It can be an arduous process to manually enter all the required identifying information when you query or report on practitioners. However, creating and maintaining a practitioner (subject) database can make that process much quicker by automatically pre–populating input forms with identifying information — no need to retype data.
How to Get Started
To get started, go to the Data Bank Web site, sign in as a user, and follow the steps in Create and Maintain a Practitioner Database. Online instructions and Help buttons are provided to guide you through the process.
What Happens Next
Once you create your practitioner database, transferring your existing records into it is easy, provided that your records are maintained in either a file format that can be converted to American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) fixed-width text or the Extensible Markup Language (XML) file format.
Formats
The XML import format offers numerous advantages over the fixed-width input format in transferring your in-house records to the Data Bank practitioner database. (See Table 1.)
| Feature | XML Import Format | Fixed-Width Input Format |
|---|---|---|
| Add New Practitioners | Yes | Yes |
| Update Existing Practitioners | Yes | No |
| Delete Existing Practitioners | Yes | No |
| Practitioner ID Support | Yes | No |
| Support Individual Practitioners | Yes | Yes |
| Support Organization Subjects | Yes | No |