Age/Sex Filter

If you want a particular sub-heading to be included in reports or guidelines for, say, a contraception line for females and not male patients, then you need to insert an age/sex filter line before that sub-heading, eg Females 13 years to 55 years. You could also age/sex filter for children, eg Both Sexes 3 years and under.

The filter specifies the age range and sex of the patient and takes effect for all subsequent lines, until another filter line is encountered. There is no limit to the number of lines that are included within an age/sex filter.

Any lines following the age/sex filter are hidden when a patient is selected whose age or sex does not fall into the specified criteria. This is particularly useful for Patient Reports where lifestyle information such as BP measurements are not relevant for children.

Remember that once an Age/Sex filter is in a report or guideline, any lines below will only be displayed if the selected patient matches the criteria.

All filtering is turned off completely by inserting an age/sex filter line of Both sexes, All ages after the patient data line of the final sub-heading which was filtered. Both sexes All Ages is the non-filter which reverses the filtering.

Extract from Report showing age/sex filter for the subsequent female oriented entries, and the subsequent removal of the filter using Both Sexes - All ages.

For example, a Female/All ages filter could be inserted before Cervical Cytology, and another filter Both sexes/All ages cancelling this is inserted after a Rubella Test.

An example is given in the Quick Summary - Add a new Report.

To return to a normal section, insert a new Age/Sex Filter for Both Sexes All Ages.

Age/Sex filters are only shown in Design mode, and not displayed on the guideline itself.

  1. With Design mode/Maintenance selected on a report form , click on the Age/Sex Filter Selection icon on the floating toolbar; or clicking with the right mouse, select Add, Age/Sex Filter.
  2. This displays the Age/Sex Filter Selection screen. Any pre-defined age/sex filters are listed. These could include: Both Sexes All ages, Both Sexes 18 months and under, Both Sexes 3 years and under, Female All ages
  3. If one of these fits the bill, click on that line and click OK. Otherwise, you can define your own using New.
  4. The Sex/Age Range Filter - Add screen displays when you click on New. Select either Male or Female, if the lines are sex-specific (eg smear, contraception), or leave both blank for both sexes.
  5. You can enter either a Start age, or just an End age, or a range in both, or leave them both blank for all ages. For example, for under 12 years only, enter 12Y in End age. For a filter including only those over 25, enter 25Y in Start age. For those between the ages of 0 and 5, enter 0Y in Start age, and 5Y in End age.
  6. Click OK.

    Note - We recommend Age/Sex Filters are placed at Level 1, ie flush to the left-hand margin. If yours is indented, either right click on the line, Properties, and check Level is 1, OK; or highlight the line and press the ¬ arrow key until it is left justified.

When you want to cancel the age/sex filter

Select the last line of the report which relates to the age/sex filter. Click on the Age/Sex Filter icon and select Both Sexes/Both Ages and click on OK. This will now revert to no filter for the subsequent lines on the report.