Parish Medical Officer Tutorials
Parish Medical Officers are responsible for classifying disease notifications within their parish. They play a central role in ensuring that reported cases are reviewed, classified, investigated when necessary, and monitored for potential public health concerns.
Using the JEMS system, Parish Medical Officers can review incoming notifications that have already been processed through earlier stages of the workflow, classify records, monitor case investigations, and track disease activity within their jurisdiction.
This tutorial explains how Parish Medical Officers can use the JEMS surveillance portal to perform several key functions including:
- Reviewing notifications submitted within the parish
- Classifying notifications after review
- Locating specific notifications within the system
- Monitoring whether case investigations have been completed
- Reviewing parish-level notification data
- Generating line listings of notifications
- Monitoring surveillance dashboards for trends and patterns
Exercise 1. Classifying Notifications
After earlier review steps have been completed, notifications proceed to the Parish Medical Officer for classification.
1. Steps for Classifying a Notification
- Log in to the Medical Officer Portal.
- From the Home page, select Classify Notifications from the portal dashboard. The Parish Medical Officer classification app will appear.
The app contains a table view and also a map view. For reviewing notifications, the table view is often the quickest place to begin but if you prefer to work via the map, you may do so. The toolbar includes tools such as Filter, Show Related Tables, Clear Selection, Map, and Open Survey123. Let’s start with the Table View.
2. Select a notification to review by clicking on the checkbox to the left of the page.
3. Scroll through the record and review the information in the notification form, including:
- Patient details
- Diagnosis
- Reporting facility
- Location information
Review the notification carefully before assigning the final classification.
4. If a value is unclear, you can also click on Open Survey123 to view the original notification. This is particularly handy for filling in missing latitude/longitudes. If latitude/longitude are missing, use the map in Survey123 to fill in the values. This is the safest way to ensure that points are created when you fill in missing latitude/longitudes.
5. If the notification has related records, click Show Related Tables. Review tables such as countries visited, symptoms, vaccination information, or sample details if they are relevant to the notification you are reviewing. Update related records only when needed and ensure that any edits remain consistent with the main notification record.
Classify the Notification
1. When you are done reviewing a record, update the classification field as required. Only do this when you are satisfied that the notification has been reviewed carefully and is ready for classification.
2. After completing the classification, select the next record and repeat the process.
3. When you have finished reviewing records, click Sign Out in the app header. Wait for the sign-out process to complete. Close the browser tab if you are on a shared or office workstation. This protects access to confidential health records.
Classifying a Notification Using the Map View
1. On the toolbar, click the Map button. This changes the display from the table view to the map view.
2. Move the map to the area where the notification is located. You can zoom in and out and pan across the map to find the correct location.
3. Click the Select button on the toolbar on the dialog to the right of the screen. This activates map selection mode.
4. With the Select tool active, click the point that represents the notification you want to review. The app will select the record and display the details in the editor panel to the right of the screen.
5. Sometimes more than one record is selected. If this happens, it often means that multiple dots are lying exactly on top of each other. In such a case, select one of the records that show up on the dialog to the right of the screen. This will cause the editor panel to open.
6. Read through the notification fields before making any changes. Check that the patient details, disease, dates, parish, address, and other important fields are correct and complete.
7. Edit the fields that need correction or completion only when necessary.
8. If the record requires additional checking, return to the table tools and use Show Related Tables to inspect linked information such as symptoms, travel history, vaccination information, or sample details. Confirm that the related information matches the main notification record.
9. After making the required edits, save or apply the update in the editor panel. Wait for confirmation that the edit was successful.
10. Review the record again to confirm that your changes were saved correctly.
11. Update the classification field as required.
12. Click Update to save the classification and move to the next record.
13. When you are finished, click Sign Out in the header. Close the browser tab if needed, especially on a shared computer.
Good Practice Notes
Work carefully and consistently. Always verify that you have the correct patient before changing anything. Use the related tables only when necessary for the task. Do not leave a session open when away from your desk.
Exercise 2. Finding Notifications & Investigations
Medical Officers often need to locate specific notification records to review case information or respond to inquiries.
Steps for Finding a Notification
- Go the Home Page of the Parish Medical Officer Portal.
- Open the Find a Notification tool in the portal.
- Enter search criteria such as: Patient name, Disease, Parish, Date of notification.
- Review the search results.
- Select the notification to view the full record.
Finding a Case Investigation
Medical Officers often need to locate specific case investigation records to review case information or respond to inquiries. Steps for Checking Case Investigations are:
- Go the Home Page of the Parish Medical Officer Portal.
- Click on “Discover if a Case Investigation Report Exists” tool in the portal.
- Search for the case investigation using the patient’s name.
- Verify whether a case investigation report has been submitted.
- If an investigation has not been completed, follow up as necessary.
Exercise 3. Generating Line Listings
Line listings provide a table of surveillance records that can be used to review disease activity within the parish. Steps for Generating a Line Listing:
- Go the Home Page of the Parish Medical Officer Portal.
- Select Generate Line Listings from the portal.
- Choose the disease or time period to review.
- Apply any necessary filters.
- Generate the listing to view notification records.
- Export the results if required.
Line listings help Medical Officers review case details and identify possible clusters of disease.
Exercise 4. Reviewing Parish Surveillance Data
The system also allows officers to review detailed information about notifications and case investigations within their parish.
- The Parish Notifications Data tool allows officers to review all notifications submitted to the parish.
- The Parish Case Investigation Data tool displays investigation records associated with parish notifications.
These tools allow Medical Officers to monitor surveillance activity within their jurisdiction.
Exercise 5. Using Surveillance Dashboards
Dashboards provide visual summaries of surveillance data.
Class 1 Notifications Dashboard
Displays trends and patterns in disease notifications.
Case Investigation Dashboards
Displays investigation activity and investigation completion status.
These dashboards help Medical Officers quickly identify unusual patterns in disease activity.
Operational Importance
Parish Medical Officers play a critical role in ensuring that disease notifications are properly reviewed and classified. By monitoring notifications, investigations, and surveillance dashboards, these officers help ensure that potential public health threats are identified and addressed promptly. Their work ensures that the surveillance system remains accurate, responsive, and effective in protecting public health.
Detailed Workflow Procedures
Procedure: How to Classify a Notification
The notification classification app is used by Parish Medical Officers to review notifications and determine the appropriate classification based on the available information.
Step 1: Open the App. Open the classification app in your browser.
Step 2: Sign In. Enter credentials. Verify your name appears in the header.
Step 3: Review Interface. Focus on the table and available filters.
Step 4: Find Notification. Locate records ready for review. Confirm parish scope.
Step 5: Examine Thoroughly. Check demographics, disease info, and consistency. Review related tables.
Step 6: Decide. Determine the appropriate classification based on the information available.
Step 7: Classify. Use the appropriate field to record the classification. Save changes.
Step 8: Confirm Result. Ensure the record updated correctly or moved to the correct filtered view.
Step 9: Repeat. Continue reviewing records one by one. Avoid rushing.
Step 10: Sign Out. Securely exit the session.
Good Practice Note: Classification is not just a button click. It is a decision-making step. Take the time to confirm that the notification has been reviewed carefully before assigning a final classification.
Procedure: How to Generate a Line Listing
Step 1: Open App. Launch the Line Listing or Data View app.
Step 2: Sign In. Confirm account name appears in the header.
Step 3: Review Table. Inspect visible columns and existing records.
Step 4: Apply Filters. Narrow dataset by disease, date range, or parish.
Step 5: Verify. Ensure the count and content align with expectations.
Step 6: Export. Export or use the resulting line listing once verified.
Step 7: Clear Filters. Reset for the next subset if needed.
Step 8: Sign Out. Close the app securely.
Procedure: Viewing Parish Notifications
Step 1-2: Open Data View app and Sign In.
Step 3: Main Table. Review total count and visible rows.
Step 4: Parish Selector. If applicable, narrow to your specific parish.
Step 5: Filter. Use criteria like diagnosis or date range.
Step 6: Select Record. Inspect specific rows in detail.
Step 7: Related Tables. Check travel, symptoms, or vaccination data.
Step 8: Map View. Switch to map to visualize location.
Step 9-10: Clear selection and Sign Out securely.