Error Messages in QuickSnap

AN-SNAP error class descriptions are not intended to provide details of why a record could not be grouped. That is, they don't explain the actual problem with the source data. In Version 3, the error class is based on the Care Type and the Episode Type. In Version 4, the Error class is based on the Care Type, the Episode Type and the Age Type (Adult or Paediatric).

In order to help you determine the actual problem with your data, QuickSnap also creates an 'error' file which lists in detail the errors which were encountered during grouping.

AN-SNAP Error Classes

Version 3

Here is a list of the AN-SNAP error classes:

3-901: Ungroupable - Palliative Care Overnight
3-902: Ungroupable - Rehabilitation Overnight
3-903: Ungroupable - GEM Overnight
3-904: Ungroupable - Psychogeriatric Overnight
3-905: Ungroupable - Maintenance Overnight
3-906: Ungroupable - All other sub-acute

Version 4

For a list of Version 4 error classes, please refer to the AN-SNAP Report or Manual.

QuickSnap Error Messages

Number of Data Items

The first thing QuickSnap does in batch processing, is check to see whether a line in the file has the correct number of data items.

For example, QuickSnap Native File Format expects 23 items per line. Not all of them have to be completed, but the 'placeholders' for them need to be there.

If a line has the incorrect number of items you will see the error:

'Line only contained x columns when y columns were required' where x = number of columns in the line, and y = number of required columns

Converting numbers and Dates

The second thing QuickSnap does is to convert the CSV file into data items. At this point it checks that numbers and dates are correctly formatted.

It will also test that numbers which represents code sets are valid for those code sets.

If an error occurs at this stage, QuickSnap will log a 'Property Error'. Property errors which you may encounter are:

Error	Explanation
Property, Not a valid number, Phase Type, x	This is a 'Property Error', the description is 'Not a valid number', the affected data item is 'Phase Type', and the value it encountered in the file was 'x'
Property, Not in the range of correct values for this data item (4 to 18), RUG_ADL, 100	The value of 100 was provided in the RUG_ADL column, but RUG_ADL can only accept a value between 4 and 18
Property, Not a valid date, DateOfBirth, 1/01/190x	The value of '1/1/190x' was provided in the DateofBirth column and QuickSnap was not able to convert this to a date

If there is a property error with a data item, QuickSnap may still be able to group that record. It depends whether the flow chart for that Episode/Case Type requires that data item for grouping.

Logic Errors

QuickSnap next checks for logic errors in your file. The errors that may occur here are:

Error	Explanation
DateOfBirth is after DateStart	Age is calculated based on Date of Birth and Episode/Phase Start Date. Obviously the episode/phase must start after DateOfbirth
DateStart is after DateEnd	Length of stay is calculated based on DateStart, DateEnd and LeaveDays. Obviously the end date needs to be after the start date
'LeaveDays' exceeds the difference between Start and End dates	'Length of stay = date end - date start - leave days'. if Leave Days exceeds 'date end - date start' this would result in a negative length of stay

Grouping Errors

After performing these checks QuickSnap has determined whether each data item is:

Valid
Invalid: there was some property or logic error in processing or deriving this data item
Missing: the data item was not supplied
Unknown: the data item used some code set value which mapped to 'Unknown', making it effectively unusable for grouping
- an example of this is that the DSS Assessment Only Flag code set accepts a value of 3 'Unknown'

For each record in the file, QuickSnap follows the AN-SNAP grouping flow chart. If it reaches a point where it requires a data item which is not valid, it will raise one of the following errors

Error	Explanation
Required Data Item is Invalid, <data_item_name>	A property or logic error occurred when reading or deriving this data item from the source file (e.g. an x provided where a number was expected)
Required Data Item is Missing, <data_item_name>	A data item which was required is not included in the file (it's column was left blank)
Required Data Item is Unknown, <data_item_name>	A data item which was required mapped to a value of 'Unknown' so QuickSnap is unable to choose a path to follow on the flow chart

Remember that these errors are only raised when the data item is required.