Searches

The Search fields limit the display to only those items that meet the criteria you specify. Each row of the table can be used to build a logical statement that will match certain records and exclude others. The first cell in the row specifies the field to be searched, the second cell contains the logical operator, and the third cell contains the criterion. Use the down arrow key to move through the criteria fields.

Note: Due to patient privacy concerns, it is not possible to perform an unlimited search on patient data; you must complete at least one search field or have already selected a patient.

Search area from the Appointment Register screen

The first column of most search screens in SYSTOC defaults to the most commonly used fields. The one exception is the Appointment Register screen, where the default search fields can be selected by the user. See Scheduling Options for additional information about selecting Appointment search fields.

It is not necessary to use all three rows to conduct a search; only use as many as you need. Nor do you have to use search lines in top-down order. If any of the three rows displays the one field you wish to use, complete that line and conduct your search. If none of the fields are relevant to your search, click on the down arrow adjacent to the field to display a drop-down list with additional field names. Select a field on which to search.

The second column contains a default logical operator that is consistent with the type of value used by the field named in the first column. The search engine uses the operator as the basis for its comparison. If you do not want to use the default, make a different selection from the drop-down menu. The table below lists all available operators and explains their meanings.

Operator Meaning
Like partial match of characters at the beginning of the field (e.g., Mil or mil match Miller, the criteria are not case sensitive)
= equal to, exact match (for text or numbers)
= (Blank) contains no data
<> (Blank) contains data
>= greater than or equal to
<= less than or equal to
<> not equal to
> greater than
< less than
Not Like no partial match (cannot be used for numbers or dates)
Contains partial match of character(s) located anywhere in the field (not limited to the beginning of a word)

The data in the third column will be compared to the records in the database for the specified field. The value of that data must be consistent with that field. For example, if Invoice Number is selected as the field, you must enter a numeric value; the program will not accept letters. If you are entering a word, you can use the first letter or any part of a word that you expect to find in the selected field. After selecting the appropriate criteria, click on the Search button or press Alt+S or the Enter key to activate the process. If your search only retrieves a single record, that record will automatically display in the Data Screen.

Note: Searches can be very time consuming and cannot be canceled once started! An example of such a search would be looking for all invoices with a status of P (Processed). There could be thousands of such invoices and if your preference setting allows you to see a high number, you must wait until all items are retrieved before you can use the computer again. To avoid long waits, create your searches so data are retrieved as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Note: Searches can be very time consuming and cannot be canceled once started! An example of such a search would be looking for all invoices with a status of P (Processed). There could be thousands of such invoices and if your preference setting allows you to see a high number, you must wait until all items are retrieved before you can use the computer again. There is no way to cancel a search once it has begun. To avoid long waits, create your searches so data are retrieved as quickly and efficiently as possible.

If more than one data line are used, only data that satisfy all criteria will be selected. Careful use of multiple criteria will not only refine the search, but may hasten the search process.

For example, suppose you want to know how many employees in a specific department of a certain company have been injured at work this year. In the Search area of the Injury List (located under Injury Folder > Injuries ), make your first line search be for the company, the second line for the department, and the third line search for injury dates. Your search criteria would be similar to the criteria illustrated in below, which will return all the injuries treated for workers in the stitching department of Dexell company after January 1, 2000.


Using Searches

If you reversed the order so that the first search was for injury date, you would retrieve every injury after January 1 at every company you serve. Your next search for company-specific data would need to examine many more items that are unrelated to your goal.

Wildcard Search Expressions

It is possible to use certain symbols in combination with the search data to look for a particular patterns of letters or numbers. These symbols (sometimes referred to as "wildcards") allow you to identify individual characters, strings of characters (usually words or parts of words), or a range of characters that you either want included in, or excluded from, your search results. Using wildcards is similar to using the "Contains" operator, but allows you to be more specific about the location of particular criteria.

The wildcard symbols that can be used, and the way they operate, are described in the table below.

Symbol Purpose and Use Example
%

Commonly used to specify a word or part of a word. Use before AND after any string of one or more characters.

To find all companies in the database that use the word "health" anywhere in their names, search for: Company Like %health%

_ (underscore)

Used to specify any single character; multiple underscores can be used together.

To find all patients whose address falls between 100 Main Street and 199 Main Street, search for: Address 1 Like 1_ _ %main%

[ ] (square brackets)

Used to designate any single character within a specified range ([a-f]) or set ([abcdef]).

To find all patients whose last names begin with the letters g through k, search for: Last Name Like [g-k]

[^]

Used to eliminate any single character not within the specified range ([^a-f]) or set ([^abcdef]).

To find all patients except those whose last names begin with the letters g through k, search for: Last Name Like [^g-k]

When using wildcard expressions, remember:
  • Use the operator "Like."
  • Multiple wildcards can be combined to create very specific searches.
  • You cannot use wildcards in fields that are already formatted, such as the Social Security Number or telephone number fields.
  • Searches are not case sensitive.