One of the main features in the new version of Elements is the inclusion of Vet Management data into the TOPAZ Reporter module. For any users who are unaware, TOPAZ Reporter is a very powerful report design tool that customers can use to develop their own reports and dashboards. The Reporter data resides in a separate database instance than your main Elements data, and this data structure is simplified (“de-normalized” in technical terms), to make it easier to work with.
The Vet Management data is sent into the Reporter database in “almost real time” and includes information about the tasks (such as their status, the date and time they were performed, and the staff person who did them), and the results data that are associated with the task.
The Vet Management module itself is very flexible and allows customers to create their own data collection mechanisms, using forms or grids. The results data collected on these forms and grids is moved over to Reporter in an easy to use structure. The question or column name and the answers associated are populated into a single, de-normalized table, which then allows easy searching and manipulation of the results data.
Using this, customers can design their own reports for animal health histories, researching health issue trends over time, plotting bodyweight charts for individuals and a host of other applications.