For many people change can be scary. There is a certain comfort that comes with what we’re used to, and any disruption to that can be disorienting. But change, and the need for it, is inevitable and believe it or not, having control over change is empowering. Here at Foothold Technology we want to give our users that power, by giving them the freedom to make changes in their database on their own.
We have a particularly powerful tool in AWARDS called Program History Corrections, which enables users to change client history records that previously had to be sent to the Foothold Help Desk to process. These changes to the electronic charts include editing intake, admission and discharge dates, removing program admission records, deleting clients, reversing discharges, and changing or removing residence history records. Should users need to make these types of corrections, with appropriate permissions and with the Program History Corrections, the power is in the hands of AWARDS users.
There are several areas of AWARDS that are configured to follow HMIS requirements and require data collection in a static, standard way. This includes data elements on the admission and discharge forms. In addition, the HMIS Information section of client face sheets requires an annual update within a month of a client’s original admission. However, AWARDS gives HMIS agencies the freedom to refine which data elements are collected at the program/project level, HMIS Project Type, and Federal Funding source levels. An agency can determine if certain fields should be shown in AWARDS but not required, which fields should be required, and/or which fields should be hidden. This gives agencies the freedom to display sections of the database that are relevant to the specific work of an agency and the specific role of a user.
With the use of our powerful FormBuilder tool, we also allow users to build their own forms and assessment instruments (for the collection of both client and employee data), which can then be added to various modules and standard functionality in AWARDS. Maybe you want a more comprehensive Progress Note or you want to change the Service Plan Cover Sheet? The FormBuilder tool allows you to make those changes. Think of AWARDS as the canvas and FormBuilder as the paint.
While change can be something that we resist, the tools we have in place will guide you through necessary changes with efficiency and confidence.