General questions

How do I start using Mobile eLogbook?

Upon first launch, you will need to set a PIN - this cannot be reset as a deliberate security feature. If lost/forgotten, the app must be deleted and re-installed through iTunes. All data will be lost in this eventuality.

You will then be taken to the settings screen. From here you need to go to the account screen and enter your elogbook.org username (usually your GMC or GDC number) and password (please note a 3G or preferably Wi-Fi connection is required at this stage). The app will then validate your account settings and your name will appear as the user.

The App will then download your account settings, the latest versions of the operation and hospital codes, and also your current favourite operations, hospitals and consultants as defined in your elogbook.org account. Once this is done you are ready to start entering enter data.

After entering procedures you then press the upload button to upload them to the elogbook server. You must do this - until they are uploaded they are only stored on your phone and will not be visible on the elogbook website.

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I want to be able to upload directly to the elogbook.org system, is this possible and what do I need to do?

Yes. When you first install Mobile eLogbook you will receive a trial period of the upload functionality. In order to continue to upload once the trial period finishes you will need to purchase a subscription. You can do this by pressing the subscribe button on the settings page. Currently the subscription costs £7.99 for one year. The subscription is tied to your elogbook username so it can be used across multiple devices and platforms.

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What functionality does the free version of Mobile eLogbook give me?

If you choose not to purchase a subscription you will still be able to record details of all your operations in the correct format and with the correct data, ready to be entered in to the elogbook.org website at your leisure. However we strongly advise against the retention of patient identifiable information on any personal device.

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Can I use Mobile eLogbook without an elogbook.org account?

No. Uploading to the elogbook.org is the only means of exporting the data from the phone.

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Are new consultants, operations downloaded automatically?

When new operation or hospital codes are added a new version of the data will be published by the elogbook servers. After a successful upload the app will check for new new, or to check manually you can go to the Settings screen and press "Check for data updates". If you amend your favourite operations or hospitals on elogbook.org, or add a new consultant, you will need to press "Download Favourites" to get the new additions.

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Can I view data on the Mobile eLogbook app once uploaded to elogbook.org?

No. Due to data protection concerns, the app is only able to upload records to the elogbook server. If you wish to change an entry, you will need to login to elogbook.org and edit the details from there.

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Can I edit my favourites from the app?

Not currently, although this is under investigation. Any changes will need to be done at elogbook.org and you will then need to go to Settings->Download favourites to update the app.

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Does Mobile eLogbook sync with any other Logbook?

No. If you are the user of any other online surgical logbook, we would like to hear from you and we can investigate the possiblity of creating an app for your logbook. Please use the link on the contact page to send us an email.

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A procedure isn’t available in the app, what should I do?

If a procedure appears on elogbook.org then it should appear in the app, if not please try the "Check for data updates" function in the Settings. For procedures not listed on elogbook.org, please contact their helpdesk for addition. Once added, the Mobile eLogbook app will download the new code.

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Subscription questions

Why does the Mobile eLogbook upload subscription cost £7.99 per year?

The developers of Mobile eLogbook are completely independent and are in no way funded by RCSEd or any other institution. The demand for an app that could upload to the elogbook has been clear for a number of years, but despite this no official version was produced. The developers took the initiative to approach RCSEd, obtain permission to create the app and then invest a significant amount of time in building the app with no financial support, and hence it is not unreasonable to want to charge for the end product like any other commercial enterprise. The decision to make it a reoccurring subscription rather than a one-off charge is to covered the inevitable effort that will be required to update the app as the elogbook evolves, keeping the app useful for subscribers over the course of their training. In addition the price includes VAT and the cut that Apple/Google take.

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How do I renew my subscription?

Once your subscription expires you'll get the option to renew it from within the app.

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I currently have a paid subscription for the iPhone but I want to switch to Android (or vice versa). Do I need to purchase again?

No, the subscription is tied to your elogbook username so you only need to purchase once. However, due to the differences in the subscription implementations between the two platforms this is not automatic so please contact us via the support email address.

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iOS-specific questions

I used to be able to upload successfully, but now uploads are getting rejected with a message to contact support.

The most common reason for upload rejects is due to the password stored in the app not matching the password on the elogbook.org website. If you have changed your website password you can update the password stored in the app by going to Settings->Account (within the app) and then updating the password (be sure to press Go to validate it).

If you are sure that the password stored in the app is correct, then alternatively the password on the elogbook website might have expired for some reason. In this situation it is worth changing your password on the website and then also updating the password in the app, and then trying to upload again.

If the problem persists after the two steps above then please get in touch via the support email address.

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I'm now a consultant, how do I update the supervision codes in the app?

You can continue to use the Mobile eLogbook app to upload operations. If you have changed your grade to consultant on the elogbook website you can then go to app settings -> account, touch in the password field and hit go and it will update your grade within the app. You should then see the correct consultant supervision codes when entering operations.

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Important note about backing up and restoring your iPhone with Mobile eLogbook installed

Mobile eLogbook uses the iPhone Keychain to store certain sensitive information, specifically your Mobile eLogbook PIN, your elogbook.org username and password, and the encryption key used to encrypt patient data. This is the Apple-provided mechanism for storing such sensitive information.

Unfortunately it seems that the Keychain is not backed up when you backup your iPhone using iCloud, nor when you do a normal unencrypted backup using iTunes. If you use either mechanism to back up your iPhone/data and then restore it (i.e. to a new iPhone), the app will be restored but the Keychain will not be restored. This means that you can no longer access your data and you will need to delete and reinstall the app before you can use it again.

The correct way to back up your iPhone in order to preserve the Keychain and allow the app and data to be succesfully restored from a backup is to configure iTunes to do an encrypted backup. This can be done by checking the "Encrypt iPhone backup" checkbox in the iPhone Summary screen within iTunes.

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Android-specific questions

None yet, if you have any please get in touch!

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