document scanning and view

[Mike]

Hi,

I would like to use scanned documents module or some other modules in the FreeMED 8.5 that allows to upload, store and view images.
It looks like "scanned documents" module is working, however the quality of the image is significantly reduced after the PDF file is uploaded to FreeMED.

I would like to get suggestion from more experienced user on how to store a better quality images. The images I need to store are mainly scanned insurance cards,
patient id cards,

Appreciate any help.

[volkerbradley]

The quality of the image is not reduced if the pdf image is added to FreeMED correctly.

We scanned patient insurance cards to FreeMED for years and were able to view them beautifully.

Proof of concept can be seen by going to www.freemed.info, logging in as demo / demo and clicking on Unfiled Faxes -> File

Click on 1344413401.Hawaian_waterfall.pdf.djvu or 1344407041.rectal cancer.pdf.djvu to see the detail that is possible.  Both of these images were pdf files.

Later in the day will post the correct procedure to follow to achieve these results. 

Volker

[Jeff]

The only thing I can think of is that the PDF files are being
downsampled when they are converted to DjVu (which is the archival
format used by FreeMED). If the conversion is using djvuimport,
there's a parameter --dpi which is set by default to 200. Increasing
that number to 300 will create better looking archival copies at the
cost of increased disk usage.

--
Thanks,
Jeff
(je...@freemedsoftware.org)
FreeMED Software Foundation, Inc
http://freemedsoftware.org/

[Mike D]

Could you point to the file where dpi parameter is set?
Should I use a different image format jpeg, bmp for scanned documents?

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[Jeff]

On Wed, Aug 8, 2012 at 1:44 PM, Mike D <mdu...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Could you point to the file where dpi parameter is set?
> Should I use a different image format jpeg, bmp for scanned documents?

For the fax_import process, it's in scripts/fax_import/import_fax.pl
-- and it's using 98x98 resolution, which should be correct for faxes.

For scan_import, it's in convert_and_import_pdf.sh for PDF files.

[Mike D]

Thanks,

Demo server currently doesn't let "demo" user to see medical records of a patient

 

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[volkerbradley]

Hi,
Try going there again as the "demo" user.  Click on the chart of Alfred Fitch.
You should be able to view the progress notes of the patient.

[Volker Bradley]

Hi Mike,
Could you send me a pdf file that you would like to see.
I would like to import it at freemed.info to see if you find the quality unacceptable.
volker...@gmail.com

On Tue, Aug 7, 2012 at 11:43 PM, Mike <mdu...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Mike D]

Here is the file.
I have attached this document to Alfred Fitch's medical records via scanned documents module as Mike's Test.
The quality I see is no different than what I see on my installation of Freemed. I'll try to play with dpi parameter now.

I am wondering if importing it as a fax would make a difference. May be something wrong with the document itself.

Any suggestions would be helpfull. Picture ID looks better but it gets displayed via djvu add-on unlike scanned documents.

[volkerbradley]

Hi Mike,
OK, I understand now.  An error has occurred here. 
The error occurred because of lack of documentation and a function in FreeMED that should not be there.
Here is how the  Scanned Documents module is meant to function:
A document is placed in a scanner and scanned directly to the /home/scan folder of the FreeMED server. 
FreeMED senses that there is a file in the /home scan folder, imports it and places it in the "Unfiled Faxes" section of FreeMED.
The office staff see the "Unfiled Faxes" section of FreeMED.
The staff assigns the document to a patient and then decides whether the provider needs to review it ("Unread Faxes") or whether it can be filed directly (such as an operative report that has already been reviewed at the hospital), whether the cover page needs to be removed, etc.
The Scanned Documents module is not designed to just upload a document into a chart.  We realize that there is an Add section to the Scanned Documents module but that is an error and that should not be there. We feel that if the staff just uploaded documents that way, significant errors could occur.  It would be impossible to track who placed a scanned document into a chart.
I placed your pdf file in the /home/scan folder of the server at www.freemed.info. The file was imported properly into the Unfiled Faxes section and then I filed the document into the chart of Alfred Fitch.  The imported file is named Volker's Test.  I believe the resolution is better.
The best resolution is obtained when the document is properly scanned directly to FreeMED however.
Jeffrey Buchbinder and I will document the server side of the document importation process.  Hopefully we will be able to do this later today.
Thanks for your patience.
For you information, faxes from other providers, outside labs, etc also go directly to the /home scan folder and then appear in "Unfiled Faxes" as well.  No need to print the fax.

Volker


On Tuesday, August 7, 2012 11:43:01 PM UTC-4, Mike wrote:

[Mike D]

Thank you for explanation.

So the scanner output file is moved to the file on the server and appears in Freemed as unfiled fax.

 

Are you using same method for insurance cards and photo id ?

 

What image format are you using for those?   jpeg, pdf, bmp ?

 

Appreciate your help

 

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[Mike D]

With insurance cards scanning it is safe to attach images directly to the chart.
This operation typically is done by a receptionist that also enters card information into the patient coverage module.
The insurance card image is just a back-up in case data entry error is made and the biller needs to take a second look at the card.

In our case server is hosted in a remote location, so scanner cannot be directly attached to that computer. Also going via "unfiled faxes" route takes too many clicks.

So I am still trying to make this work. One thing I noticed is that if I use tif format the quality is pretty good.
PDF format is preferred however since the duplex scanner creates single 2 page pdf file vs 2 files in tif format in one scan.
With tif file I need to upload two separate files.
Second problem is that only the first page of the PDF document gets converted

For what ever reasons PDF file gets down sampled too much, so djvu file is less than 10% of the size of the original upload.

 

On Thu, Aug 9, 2012 at 5:22 AM, volkerbradley <volker...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[volkerbradley]

Well we all must decide how our office will run most efficiently. It's important to support our staff.
If using the Unfiled Faxes method is too many clicks for your staff, I understand.  Our busy office of 5 surgeons and one gastroenterologist did it that way. 
We had a small card scanner that printed to a file on the Windows based office computers.   Then we dropped that file to the /home/scan folder by means of automatic importation routine.  Worked fine.
I get get you the details if that interests you.  I guess there are many ways to do things.

[Mike D]

Thanks Volker, I'll use your help but first I need to install everything per your install instructions because
I skipped few steps related to faxing and scanning on the initial install.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/freemed-support/-/E_DMcMsmVhUJ.

[volkerbradley]

Let us know when everything is installed.
Here are the instructions on how to make a Scan-Drop folder in MSWindows so that your staff can drag and drop pdf files into the /home/scan folder on the FreeMED server:

     
1.  Click on Start-> My Network Places
2.  Add a Network Place -> Next
3.  Choose another Network Location -> Next
4.  Type ftp://192.168.1.4 -> Next (change the address to the IP address of your server)
5.  Uncheck log in anonymously
6.  Put in user name scan -> Next 
7.  Name the folder Scan-Drop -> Next

That worked perfectly for our office.  
By the way, we used to scan driver's licenses too so that we could get a pictures of our patients.