checkbox to the right of the 'Active' field. 4.) Click on Save.

How to Link a Report to a Report Category
1.) Select the report from the grid. 2.) Click on Edit. 3.) In the 'Report Categories' list-box field, click the checkbox next to any category that the report needs to be linked to. 4.) Click on Save.

Considerations

Setting Up Default Parameters

It is important to set up Default Parameters for all commonly-used reports. Doing so can save users time by eliminating repetitively selecting the same parameters each day for each report. Less paper and time will be wasted due to data entry errors ('Criteria' selections) when generating reports. Setting up Default Parameters is essential for taking advantage of the Print All button on the 'Run Reports' screen.

Report Categories, Default Parameters, and the Print All Button on Run Reports

Setting up report categories can also maximize reporting efficiency. The list of available categories is customizable in the 'Report Categories' Code Table Type found on the Code Tables screen, under the Administration menu. Often categories are named according to user job roles and/or how often the report must be generated. Categorizing reports allows a group of users, who repetitively print the same group of reports, to generate them very quickly. Once the Default Parameters have been set up for each report within a category, users can then select the 'Report Category' on the 'Run Reports' screen and click Print All to generate the complete batch of reports using the correct 'Criteria' selections.

Using the 'Show Criteria' Option for a Selected Report

By default, all reports in Methasoft have the 'Show Criteria' field checked, so that 'Criteria' parameters will be available to users for filtering the report's data. However, it is sometimes beneficial to a facility to define the Default Parameters for a report, then remove its checkmark from the 'Show Criteria' field. Doing so dictates that the report will only be run with one set of criteria, as defined on the Default Parameters window for the report. This can be useful for maintaining report consistency among users and minimizing confusion over the proper 'Criteria' selections to make for specific reports.