If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Two-Field Primary Key with one Null Value
Hi all,
I'm new to databases and have a question that's hard for me but may be easy for someone else. I have a database where patients are assigned two unique IDs (hospital- wide and clinic-specific). I would like to create a primary key based on both of these values. I know how to do this - but here's where I'm stumped. I need to ensure that *at least one* of those ID values is entered for each patient. If one ID is entered, the other can remain blank. And vice-versa. Entering both ID values is fine also. Right now, the ID values and other info (name, birth date, etc.) are entered into a form. Is there any way to set these two unique ID values as the primary key, and allow one or the other to remain empty (null)? Thanks, Rob |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Two-Field Primary Key with one Null Value
Default to a dash or underscore to fill in something.
-- KARL DEWEY Build a little - Test a little " wrote: Hi all, I'm new to databases and have a question that's hard for me but may be easy for someone else. I have a database where patients are assigned two unique IDs (hospital- wide and clinic-specific). I would like to create a primary key based on both of these values. I know how to do this - but here's where I'm stumped. I need to ensure that *at least one* of those ID values is entered for each patient. If one ID is entered, the other can remain blank. And vice-versa. Entering both ID values is fine also. Right now, the ID values and other info (name, birth date, etc.) are entered into a form. Is there any way to set these two unique ID values as the primary key, and allow one or the other to remain empty (null)? Thanks, Rob |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Two-Field Primary Key with one Null Value
I suggest you relook at the structure of your tables. You should have tables
that look something like: TblHospital HospitalID HospitalName other hospital specific fields TblClinic ClinicID ClinicName other clinic specific fields TblHospitalClinic HospitalClinicID HospitalID ClinicID TblPatient PatientID FirstName LastName other patient specific fields TblPatientHospitalClinic PatientHospitalClinicID HospitalClinicID PatientID I have assumed there are multiple hospitals and each hospital has multiple clinics. TblPatientHospitalClinic records which hospital and which clinic at that hospital a patient is treated. You do not need a dual primary key. Steve wrote in message ... Hi all, I'm new to databases and have a question that's hard for me but may be easy for someone else. I have a database where patients are assigned two unique IDs (hospital- wide and clinic-specific). I would like to create a primary key based on both of these values. I know how to do this - but here's where I'm stumped. I need to ensure that *at least one* of those ID values is entered for each patient. If one ID is entered, the other can remain blank. And vice-versa. Entering both ID values is fine also. Right now, the ID values and other info (name, birth date, etc.) are entered into a form. Is there any way to set these two unique ID values as the primary key, and allow one or the other to remain empty (null)? Thanks, Rob |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Two-Field Primary Key with one Null Value
Thanks for the replies.
Actually there is only one hospital and clinic of interest. I need to track patients in one clinic only, and need to know either their hospital ID, or their clinic ID, or both. This is to prevent duplicate patient entries, i.e., where the same patient gets entered several times because of multiple referrals. Based on that, would it make sense to have only one table? And is there any way to uniquely identify the patients to prevent duplicate entries? Thanks again! Rob On Aug 14, 1:44*pm, "Steve" wrote: I suggest you relook at the structure of your tables. You should have tables that look something like: TblHospital HospitalID HospitalName other hospital specific fields TblClinic ClinicID ClinicName other clinic specific fields TblHospitalClinic HospitalClinicID HospitalID ClinicID TblPatient PatientID FirstName LastName other patient specific fields TblPatientHospitalClinic PatientHospitalClinicID HospitalClinicID PatientID I have assumed there are multiple hospitals and each hospital has multiple clinics. TblPatientHospitalClinic records which hospital and which clinic at that hospital a patient is treated. You do not need a dual primary key. Steve wrote in message ... Hi all, I'm new to databases and have a question that's hard for me but may be easy for someone else. I have a database where patients are assigned two unique IDs (hospital- wide and clinic-specific). *I would like to create a primary key based on both of these values. *I know how to do this - but here's where I'm stumped. I need to ensure that *at least one* of those ID values is entered for each patient. *If one ID is entered, the other can remain blank. *And vice-versa. *Entering both ID values is fine also. Right now, the ID values and other info (name, birth date, etc.) are entered into a form. *Is there any way to set these two unique ID values as the primary key, and allow one or the other to remain empty (null)? Thanks, Rob- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Two-Field Primary Key with one Null Value
Please explain ..............
For a given medical condition, a patient is admitted to a hospital/clinic. Are you saying that for that medical condition, the patient might be being treated by more than one doctor and more than one doctor refers him to the hospital/clinic? If so, which one do you want to be the referree? Over time a patient needs to be admitted to the hospital/clinic more than once. It might be for the same condition or for different conditions. To record this would require entering the same patient multiple times in the admissions table. Also, since there is only one hospital and one clinic, it is not necessary to record the hospital (HospitalID) and Clinic (ClinicID) in the database since all records in the database apply to the same hospital and clinic. Steve wrote in message ... Thanks for the replies. Actually there is only one hospital and clinic of interest. I need to track patients in one clinic only, and need to know either their hospital ID, or their clinic ID, or both. This is to prevent duplicate patient entries, i.e., where the same patient gets entered several times because of multiple referrals. Based on that, would it make sense to have only one table? And is there any way to uniquely identify the patients to prevent duplicate entries? Thanks again! Rob On Aug 14, 1:44 pm, "Steve" wrote: I suggest you relook at the structure of your tables. You should have tables that look something like: TblHospital HospitalID HospitalName other hospital specific fields TblClinic ClinicID ClinicName other clinic specific fields TblHospitalClinic HospitalClinicID HospitalID ClinicID TblPatient PatientID FirstName LastName other patient specific fields TblPatientHospitalClinic PatientHospitalClinicID HospitalClinicID PatientID I have assumed there are multiple hospitals and each hospital has multiple clinics. TblPatientHospitalClinic records which hospital and which clinic at that hospital a patient is treated. You do not need a dual primary key. Steve wrote in message ... Hi all, I'm new to databases and have a question that's hard for me but may be easy for someone else. I have a database where patients are assigned two unique IDs (hospital- wide and clinic-specific). I would like to create a primary key based on both of these values. I know how to do this - but here's where I'm stumped. I need to ensure that *at least one* of those ID values is entered for each patient. If one ID is entered, the other can remain blank. And vice-versa. Entering both ID values is fine also. Right now, the ID values and other info (name, birth date, etc.) are entered into a form. Is there any way to set these two unique ID values as the primary key, and allow one or the other to remain empty (null)? Thanks, Rob- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Two-Field Primary Key with one Null Value
Thanks Steve.
What I'm trying to do is create a simple waitlist for one clinic in a large hospital. Patients have a hospital ID, which everyone uses. They also have another ID which our clinic uses. Sometimes the patient gets entered into the database several times because staff don't realize they're already in the database. Therefore, I'm trying to find a way to prevent duplicate patient entries. The only way I know of is to uniquely identify them. The complication is that sometimes either the hospital ID or the clinic ID are not available. At least one ID will be available, but often one or the other is missing. Still, I need a way to "force" staff to enter at least one ID so that patients don't get entered several times unnecessarily. Thanks, Rob |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Two-Field Primary Key with one Null Value
Rob,
There's still the question about what to do if a patient needs to be admitted multiple times over time (say this month and then again in October). Steve wrote in message ... Thanks Steve. What I'm trying to do is create a simple waitlist for one clinic in a large hospital. Patients have a hospital ID, which everyone uses. They also have another ID which our clinic uses. Sometimes the patient gets entered into the database several times because staff don't realize they're already in the database. Therefore, I'm trying to find a way to prevent duplicate patient entries. The only way I know of is to uniquely identify them. The complication is that sometimes either the hospital ID or the clinic ID are not available. At least one ID will be available, but often one or the other is missing. Still, I need a way to "force" staff to enter at least one ID so that patients don't get entered several times unnecessarily. Thanks, Rob |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Two-Field Primary Key with one Null Value
Hi Steve...not an issue. As long as they're already in the database /
on the waitlist, multiple admissions don't need to be tracked for our purposes. Thanks, Rob |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Two-Field Primary Key with one Null Value
Rob,
Can the tables in your database be changed? HospitalID and ClinicID can not be used as a dual primary key since a primary key requires entering both values. If your staff are entering duplicate patient records, they have to be starting with a new record to create a duplicate. There needs to be a way to first have to enter HospitalID and/or ClinicID before other patient data (name, etc) can be entered and then check to see if one or the other has been entered previously. I have an idea on how to do it but it requires a change in your tables and data entry form. Steve wrote in message ... Hi Steve...not an issue. As long as they're already in the database / on the waitlist, multiple admissions don't need to be tracked for our purposes. Thanks, Rob |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Two-Field Primary Key with one Null Value
Thanks Steve. I understand your point; good idea. I'll play around
with it this weekend. Thanks so much for all of your help! Cheers, Rob |
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|