Case Studies
Boston Welcome Back Center
The Boston Welcome Back Center assists recent immigrants who were nurses in their native country to become registered nurses in Massachusetts. This process can be complicated and involves many different agencies and many forms.
One example of how to view the data: by Case Manager
To meet the needs of the organization, we created a highly detailed and specialized case management system. A completely customized website replaces tons of spreadsheets, files and paper (the trees have thanked us) and can create a wide variety of reports. Our web application features heavy utilization of client-side AJAX technology. This project has been so promising that other Welcome Back Centers are considering using it. Here is a list of some site highlights:
An example of one of the many forms we designed for this site
- The data is stored in a highly searchable, sortable and reportable way. Users can filter and sort on the fly and generate reports quickly. Examples of reports are: languages spoken by the nurses, country of origin, etc.
Reports can be generated in a variety of ways. Here, a bar graph...
...and here, a pie chart
- Creating multiple user levels keeps the data secure but accessible to those who need it. Your level designation determines what rights and permissions you have on the website.
- The read only level is for those who only need to review case files;
- a case manager can make edits and updates to case files,
- and a system administrator, can create user accounts.
- Dynamically populated pull-down menus (also known as 'chia lists' around our office for their ability to grow with very little effort) allow an administrator to add a choice in a drop down menu without having to use programming software. Example: A form has the question "how did you hear of us?". If the response given isn't a choice on the menu, you can add it while still working in the form.
This question allows you to choose and answer from a drop-down menu or...
...add a choice to the list by typing directly into the field and clicking "add to list
- Want to design a web page? The site's user color preference lets you have a little bit of this power. The 'color preference' is what colors are used on the form, and it is tracked by who is logged in to the site. If several people use the same computer, each user can have their own color scheme. The colors of the website serves as a visual reminder of who is logged into the site.
Users can pick their color scheme from a color pallet
- Track changes. The website tracks changes to files so there is a running history over the life of the case file. Only administrators have access to the Track Changes history.
The log shows who was given access to the database and where changes were made