A laboratory is planning to design a coding scheme for the payments it collects for all the tests it conducts on patients every day. As a systems analyst working with the lab, you are to include components in the payment coding based on the following considerations: The payments vary according to the customer categories—low-income groups, government employees, affiliated lab staff, general, emergency cases, and senior citizens. The lab tests should be categorized based on the collected sample—blood, urine, or stool. In addition, it should be categorized based on the affected body part and the likely treatment group, such as hematology, orthopedics, or oncology. All of these make up 26 major categories. The lab wants to have the month and year of the test included in the code for easier identification and analysis in future tests.

a. Design a coding scheme listing the features that you used. Discuss whether there is a need for cipher codes.

b. Which data capture technique would work best once the code is designed?

c. Suggest some validation tests that you could use for this system, ensuring that only accurate data is captured by the new system coding scheme.

d. Assume that the lab has tie-ups with specialized doctors and clinics. After a lab diagnosis, if a patient agrees, they are directed to the suitable doctor or clinic. How can you modify the existing coding scheme to integrate this information?