Scanning

Earlier in this manual, we discussed scanning images directly into ClinicTracker through the Related Documents module and the Insurance Tab of Demographics. ClinicTracker can gain control of any TWAIN compatible scanner that you can access from your computer. If accessing ClinicTracker over a remote desktop connection, such as the ClinicTracker Hosting Service, click here for additional instructions.

Selecting a Scanning Source and Color Options

When you first begin a scanning operation, a small form will flash on the screen with a button that says Click to Select Source (or wait for default). If you only have a single scanner that is set as the default, wait two seconds and the default will be selected automatically. Otherwise, press the Click to Select Source button and select the desired device from the list of available scanning devices. This form will also display a Color Options section that will let you select between Black & White (default) or Color.

Acquiring the Image

Once you have selected a source, the scanner’s software will be displayed. Follow the instructions provided with your scanner to acquire the image. Use the preview and cropping options to get the image as close to a final product as possible. Once the scanner notifies ClinicTracker that the image is complete, you will be prompted with a dialogue to enter a filename. Enter a name, without an extension, and hit OK.

Adjusting the Image

The scanned image will be saved as a tif file. If multiple pages are scanned simultaneously, they will be saved as a single multi-page tif. If only a single page is scanned, the image will be displayed in the Image Acquisition Window, allowing you to view and edit the image. The location of the file that was saved will be shown in the status bar on the bottom of the form. There are a few formatting options in this window.

Actions Menu

Rotate

Choose this option to rotate the entire image. There are options for 90, 180, and 270 degrees clockwise, or you can enter an arbitrary amount.

Crop

If you would like to remove the extra space on the side of an image, choose the crop action. You can click and drag to display a dotted rectangle around the portion of the image you would like to retain. If you are satisfied with the cropping path, press the Execute Crop button on the top of the form, otherwise choose Cancel Crop.

Auto Crop

Select this option to let ClinicTracker decide how best to crop the image.

View Menu

Zoom In

Use the zoon in tool to display the image at a larger scale.

Zoom Out

Use the zoon out tool to display the image at a smaller scale. This is useful when cropping in order to get the entire image in a single window.

Actual Size

Zoom in or out on the image so it is displayed as its actual size.

File Operations

The File Menu on the top of the form lets you manage the file once it is formatted appropriately.

Save

Save any changes to the image.

Delete

Delete the current image.

Exit

Close out of the Image Acquisition Window. If you have unsaved changes, you will be asked if you would like to save the changes you made or revert to the previously saved version.

Using the Image

If you close the Image Acquisition Form using any method other than deleting the image, the form that started the scanning operation will automatically link to the acquired image. If you wish to make modifications to the image after this time, you will need to use image editing software such as Paint or Adobe Photoshop.

Scanned images are stored in the Related Documents Subfolder of the main ClinicTracker server folder. They are further subdivided by the internal Patient ID of the patient the document links to. For instance, if you were saving a file named Example.bmp for a patient with ID 951, the file would be stored at: Z:ClinicTrackerRelatedDocuments800_999951Example.tif (assuming the ClinicTracker server directory was Z:ClinicTracker).

Note:

You can determine the internal Patient ID by bringing up a record in the Demographics Form and going to File -> Request Record Modification. The first number after “PAT_PID:” is ClinicTracker’s ID Number.