Palm RVG version 3.1: November 2006

The Main Screen

When you launch the program this is the screen you will see.

This is where you spend most of your time when using PalmRVG.  Here you can choose item groups, view item descriptions and unit values and search for items by text or number.

Each aspect of the screen is now explained in detail.

Group Popup
This popup trigger shows the currently selected items group (a group contains all the items that relate to a particular part of the body, for example “head” or “thorax”).

If you have already set your preferences for the session (see preferences), it will automatically choose the appropriate group for the time of the day.  When pressed, all the groups available will be displayed, allowing a new group to be chosen.  When a new group is chosen, the item number list (see next page) will show some or all of the item numbers for that group.  The first item will be selected and its description displayed.

Schedule Selectors
This allows you to toggle between viewing either the Medical Benefits Scheme Schedule ("MBS") RVG or the ASA/AMA RVG schedule ("ASA").  Some items do not have corresponding items in the other schedule. Click on the schedule to toggle to that schedule.

Items List
The items list, to the left of the description field, shows at most seven of the item numbers in the chosen group.  Others can be seen by using the up or down scroll arrow within the list, or the hardware up and down buttons.  When one of the items is chosen, its description is displayed in the description field to the right of the list.  The unit value or price is also displayed.

Quicklist Button
Shows you your "quicklist".  The quicklist contains up to 20 items, chosen from any of the groups.  Items are added to the quicklist using the menu item “Add item to quicklist”.  This is explained on the next page.  You can use this to place commonly used items you regularly refer to, such as invasive monitoring, modifiers, commonly performed procedures, etc.

QuickQuote Button
The QuickQuote button allows you to perform a quick quote using the chosen item. You will be taken to the QuickQuote page (this is explained in more detail below).

Search Button & Field
At the bottom of the screen is the search button and field.  When the search button is pressed, the entire items database is searched for any items containing the text in the search field.  The items found are then displayed in the items list.  You can search by the text within the item description, or by items numbers. (eg. 21800, CA010, “lap”)

Main Screen Menu Items
The main screen has the following menu items, seen by pressing the menu button (not shown here) at the bottom left of the screen, beside the graffiti area:

· Calculate BMI - pops up a calculator to calculate the patients BMI, useful to determine whether they qualify for the appropriate modifier for obesity. Can also convert from stones to kg and feet/inches to centimeters.

· Calculate time units - enter either a start/end time, or a duration, to be returned the appropriate MBS item and schedule fee.

· Add to quicklist - add the currently viewed item to the quicklist.  If you are currently viewing the quicklist, this changes to "remove item from quicklist".

· Preferences - allows you to set your preferred item group for any session during the week, your preferred default schedule (either ASA/AMA or MBS).

· About PalmRVG – gives the version of the program, and the creation and expiry dates of the database.

Calculate BMI

This screen allows you to easily calculate a patient’s Body Mass Index (BMI) - this facilitates determining whether they are applicable for the P6 modifier (BMI>35)

Enter the height in cm or feet/inches and weight in kilograms/stones. Press the “calculate” button and the BMI is shown. In addition, the weight and height are converted to the other units not entered. (ie stones in kg or vice versa)

Press the “Exit” button to leave the screen and return to the main screen. Press the clear button to clear all the fields and prepare to recalculate.

Calculate Time Units

This screen allows you to calculate the appropriate number of units and the MBS item number for a given time period.  This time period can be entered as either a duration, or a start and end time.

Method Popup
Click on this to toggle between the "start-end" method or the "duration" method.

Time selectors
These consist of pushbuttons to select the times.  Choose the appropriate start/end times or duration.

The MBS item, number of units, and schedule fee is automatically calculated.

Preferences

The preferences screen allows you to set three defaults:

Schedule Preference
This is the default schedule selected when you start PalmRVG - you can choose between the MBS schedule and the AMA/ASA RVG.

Session Group Preference
This is the initial item group shown when you start PalmRVG during any session.

To specify this you use three "popup" lists.  With them you choose a session (AM/PM) on any day of the week.  You then specify which group of items you would like open automatically when you run PalmRVG on that day and session.

In the example shown, when you run PalmRVG on a Monday afternoon, the initial item group shown is the "Forearm, Wrist and Hand" group.

Default Unit Values
Lastly you can set “your” default unit value for the QuickQuote function, as well as a “fund” unit value for calculating “known gaps”. Obviously this fund fee will only be an approximation. These values can be changed on the fly in the “QuickQuote” function.

You can see the MBS and AMA RVG unit values here, but they cannot be edited.

QuickQuote

The quickquote screen allows calculation of a fee and gap based on the item number selected ion the main page, and is accessed by pressing the “QuickQuote” button.

Apart from the items base unit values, you can add time units, modifiers, common items such as cvp/art line and blood transfusions, as well as any additional units. The total units will then be used to calculate a fee and a gap, based either on the MBS or a fund unit value.

You can edit these in multiple ways – for example, enter a gap, and the unit value will be calculated.

About PalmRVG

PalmRVG was created by Dr Chris Jones, and is provided free of charge to ASA members.

Questions may be directed to aetherpalm[AT]aetherpalm[DOT]com. Other Anaesthesia software for Palm PDAs may be found at www.aetherpalm.com.

Thanks

 Australian Society of Anaesthetists for the RVG. Beta testers: Dr Andrew Armstrong, Dr Stephen Lightfoot, Dr Adrian Sultana, Dr Harry Prevedoros