SOAR Deployment Highlights: 2015 - August 1st

SOAR Deployment Highlights: 2015 - August 1st

---

Following the recent SOAR redesign, we have deployed further changes/fixes and additional functions.  Our thanks for your continued feedback and support.

Key new functions added

## CPD log on SOAR

We have built a generic CPD log based on user feedback.  Detailed guidance on this will be provided in due course.  But here is a quick overview:

• When adding a CPD entry, you can link it to a particular PDP item that was agreed from last year's Form 4;
• You can set Reminders for a particular CPD entry if you wish (SOAR will send an email reminder on the date set);
• You can upload any supporting info (certificates, etc) to individual CPD entries;
• You can reflect on individual CPD entries, or collectively as an overview;
• CPD entries are submitted to appraisals for sharing with Appraisers, just like PDP and all other pieces of supporting information.

It is a basic and generic CPD log, and is designed to replace the spreadsheet we have made available on SOAR for many years.  Your feedback is essential in order to make this work for everyone.  If you find a fault with this or have suggestions to further improve it, please let us know! (SOAR@nes.scot.nhs.uk)

## Documents upload fixes (for Appraisees)

We had an issue after the launch of the new redesign, where for Secondary Care users their draft Form 3 was pre-populated with all old documents uploaded for previous appraisals.

Our sincerest apologies once again for this glitch.  We have now fixed the issue so all documents uploaded and submitted to previous appraisals have been removed from the draft Form 3.  (They have not been deleted as all submitted documents are archived separately.)

##  Security changes

• If you are locked out of your SOAR account, you can now unlock this yourself without the need to wait for local admin assistance.  You will need to know, and have access to, the email address on your SOAR account.
• When logging in for the first time (either as first time user or if your account was reset), you will need to change your password.  Password must be at least 8 characters long and include at least one number.
• On your welcome page there is now a "Last logged on" log to show the last 5x times you logged into SOAR.  If the activities are suspicious or you don't recognise the dates/times shown, please get in touch with us for further investigation.

##  Information Icon

There is now a blue "i" information icon near the top right of every page on SOAR, giving you an overview of the functions available on the page you are on (or links to the guidance notes on the Medical Appraisal Scotland website).  We are still working throughout the system to populate content, but this will be concluded in the next few days.

##  Recognition of Trainer (RoT) roles on Form 3 - delete function

This is a SysAdmin function, but we are now able to remove your trainer roles from Form 3 if you are no longer a trainer as indicated from the data imported into SOAR.  However, you should still contact your DME as a first port of call to get the information amended, otherwise any change we make on SOAR will simply be overwritten in the next data import.

Due to difficulties experienced in the above development, the proposed work on Form 7 and DME/EO dashboard and access for GPs has been delayed until next deployment, scheduled for the end of August.  Apologies for the delays.

What's still to be deployed?

Further to items mentioned above, below are some of the items we hope to finalise and deploy throughout the next few weeks:

## IE8 browser compatibility fixes

We are aware of some compatibility issues with users of Internet Explorer 8 as their default web browser.  We will work as best we can to resolve this.  However, please be aware though that Microsoft have already annouced they will cease support for older browsers and operating system in due course.  There is a limited amount of fixing we can do to resolve the issues.

## Further RoT features (Form 7)

Currently DMEs (Directors of Medical Education) and EOs (Educational Organisations) have no access to the RoT information on SOAR.  It is recognised that Trainers are asked to supply their DMEs and EOs with their RoT submission on SOAR.  To this end, we intend to create a "Form 7" on SOAR which the DMEs and EOs can access.

• "Form 7" will be created automatically when Form 4 has been signed off
• It will have two sections:
• RoT submitted by the Appraisee/Trainer
• RoT discussion from Form 4
• DMEs and EOs will NOT have access to Form 4 or the appraisal forms/documents (apart from the RoT info on Form 7)

This will be built as part of the data import/export with Turas (NES Training Management system) that will take place in due course.

## New Reporting Tool

We are looking to implement a new reporting tool on SOAR which would allow us to create adhoc reports to complement the existing range of reports.  More information on this in due course.

## Amendment to Clinical Academic forms

We hope to separate out the Objectives part of the Clinical Academic forms into part of Form 4 (similar to PDP).  This should be completed by the time the final development work is deployed.

##  Amendments to Timeline feature

Following your feedback, we hope to work on improving the Timeline feature to show when you need to resubmit your appraisal forms.

Scheduling of new WebEx training

To help facilitate the new changes and the redesign, a new programme of WebEx training will be scheduled in the coming weeks, with a view to run from August to December 2015.

We will make an announcment about this as soon as this is organised.  Or keep visiting our Events page where the information will be posted.

---

If you encounter difficulties or have further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us for help.

SOAR@nes.scot.nhs.uk

William Liu
Information Manager (Medical Appraisal)

(3rd August 2015)

This page was last updated on: 28/04/2021