1. Background
The Engage Patient Arrivals System is an Engage Health product used by GP surgeries. Its primary function is to allow a patient to check-in for their appointment without having to visit the practice reception. It has subsequently evolved to allow the surgery to ask the patient administrative and clinical screening questions and record their responses into the patient's clinical record.
Typically, the Engage software is installed on purpose-designed touch-screen enabled hardware supplied by Engage Health. Alternatively, Engage can be installed on the practice's own choice of hardware.
2. Solution Architecture
The following diagram shows the technology used to integrate Engage with Vision. The Engage “front-of-house” software invokes a RDP connection to the surgery's Vision server. Virtual channels in the RDP connection allow it to communicate with the Engage Vision Integration Service (EVIS) component, which in turn allows access to the Vision APIs (VisOLEDB, vvFiling, AppCom).
3. Windows Account Setup
A new Windows account on the domain is required. When selecting a username we recommend {CustomersVisionNumber}.engage e.g 00001.engage
This account will be used by an RDP session initiated by the Engage software on the arrival Touchcreen in the surgery.
Requirements and configuration for this account are as follows:
When a remote desktop session (RDP) is initiated, the Windows account should automatically login. Windows should not prompt for username and password again.
If the RDP connection is closed, the Windows account should be configured to automatically logout after 60 seconds. Example group policy setting:
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Session Host\Session Time Limits\Set time limit for disconnected sessionsRDP sessions should be allowed to remain idle indefinitely, i.e. the RDP session must not be disconnected by the server if it detects a lack of keyboard/mouse input from the client end of the session.
When the account has been setup/configured, please email the following details to:
Vision Server hostname and or IP address
The newly created Windows username
The password for the new Windows account
4. Installation of EVIS software
Engage Vision Integration service (EVIS) will need installing on the Vision server.
Logon to the server, either directly, or using an RDP session. The Windows account you're using will need Administrator level privileges to install the software.
Click on the following link to download the latest setup:
https://download.engage.gp/touchscreen/evis-setup.msi
Save the file locally, then double click evis-setup.msi to begin the installation.
Click Next
After the section C:\Users, change the username to ensure it matches the Windows account which will be running EVIS.
This will be the same account as would have been configured in "3. Windows Account Setup") e.g 00001.engage
Click Next > Next
Click Close to finish
5. Installation of EVIS software - On a second account on the same server
This is necessary for customers using 2 or more Engage Touchscreens that will connect to the same server.
After having installed EVIS on the server for one user, use the following steps to configure EVIS for more accounts that will be logged onto the same server.
Navigate to the installed location: C:\Users\{00001.engage}\AppData\Local\Programs\
Copy the entire Engage Health Systems folder and paste it to the second users account (as would have been configured in "3. Windows Account Setup")
e.g C:\Users\{00002.engage}\AppData\Local\Programs\
If the Programs folder doesn't exist under this user, you can create it.
Now follow section 6 to ensure the EVIS shortcut is in the startup folder for the user.
6. EVIS Startup Folder
To ensure EVIS automatically starts when the user logs on, a shortcut will need placing in the relevant users startup folder.
Navigate to:
C:\Users\{00001.engage}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Engage Health Systems
Make a shortcut copy of EVIS and paste it into the Startup folder for the applicable user. This can be found:
C:\Users\{00002.engage}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
7. Troubleshoot EVIS installation failure
If you were unable to install EVIS and received the following message:
"The system administrator has set policies to prevent this installation"
This is because the administrator has disabled installation using MSI files (as documented here).
The solution is to set the HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer\DisableMSI key to 0 as shown below:
If preferred, this change can be applied temporarily and later reverted.
8. Install VcCom
VcCom is a required component that allows Engage Touch (on the Touchscreen hardware) to communicate with EVIS. This installation does require Administrator level privileges because it registers COM components.
The installation media for VcCOM is bundled in the installation of EVIS. Navigate to
C:\Users\{00001.engage}\AppData\Local\Programs\Engage Health Systems\Engage Vision Integration Service.
In this folder you will find VcComTSSrv.exe.
Run VcComTsSrv with Administrator privileges to start the installation
Click Next > I Agree > Install > Finish
9. Install VcCom licence
VcCom must be licensed for use before continuing. The necessary licence data is bundled with EVIS in a .reg file to allow it to be easily imported.
Note: The licence data is added to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE section of the registry. Therefore, you will most likely require Administrator privileges for the next stage
Navigate to
C:\Users\{00001.engage}\AppData\Local\Programs\Engage Health Systems\Engage Vision Integration Service
In this folder you will find vccom-licence.reg.
Double-click vccom-licence.reg to add licence data into the registry.
10. Verify EVIS runs properly
Establish an RDP connection to the Vision LAN server, using the account created earlier e.g 00001.engage
EVIS should automatically launch on startup. You will see the following
However, if you see the following, it indicates that VcCom could not be found