Question $(40$ marks$)$

Consider the following case study: More than $2000$ patients are registered with a local health centre. The centre employs a number of general practitioners $($i$.$e$.$ doctors$)$ and a few receptionists. Patients are officially registered with one doctor but can arrange appointments with any available one. These appointments may subsequently be cancelled. Some appointments result in one or more prescriptions.

New patients are registered by a receptionist. When a patient is registered he$/$she provides his$/$her details such as name, date of birth, address, etc., and receives a unique patient number.

To book an appointment a patient should contact a receptionist. The patient provides his$/$her number $($or date of birth$)$ and the receptionist provides a list of available time slots for appointments. The appointment is booked with the patient's doctor or if the patient's doctor is not available with any available doctor. The date and time of the booked appointment are given to the patient as a confirmation. Patients can cancel booked appointments by contacting a receptionist who will cancel appointments on behalf of patients.

A patient who attends an appointment should check in first using a special terminal located in the waiting area of the Health Centre. The patient inputs his$/$her number $($or date of birth$).$ The system checks the details and confirms that the patient has been checked in$.$

Doctors record appointment outcomes and details of prescriptions $($if any$)$ during the appointments i$.$e$.$ all prescriptions issued by doctors are recorded on the patient's record. Patients who leave the area where the Health Centre is located are de$-$registered by receptionists.

$($a$)$ Produce a context diagram of the Medical Appointments System described above.

$($b$)$ Produce a logical high level $($Level $0)$ data flow diagram of the Medical

$(6$ marks$)$

Appointments System.

$(19$ marks$)$

$($c$)$ Imagine the health center has decided to purchase "off the shelf" $($OTS$)$ software to handle the financial aspects of its business. Describe at least $5$ general criteria that should be used to decide which OTS software applications are suitable for the company.

$(10$ marks$)$

$($d$)$ If no "off the shelf" software can be found that exactly matches the required criteria, what other options does the company have to obtain suitable software?

$(5$ marks$)$