dhis2-devs team mailing list archive

[Thuy Nguyen <thuy.hispvietnam@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Ola,
Thanks a lot for your replying.
First of all, I'd like to explain what I have done for that report. And how
I use it in enter data and generate that report.

1. About category and category combination
Because the previous DHIS has category combination defination by group of
disease or somewhat total of many categoy options as you described. But this
only useful in the perfect report which has only 1 total on the top of
columns and its child are with same names.
That's why my report can't use this way. But still there is a solution by
use what DHIS has. By creating each column is a category option. All of
these category options will be group into 1 category. And this only 1
category would be included into 1 category combination. Last, this category
combination would be assign to data element.
So if there is any addition of column. I just need to add 1 more category
option. And this solve my problem. Although this is not the main rule of the
developer who developed the category function.

2. How to use these date elements to gather data.
Ofcouse the default data entry form wouldn't look well.
So I design data entry form as the user report. then import these
dataelement combinded with above category combination.

3. Generate this report.
Because each data element can link to only 1 data element combination, so
you gave an idea to create 2 data elements and link to other category
combinations.
And reason why we can't create 2 data elements with the name like
<dataelement>+Categorycombination1 , and <dataelement>+Categorycombination2

As in the excel report module.
There is the category type, and org unit type. We can generate the list of
data element names, list of data values (which are combination between data
element and category options) automatically.
And  creating 2 data elements for these 2 category combinations would make
the report look very funny with list of dataelements has same same names

So I just have a require to have addition new category options to category.
People should know the rule to use, and avoid make the system mess up. And
others can use it by different ways to serve their purposes. Just like the
tailor make a curtain for putting on the window , but some other users buy
it and have right to use it as blanket on the bed.

Anyway, I edited that report(adding new category options) by using the
previous version of DHIS2. and then use data base in the new version.  I
just want to mention the sistuation may appear again in the future.

Again thanks for your replying and long email.


On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 3:59 PM, Ola Hodne Titlestad <olatitle@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:

> Hi Thuy,
>
> I think I understand your problem and I had a look at your report. Could
> you please translate the columnn headings for me, it's been to long since I
> was in Vietnam. Still, from what I see in the columns and the few words I
> remember it seems the table represents one of those cases where there is no
> total for the row that sums up all the fields, I mean for every data element
> (disease) there is no total that is the sum of all the categoryoptioncombos
> (fields from both green and red).
>
> As you say the new fields (green in your report) are not mixed with the old
> (the red), so in fact they should be two different categorycombos.
> CategoryCombos should represent a hierarchy where the total at the top/root
> should make sense. In your case it seems the total of green and red is not a
> real total that makes sense to use. The built-in logic of indicators,
> validation rules, report tables etc. in DHIS is very much built around data
> element totals, so having a data element total that does not make sense
> makes it difficult for you to make good use of the rest of the system. Then
> you end up with custom forms + tailored (developer) made reports in excel
> and that's it, which might work of course, but a pitty thinking of all the
> other functionality you miss out on.
>
> Any chance you could modify either the green or red so that they actually
> became the same? As far as I can see your are collecting both new cases and
> deaths for both clinics (green) and hospitals (red), but the agre breakups
> are different for the two. You collect children under 15 years total and <5
> for red, but only children (no age specified) for green, is that correct? If
> it would be possible to collect <15 and <5 also in the green part it would
> be a lot easier for you.
>
> The fact that you already have data for the red part and now want to start
> collecting for the green part as well, makes it more complicated. If you can
> make green and red the same then you could keep all the data with some
> tweaking and continue with another categorycomo with green+red, but if you
> need to keep them as they are in your report I would consider splitting up
> into 2 categprycombos and two data elements in stead.
>

*Yes I want to keep green+red together when enter data and generate as well.
*


>
> If I was to design datasets based on this report without having to think
> about the data already in the system, a fresh start if you like, I would
> create two data element per disease (ICD code), 1) "<disease name> + Phong
> Kham)", and 2) "<disease name> + Benh Nhan dieu tri". And then I would
> create two categorycombos, one for the green and one for the red, and then
> assign data elements with the Phong Kham name to the green and data elements
> with the Benh Nhan name to the red. That would give you two datasets.
>

*No. It would be difficult for generate report later. Special in using Excel
report module.*


>
> You could later design reports that would give you the exact same table,
> and with some changes to data entry forms (as in my previous suggestion to
> allow multiple datasets to 1 form) you could also create a custom form that
> would look like your report.
>
> That probably didn't help much...
>
> Just note that having categorycombos that doesn't make sense to add up as a
> total will not be very useful, except for allowing you to design the data
> entry form you need.
>
> Another general comment would be to try to think of your paper forms as
> your outputs (reports) and not necessarily your inputs. Your DHIS data entry
> forms are your inputs and that they do not have to be exactly the same
> (although that is what the user will ask you for). If you need some of these
> data in other outputs, like an indicator to view on a map or in a chart, or
> another summary report, or in a pivot table,  then you might have problems
> getting what you need because of the way you have designed your datasets,
> data elements, and dimensions.
>
> If we can improve the data set + data entry forms model in DHIS 2 a bit to
> allow for multiple data sets (categorycombos) in one form, then we are much
> more free to design appropriate datasets (data elements with dimensions)
> that makes sense for data analysis and still be able to meet the users needs
> of having to make data entry forms look exactly like the paper forms.
>
> With the current constraints of the 1-1 relationship between form and
> dataset we are struggling to make good use of the multidimensional model
> (because we put everything in one categorycombo to mimic the forms) for
> anything but data entry, unfortunately.
>
> Ola
>
-- 
--
Thuy
HISP Vietnam
+84902079126