V23.1 Release Notes

Communicare V23.1 is a limited release which primarily includes changes for integration with the Firebird 4 database.

How to use these release notes

These release notes offer brief, high level descriptions of new features, minor enhancements and bug fixes. If you need more information to successfully use the update, a link is provided to the relevant topic in the full documentation.

Note:
To ensure that you are aware of all the latest updates to Communicare, also review the release notes for all versions between your currently installed version and the version to which you are updating.
Communicare integrates with a number of APIs developed by Telstra Health. Updates to these APIs are published separately to this release, but affect the way in which this release performs. You can review the updates to the related APIs here:

When are the features available?

Some features in this release will affect all users as soon as your health service is upgraded by our Communicare Support team. Consider communicating these changes before your health service is upgraded, so that your users are prepared. Other features require action by your Administrator before your users can benefit from the changes.

Installation Requirements

  • Communicare server requirements:
    • Windows Server 2016 or later. Security and other updates from Microsoft must be installed as they become available.
      • Windows Server 2022 is recommended
      • Windows Server 2019 is supported
      • Windows Server 2016 is the minimum required server
    • .NET 4.8 and .NET 6
    • Firebird HQBird 4.0.5.3097 and later (Firebird 2.5.9 and earlier is no longer supported)
    • WebView2 Runtime V115 and later, click to download
  • Communicare client requirements:
    • Windows 10 or later. Security and other updates from Microsoft must be installed as they become available.
    • .NET 4.8
    • WebView2 Runtime V115 and later, click to download

Updates in 23.1.15

Enhancements

  • For Documents and Results toolbar iconDocuments and Results, a new Include Unknown Encounter Places filter includes encounter places in the results where either the provider number information is missing or the provider number attached to the document or results does not exist in Communicare. For more information, see Filtering documents and results.
  • We've added Communicare to the Telstra Health code signing certificate so that your local security policies such as Microsoft Intune are not affected when you install this update.
  • Updated to the latest AIR vaccine dataset (November 2024).

Bug fixes

  • We've fixed a bug which meant that you could not modify or cancel automated immunisation recalls.
    Testing:
    1. For a test patient, add a clinical item that has an automated immunisation recall rule on completion specified in File > Reference Tables > Automated Recall Types.
    2. Complete and save the clinical item.
    3. In the Confirm Automatic Recall window, set Recall confirmed and click Save.
    4. In the Progress Notes, double-click the new recall and select Modify iconModify it or Cancel iconCancel it.
    5. Observe that the immunisation fields are available and you can modify or cancel the recall.

New features

Firebird HQBird 4

Communicare uses the Firebird database. The update to the Firebird 4 database from Firebird 2.5.9 offers security and other advantages to you and includes product-wide changes.
  • Because of the update to Firebird 4, upgrades to CommunicareV23.1 will require extra time and disk space. The time taken will depend on the size of your database and the speed of your server hardware.
  • User security:
    • Communicare user passwords cannot be migrated to the new Firebird 4 security database.
      Note:
      Passwords for users using single sign on with Microsoft Windows are not affected.
      Before your users attempt to log into Communicare upgraded to V23.1, complete the following steps:
      1. As an administrator, in File > User Groups, click Reset All Passwords.
        Note:
        You can complete this process only once.
      2. Select where you want to save the CSV list of passwords.
      3. In the Reset Passwords window, click Yes.
      4. All user passwords except administrator passwords are reset to generated passwords and the list of new passwords is exported. Distribute the new passwords to your users.
      5. When a user first logs into Communicare V23.1, they will be prompted to change their password. User passwords can now be 8-255 characters long.
    • User names must now be uppercase, for example, ELLISONC.
  • The Communicare Demo uses an embedded database so that the full Firebird server does not need to be installed. The database embedded in the Demo has been updated to Firebird 4.0.
  • If you write SQL or reports that query the Communicare database, the following SQL features that work in Firebird 2.5 either don’t work in Firebird 4 or should not be used:
    • Use LOCALTIMESTAMP instead of CURRENT_TIMESTAMP.
    • The return type of ‘COUNT’ columns is now ‘long’, not ‘int’. If you have anything assuming ‘int’ you may see an error due to ‘long’ being larger.
    • Old SQL Replacement SQL
      ‘today’ Cast(‘today’ as timestamp)
      ‘now’ Cast(‘now’ as timestamp)
      ‘1996-01-01’ Timestamp ‘1996-01-01’
      Cast(‘1900-01-01’ as timestamp Timestamp ‘1900-01-01’
      Union Union All (when distinct list is not required)
      1=1 True
      SELECT * Use defined column list
      Strlen() Char_Length()
  • If you have any third party software that connects to the Firebird server, ensure that it is compatible with Firebird 4.0. You may need to:
    • Update your tooling if the current version doesn’t support Firebird 4 and there is a newer version that does
    • Update libraries or DLLs used to connect to HQBird
    • Fix incompatible SQL
  • FBDataGuard server-side tool has also been upgraded to version 3. For more information, see to FBDataGuard 3.0 User Guide (ib-aid.com) .
  • Firebird Advanced Monitoring is installed automatically. Firebird Advanced Monitoring provides online, close to real-time monitoring of Firebird performance and logs using a Online Tools For Firebird portal or private Control Centre. For more information, see https://ib-aid.com/firebird-advanced-monitoring.

Minor enhancements

  • For outgoing documents from Communicare, you can now send documents to the intended recipient, even if HealthLink doesn't include a payload format.
  • Improved PDF support. We've upgraded to a new component library that supports better rendering of PDFs. For example, the AIR Vaccine History PDF now renders correctly.

Central Data changes

You can review new clinical items and reports using these reports:
  • Report > Reference Tables > Clinical Item Types Added - enter the days since the upgrade and choose Central.
  • Report > Database Consistency > Central Reports

Bug fixes

  • For scheduled reports, some reports could not be saved after the required information had been added and instead displayed the error All parameters must now be specified.
    Testing:
    1. In Tools > Scheduled Reports, create a new report.
    2. From the Report list, select Audit_Logs Patient record access by patient.
    3. Complete all fields, parameters and scheduling. For more information, see Report Scheduler.
    4. When you save the scheduled report, observe that it is saved without error.
  • Attempts to edit an immunisation clinical item opened from File > Online Claiming > AIR Claims resulted in a Catastrophic failure error.
    Testing:
    1. Start a service for a test patient.
    2. Add an immunisation clinical item, such as Immunisation;Afluria Quad and set Administered overseas.
    3. Complete the service.
    4. From the File > Online Claiming > AIR Claims tab, select the immunisation that you just added and click Edit iconImmunisation.
    5. Deselect Administered overseas and click Save.
    6. Observe that the updates are saved without error.
  • Communicare no longer lets you believe that you have saved a blank letter.
    Testing:
    1. Start a service for a test patient.
    2. Click Letter iconLetter and select Blank Document.
    3. Without adding any content to the letter, click Save iconSave.
    4. Observe that a warning stating that the letter is blank is displayed.
  • User pane now loads for a new user group.
    Testing:
    1. In File > User Groups, add a new user group. For more information, see Adding new user groups.
    2. Click off the new group then click back in the group.
    3. Observe that the Users pane loads without any entries or a Loading symbol.