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Frequently Asked Questions For HL7 Interfaces For MicroMD PM



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HL7 Interface: Getting Help

Installing / Upgrading Interfaces

Interface Setup and Usage

Interface Setup Issues To Consider

Troubleshooting and Errors






HL7 Interface: Getting Help


Q:
I need help! Where can I find it?
A:
Right here in our Support FAQ! This FAQ contains a compilation of many questions and answers resellers have dealt with in the past. If you require additional information please consult our HL7 Interface Manuals. They contain a wealth of helpful and detailed information. If all else fails you can contact Micro-Office Systems at support@micro-officesystems.com

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Q:
Where can I get copies of the HL7 Interface Manuals?
A:
Documentation is included in every distribution of HL7 Interface zip file. Additionally, documentation can be found on the Micro-Office website at:

Volume 1 - HL7 Export Installation and Setup   adobe pdf logo pdf
Volume 3 - HL7 Import Installation and Setup   adobe pdf logo pdf


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Q:
Where can I get copies of the HL7 Interface Specifications?
A:
Documentation is included in every distribution of HL7 Interface zip file. Additionally, the latest copies can be found on the Micro-Office website at:

Volume 2 - HL7 Export Specifications   adobe pdf logo pdf
Volume 4 - HL7 Import Specifications   adobe pdf logo pdf


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Q:
Where can I download the interfaces?
A:
In order to download our interfaces, you will need to have a user name and password that we will provide (please contact us if you are a MicroMD reseller and would like to receive our login info).

Once you have a login and password to our website, click on the 'Login' icon at the top of any web page on our website. Enter your name and password and click on the Login button. After logging on, you will see a summary page of all interfaces and utilities licensed. At the bottom of the 'MicroMD Interface & Utility Summary' section (2nd table) is a 'New...' button. By clicking on this button you will be taken to a webpage where you download and generate a license for any of our interfaces or utilities.

Remember, when generating a license you should first download the interface or application. Once you have downloaded interface or utility, connect to the database to see the name of the practice to be licensed on the 'Connection' tab (if multi-practice check the 'Licensing' tab). Highlight and copy the practice name after the interface successfully connected to the database. Paste the copied name into the website's license generator. The license generated on the website can be copied and pasted into the interface for validation.


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Q:
Where can I find the .ini and .log files?
A:
The easiest way to find the file location is to click on the log tab and find the directory where the log file is located. The .ini and .log files should be in that directory.

NOTE: The above is true if the default location hasn't been modified via the program startup command line arguements. This is an advanced function capability which is detailed in our documentation. Contact us for futher help.


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Installing / Upgrading Interfaces



Q:
Will the interfaces run with MicroMD version 6.x and version 7.x?
A:
MicroMD 6.x and earlier use a Sybase database. The new MicroMD 7.x uses a Microsoft SQL Server backend. Our interfaces are 100% compatible to work with MicroMD version 6.x for both importing and exporting data (financial, demographics, appointments etc).

Since MicroMD 7.x is based on microsoft SQL Server it is requiring us to totally rewrite our core interface engine library (a huge effort!).

We currently have export interfaces for MicroMD 7.x available in beta version for patient demographics and appointment data. The import interface engine is also available in beta version for charge data. Note: charge import data is only available in pending payments, direct posting is currently not available in version 7.x.

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Q:
Where should I install my interface?
A:
That’s all up to you. We distribute our interface as a zip file so it can be unzipped at any location desired.

There are, however, some recommendations that we make. We recommend that an interface be installed in a logical directory like “C:\Program Files\Micro-Office\md2hl7\”. This directory structure helps to locate an interface when support is needed.

Please note that this directory structure also helps to organize multiple interfaces. We require that each interface be installed in its own directory. This is true even if you are installing an export and an import interface to create a single bidirectional setup.

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Q:
How do install an interface as a second service?
A:
There are cases where you may want to have multiple interfaces (same interface and same direction) installed on a given system. If you require that two export interfaces such as md2allmeds be installed on the same system you will need to copy the interface files into two different directories (one for each of the interface installations) and then follow the special process below:

First, install one interface normally according to the directions in the MOCS HL7 Installation and Setup manual.

FOR MICROMD V6.x

The second interface installation requires adding a specifically formatted text file to the directory where the interface files are located. Before you install the second interface, create a file named “ServiceName.txt” in the second interface directory. In this file, there will be two lines of text. On the first line, type a unique name for the service. (Note: the first interface will be something like MD2ALLMEDS - the unique name for the second service could be something like MD2ALLMEDS2). On the second line, type a short description for the service (something like MicroMD to Allmeds for Dr. So-And-So).

Once this file is created, you can continue to install the second interface setup as the first interface and install normally using the service settings in the “ServiceName.txt” file.

FOR MICROMD V7.x

  1. Copy the files for the second interface to a new directory.
  2. Open the .config file in a text editor and find the section that looks like this:

    <userSettings>
        <InterfaceMaster.Properties.Settings>
           <setting name="DefaultMode" serializeAs="String">
              <value>Just a dummy value to create the settings file</value>
           </setting>
        </InterfaceMaster.Properties.Settings>
    </userSettings>

  3. In the <setting> tag,
    1. replace the "DefaultMode" text with "AllUsersApplicationDataOverride" and
    2. replace the "Just a dummy value ..." text in the <value> tag with the full directory path to where the new settings files should be located.

    For example:

    <userSettings>
        <InterfaceMaster.Properties.Settings>
           <setting name="AllUsersApplicationDataOverride" serializeAs="String">
              <value>C:\ProgramData\Micro-Office Systems, Inc\MicroMD72EMR_loc2</value>
           </setting>
        </InterfaceMaster.Properties.Settings>
    </userSettings>

  4. Run the interface in Service Mode and on the Service Tab change the service name to something unique from among all other services running.

    HL7 Interface Service Name

  5. After modifying service name, close the GUI and reopen to activate the install button.

  6. Now you can click "Install" and you're done!

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Q:
Is there an easy way to upgrade my interface?
A:
Yes there is! You can avoid the trouble of uninstalling the old version and reinstalling the new version very easily. Before upgrading your interface, however, Micro-Office HIGHLY recommends that you back up your old interface directory just in case. After you have done that just follow these steps:

First, stop the service for the interface and close down any instances of the interface that are running on the desktop. This means fully closing the instance and not just minimizing the window.

Second, download the latest and greatest zip file from the website and extract it to your interface directory. Go ahead and overwrite any files it prompts (remember we have everything already backed up so we won’t lose anything in case we need old files for some reason).

Finally, start the interface and service back up. Voila! All settings will be preserved and the latest version of the interface will now be running.



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Interface Setup and Usage



Q:
How do I setup my interface to use the .ini file provided by Micro-Office Systems?
A:
To install the .ini file, simply place it in its corresponding interface directory when the interface is not running. A common mistake people make is trying to install the .ini file while the interface is still running. Our interfaces preserve changes as they are made in the interface. This means that if an interface is running and someone tried to install an .ini file, the new .ini file would automatically be overwritten by the interface.

The solution is to first shut everything down before adding the .ini file to the directory. The service needs to be stopped and any instance of the interface needs to be closed. THIS DOES NOT MEAN JUST MINIMIZE THE WINDOW! The interface window must be closed [X]. Once everything is closed, you may proceed with installing the .ini file to the directory. Once it is added, the interface can be restarted and all new settings from the .ini file will take affect.

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Q:
What is the difference between transfering HL7 messages by socket versus file?
A:
Usually there is no difference; it is simply a preference for how you like to set up the transfer. Socket transfers are sometimes more condusive over networks, but otherwise there are no differences between socket and file transfers.

Some people like using files so they can be archived off to have flat text records. However, the same result can be achieved using sockets (simply set them to print out the messages to a file). If the messages contain sensitive data, some prefer encrypted channels may like sockets.

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Q:
Should I transfer HL7 messages by socket or file?
A:
This depends on preference. There are pros and cons to both methods and it is up to the one installing the interface to decide which method will be used.

In some cases this is easy because not all systems support both transfer methods. Micro-Office does support both methods.

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Q:
What's the difference between server sockets and client sockets?
A:
Very simply, the definition of a server socket is that it sits on on a port and acts as a "listener" for messages coming across the channel. A client socket will "connects to" to a port and will initiate the communication between the sides.

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Q:
How do I know what port numbers are in use on my machine?
A:
You will need to ask your local system administrator to find a range of open port numbers.

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Q:
How do I set up my socket?
A:
Export Interfaces should enter the IP address and port numbers where the EMR's listener resides (see the "I can't connect" FAQ).

Additionally, if acknowledgements are going to be used, make sure the 'Acknowledgements' button is selected (checked) and set the timeout value. We recommend 10,000 ms (which is a 10 second timeout).

Setting up an import interface is almost the same as an export interface, but instead of selecting an IP address for an external machine, use the dropdown provided to select the name for the local machine. This is because, for imports, we're the listener. The port number still needs to be set and if acknowledgements are going to be used, set the ack button. it is recommended that ack always be used.

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Q:
What port number do I use?
A:

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Q:
What value should I set my timeout?
A:

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Q:
How do I automate stopping and starting HL7 Interface services?
A:
The HL7 interfaces can be stopped and started via batch script and the windows task scheduler. This is sometimes required in cases where an interface restart is required to temporarily correct an issue it is having. Examples of this include the "out of memory" bug on Windows 2003 machines.

This is only designed to be a temporary solution. Setting this script up will help dealers/practices avoid having to do this manually. The frequency of restarts is determined by need and configured via windows task scheduler.

To automate stopping and starting the interface, the first thing to do is to create a batch script that stops the service and then starts it back up.

The first step in creating the batch script is to determine the EXACT name of the service. To find the name of the service, you will need to first have the interface installed. Once installed, you can find the name under the services' properties in the services.msc window. (see screen shot below)

HL7 Interface Properties

The highlighted portion of that window is the service name. Once you have the name, you can create a batch script with the two lines shown below.

net stop MD2HEALTHMATICS
net start MD2HEALTHMATICS


Once the batch script is created, Save the script and set up windows task scheduler to run it at the desired frequency.

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Q:
Can I export/import specific patients or appointments?
A:
The interface's Application Mode is designed for just this purpose. Using the application mode, a one time export of specific criteria can be exported or imported (depending on the interface direction being used).

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Q:
Can I run the interface in application mode and service mode concurrently?
A:
Yes. This is true for both file and socket communications.

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Q:
What is the 'Maps' tab for?
A:
The Maps tab is used to setup a list of mappings for things like provider or location. For example a provider with an external id of 3 could be mapped to the MicroMD provider number 4. Or for example the external location number 2 can be mapped to the MicroMD location number 1.

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Q:
Why do my import logs refer to a patient demographic lookup?
A:
A patient demographic lookup occurs when a patient’s id from the external system cannot be found. When an id can’t be found, a demographic lookup will begin based off of information such as name, social security number, etc.

The most common cause for patient ids not being found is due to the "PID ID field contents" section of the HL7 tab being incorrectly filled out. Generally, the various flavors of interfaces will have the most commonly used options set by default for a given system. This, however, isn't correct 100% of the time. Verify what values are coming across in PID fields 2, 3, and 4 and set the dropdowns properly.

It is import to have the interface setup correctly because while a demographic lookup will work in regards to finding a patient, it is a very system intensive process to do this for every patient and charge that is coming back to MicroMD.

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Q:
Why do I need a date/time stamp on my file export messages?
A:
Adding date/time stamps to the file names of exported messages ensures that no data is overwritten. In service mode the default refresh rate is 30 seconds. That is, every 30 seconds the interface will check MicroMD for any updates and export messages accordingly. Having the date/time stamp ensures that a unique filename is being created every time and messages with the same file name don’t overwrite on top of eachother – causing loss of data to transmit.

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Q:
How do I add a date/time stamp to the end of my export message filenames?
A:
Micro-Office has a date/time format code that can be embedded into the filenames of the path to export HL7 files to. Within square brackets the following list of characters can be used to represent date/times. Note that caps is relevant.
     yyyy – the four digit year	
     yy – the two digit year	
     MM – the month (01-12)	
     dd – the date (01-31)	
     HH – the hour (00-23)	
     mm – minutes (00-59)	
     ss – the seconds (00-59)	
             
Example: C:\test\pat[yyyyMMddHHmmss].hl7
This type of filename will ensure a unique messages gets generated every time the interface exports messages.

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Q:
How do I output future appointments?
A:
First, make sure that the interface is set up to use application mode (export interface).

Next,
  1. Check only the appointments checkbox (either on the sockets tab or file tab) (See screen shots below)

    The ‘File Tab’ or ‘Socket Tab’ Appointment checkboxes:
    Appt Checkbox - File Tab

  2. Select the options tab.
    • Look in the "create updates filters' section for a set of checkboxes for "appts from/to" (See screen shots below).
    • Set today's date in the "Appt From" checkbox, and leave the "Appt To" checkbox unchecked to indicate no ending period (open ended).

      The ‘Options Tab’ Appointment checkboxes:
      Appt Checkbox - Options Tab

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Interface Setup Issues To Consider



Q:
Multi-Practice PM – EMR interface issues
A:
If the EMR sends back location information, and each location corresponds to a practice, then we can use that information to determine the practice. If they don’t have such a mapping, then perhaps the EMR could create multiple providers for the single physical provider, one per location.
For example:

Provider #1: Dr. Smith @ Canfield
Provider #2: Dr. Smith @ Poland
Provider #3: Dr. Jones @ Boardman
Provider #4: Dr. Jones @ Poland

Then when coding in the EMR, they would select the provider (presumably from a dropdown), and the provider selection would determine provider and location. On our end, we would map provider -> practice, so we could say “provider 1 -> practice #1 (canfield), providers 2, 4 -> practice #2 (Poland), provider 3 -> practice #3 (Boardman)

However, even with all of this, you still have a problem.
If patient James Smith in practice #1 is entered as Jim Smith in practice #2, or any other similar issue whereby there is no EXACT patient match, then you are still going to get duplicates in the EMR. Believe it or not, that’s actually the EASY case.

Suppose practice 1 and 2 have the exact same demographic information for a patient, and the EMR does merge them together. It will now have both account numbers. After this, demographic changes in either of the MicroMD practices will update that same EMR account. So the EMR will contain the data for whichever of the accounts was most recently modified. If the EMR has the demographic data for practice #1, and now someone creates charges for that patient that should go to practice #2, it will be sent out to practice #2 with practice 1’s patient information, which may not match on the demographic match on our end. The EMR has the account numbers for both practices, but it won’t know which one to send out at which time (I don’t think…). If it does, then of course everything is easy.

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Troubleshooting and Errors



Q:
What should I do first to diagnose a problem?
A:
The first thing to do is take a look at the log files. Our interfaces have a button labeled "View Log". This opens up a notepad window with the current log file contents. Our logs have a date/time stamp followed by the message type and the log message. The log accrues many of these messages over time so it may be necessary to search through the log to find the relevant date/times and messages.

There are five different message types: INFO, VERBOSE, DEBUG, WARNING, and ERROR.

INFO messages contain messages about the processes and actions the interface is managing during its normal operation.

VERBOSE messages contain more detailed information about the interface processes and actions. Verbose logging can be enabled or disabled on the log tab of the interface. Micro-Office highly recommends that verbose logging be enabled. Note: verbose logging is enabled by default.

DEBUG messages contain very detailed and technical information that is decipherable by Micro-Office. This information is used to determine the cause of interface issues and help us fix them. Debug logging is disabled by default and can only be enabled through editing the .ini file. We recommended that this setting be left alone since the information can cause to the log files to grow to enormous sizes.

WARNING messages contain information about potential problems. Warnings are not necessarily indicative of errors or incorrect operation of the interface. They are used to give a "heads up" regarding situations which should be taken into consideration in a greater context.

ERROR messages contain information about errors and incorrect operation of the interface. These are the messages that should be searched for when troubleshooting a problem.

After checking the log, review the settings on the interface. Often, a checkbox, filter or dropdown is overlooked causing the interface to behave unexpectedly. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with each setting and what it does. The HL7 Interface Manual, included in every zip file distribution, describes what each setting does.

As always, Micro-Office is available to help in the event that the problem cannot be resolved.

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License Issues


Q:
I generated a license off the website, but the interface says it's invalid.
A:
There are two common mistakes when it comes to licensing. The first is related to the spelling of the practice name as it appears in MicroMD. Our license keys are generated based on the practice name verbatim. The slightest error in spelling, capitalization or punctuation causes an invalid license to be generated. If an invalid license is generated simply generate a correct one and contact Micro-Office regarding the incorrect license so that you will not be billed.

The easiest way to generate a license (without worrying about a typo) is to click on the 'Connection' tab (if multi-practice check the 'Licensing' tab) and highlight and copy the practice name after the interface successfully connected to the database. Paste the copied name into the website license generator.

The second common mistake is having the expiration date set. The expiration date is set for temporary keys that are generated directly by Micro-Office, not from the website. This box needs to be unchecked when using a key from the website.

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Runtime Issues


Q:
Why is the log reporting "Client Out Of Memory"?
A:
This is a known issue by Micro-Office. It seems to only occur on the Windows 2000/2003 Server platform (however, we have noticed that not everyone on this platform experiences the problem). It is the result of a memory leak in the HL7 Interface code. These types of problems are notoriously difficult to track down and we are working as diligently as possible to come to some sort of resolution.

In the meantime there is a work around to keep interfaces up and running. When the interface service is stopped and restarted the error clears itself. A batch file can be set up to perform a "net stop" and then a "net start" on the specified service. The batch file can be set up to run periodically via the Windows Task Scheduler. Every system seems to be different so the frequency this batch file runs depends on the individual system needs. Normally, once every morning seems to work. Some practices, however, seem to require the interface to be restarted every 2-3 hours.

If there are any questions regarding the batch file and setup please contact Micro-Office.

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Q:
How can I prevent my CPU usage from spiking due to the interface?
A:
This problem seems be related to the "client out of memory" FAQ issue and the associated memory leak. Please follow the same instructions for a batch file setup as described in the question above.

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Q:
Why am I getting a "System.NotSupportedException" error?

The text of the entire error message says:

System.NotSupportedException: An attempt was made to load an assembly from a network location which would have caused the assembly to be sandboxed in previous versions of the .NET Framework. This release of the .NET Framework does not enable CAS policy by default, so this load may be dangerous. If this load is not intended to sandbox the assembly, please enable the loadFromRemoteSources switch. See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=155569 for more information.
    at System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly.nLoadFile(String path, Evidence evidence)
    at System.Reflection.Assembly.LoadFile(String path)
    at InterfaceMaster.Program.LoadTypes()
    at InterfaceMaster.Program..ctor()
    at InterfaceMaster.Program.Main()


    .NET Framework CAS Policy Dialog

A:
Our new interfaces running with Microsoft .NET4 will, in some installations, run into security issues (often on Windows Server 2003 SP2 or Windows Server 2008 SP2). This can be resolved by changing either one or both of the following steps:

First, you will need to change the security settings for all the DLLs used in the interface by unblocking each DLL's properties.

A fast way to unblock all the DLLs at once, is to follow the procedure below on the interface's zip file. Once the zip is unblocked, all the files inside become unblocked too!
  1. Open the directory where the interface exe file is located
  2. Right-click on (the zip file or) each DLL listed in the directory
  3. Select the file's properties.
  4. Click on the 'Unblock' button and click 'OK'.
  5. Repeat these steps for each DLL in the interface's directory. If done on a zip, all files in the zip will be unblocked when unzipped.

DLL Properties Dialog - highlighted Unblock button


If the interface still has the same error, make the following modifications to the interface's .config file (e.g. MicroMD72InterfaceVendor.config). Open the config file and add the following lines of code into the file's XML:

<configuration>
    <runtime>
        <loadFromRemoteSources enabled="true"/>
    </runtime>
</configuration>



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Data Transfer Issues


Q:
Why does the import interface import duplicate patients?
A:
This usually occurs when the interface imports messages via file and when the settings for "Post File Processing" are set to "Nothing". Post file processing defines the action to take regarding an HL7 message after it has been processed by our interface. When the action is set to "Nothing" the file will remain as it is and our interface will re-read the file on its next cycle.

Some of the interface options include appending an extension to the filename, moving the file to a different location, and deleting the file altogether.

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Q:
Why don't I see Checkin or Checkout Appointments coming across?
A:
For a complete description, see the next question below "Why don't I see Messed or Deleted Appointments".

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Q:
Why don't I see Missed or Deleted Appointments coming across?
A:
The easiest way to turn on Appointments features is to open the interfaces ini file (in notepad or something) and find the segment that starts with HL7/Appointments/Show/... (as shown below) and set the values you want. If you don't know where the ini file is located, see our FAQ Where is the ini file located?

*** NOTE: The interface MUST BE STOPPED before making changes to the ini file. All changes will be overwritten if the interface is not stopped. Restart the interface after you've made the changes. (See How to save settings for more details) ***

<HL7>
   <Appointment>
      <Show>
         <Writeins type="System.Boolean">False</Writeins>
         <Checkins type="System.Boolean">True</Checkins>
         <Checkouts type="System.Boolean">True</Checkouts>
         <ApptBookings type="System.Boolean">True</ApptBookings>
         <DeletedAppointments type="System.Boolean">True</DeletedAppointments>
         <MissedAppointments type="System.Boolean">True</MissedAppointments>
      </Show>
   </Appointment>
</HL7>

If your ini file already has these set to true, and you're still not seeing these crossing over, check our interface's log file to make sure they're going out and check their interface's log file to see if they're being received (i.e. check for errors in the two interface's logs).

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Q:
No data exporting because Error: "System.IO.IOException: The file exists."
A:
When our interfaces export data via file connection, while running in service mode, the data is first exported to a temp file before it exports to a file. The interfaces make a call to the Windows operating system asking it for a temp file.

This error is caused because the operating system cannot create a unique temp file because it has run out of unique filenames (i.e. Windows has created many temp files which are unused and can be deleted).

The error can be resolved by going to the Temp\ directory and deleting the temp files. Usually, the temp files are in the "C:\Users\loginUser\AppData\Local\Temp\" directory. In rare instances, the directory could be in "C:\Windows\Temp\". We recommend not eliminating files with a time stamp within the last 72 hours (in case there are applications still using them).

If problems persist, please send an email to support@micro-officesystems.com

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Q:
I'm experiencing random (and inconsistent) data loss across a Socket and I can't figure out why?
A:
"My socket connection's data loss seems random and has no common factor" you say. The most common reason for this is that acknowledgements are not set properly. By default our interfaces don't have acknowledgements turned on. Please check with the EMR vendor for the proper acknowledgements settings.

The reason why the messages are dropped is because when messages are sent in rapid succession the EMR interface can be sending back acknowledgements and isn't ready to receive messages as quickly as the interface sending. The acknowledgements make sure that two systems stay synchronized.

If problems persist, please send an email to support@micro-officesystems.com

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Q:
I'm experiencing random (and inconsistent) data loss across a File Connection and I can't figure out why?
A:
"My file connection's data loss seems random and has no common factor" you say. The most common reason for this is that the files are being overwritten because the filenames don't have a datetime stamp appended to the end of the filename. By adding a unique datetime stamp to your data output file, you will ensure that future outputted data files won't overwrite the existing file.

Also see our "How do I add a date/time stamp to my filename" FAQ.

If problems persist, please send an email to support@micro-officesystems.com

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Q:
Why don't I see the pending charges in the MicroMD "pending charges" window?
A:
The most common cause of this problem is that not all providers are being displayed in the MicroMD pending charges window. Sometimes people have trouble viewing their pending charges window. To resolve this, see our Why doesn't the pending charges window open? FAQ.

To see the pending charges in the "pending charges" window, you'll need to ensure that specific set of providers for those charges are selected. Here are the steps to take:
  • Open the MicroMD charges/pmts window (it may take a little while to open).
  • When the pending charges window opens, click on the window (so its the active window in MicroMD)
  • Click on the toggle-display button on the left MicroMD sidebar.
  • After you click the button, new options should appear. One of these options is provider order.
  • The providers that are not displayed in the pending charges window are on the left-hand side (those that are displayed are on the right-hand side). Not all providers are displayed in the pending charges window.
  • Just drag-and-drop prov into the right-hand side.
  • NOTE: THESE SETTINGS ARE USER SPECIFIC.
If you have further display issues with MicroMD, please contact your MicroMD vendor.

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Q:
Why Doesn't my pending-charges window in MicroMD open?
A:
In order to view pending charges, the list's MicroMD view properties needs to be set.
  • Select the MicroMD 'Utility' menu item
  • Under the 'Utility' menu, select the MicroMD 'Workstation Setup' item
  • Finally, under the 'Workstation Setup' menu, select the MicroMD 'Display Properties' menu item. [Make sure 'Pending charges List' option is checked.]

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Performance Issues


Q:
My Log file is too big, what can I do?
A:
Sometimes the interface log file will grow so large that even a general text reader like Microsoft Notepad can't open it (we're talking about file sizes like 1 gig etc). If this happens, you can do two things.

First, rename the current log file to save it off somewhere for future reference. We recommend renaming it to something informative; usually containing today's date and a .bak file extension (e.g. md2healthmatics_20090901.bak). Once the log file is renamed, the interface will recognise that there is no log file and it will recreate a new file.

Second, check to see if debugging is turned on. Interfaces running with debugging on can grow really huge (> 1GB). The debugging checkbox should be greyed out and unchecked (under the greyed button). If the debug checkbox is checked under the greyed-out button, please contact us and we'll help you edit the .ini file to turn off the debug checkbox.

NOTE: It is OK and recommended to have 'Verbose' logging turned on. Verbose logging does not output as much as debug, but it gives good in-depth information on the state of the interface.

If the debug button is not greyed out, the interface running is a debug version. This means that even if the debugging is turned off, there will still be some debug info output to the log file. Unless you are instructed to keep the interface installed on your site by Micro-Office, you should download the latest release version from our website so it will cut down on the file size and make the log file more readable for people.

Finally, if the file still grows too large, the log tab has a section for log splitting. This section has options for setting the conditions for when the file should be split (e.g. daily, after reaches a specific size, etc). For more information, see our manuals for documentation.

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Q:
The interface doesn't seem to work properly on Vista / Server 2008.
A:
This is related to security permissions issues with that are inherent with Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 operating systems.

To work around this, set the interface up to run as administrator:
  • Stop the service and close the interface windows
  • Go to Administrative Tools >> Services
  • Right-click on the name of the service and select Properties
  • Select the 'Log On' Tab
  • Select the 'This Account' radio button
  • Set up the service as administrator
  • Start the service back up
If the interface is still not functioning properly, please contact us and we'll be glad help you.

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Connection Issues


Q:
I can't connect via socket. What's going on?
A:
This is common on import interfaces, less common with export interfaces. An import interface is usually set up to listen on a port for data that is being pushed to it. The most common problem is that the socket is set up to listen on an external IP address and port number. However, since the interface is listening on the port, the port number should be set to the localhost machine. Clicking on the dropdown, select the local machine name.

If the interface is an export, usually the EMR will give the IP address and port number. Both the EMR side and your export interface need to agree on a common port number to ensure that both the client and server sockets are connecting to an agreed port.

When deciding which port number to use, be user that the port number is greater than 1024 (since lower numbers are reserved) and that the port number is not currently in use on your machine. We recommend using higher range numbers (e.g. 7500) but any arbitrary high number is ok to use for port number.

If you are confident that the socket's port number is configured properly, it may be a firewall problem. Check to make sure the firewall is configured to recognize the interface.

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Q:
Why am I getting a connection error?

Connection Error Dialog

Or

System.InvalidOperationException Error Dialog

A:
These errors can occur under different situations. One case is that the interface is installed on a machine that does not have MicroMD installed.

If MicroMD is installed, we've found that these errors are thrown when trying to run on 64-bit systems. MicroMD does not support these systems and therefore our interfaces will also not run on 64-bit systems.

If the interface is still not functioning properly, please contact us and we'll be glad help you.

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