There are two fields that may be interpreted as being similar but pull very different information. This article will explain the differences in content and impact when utilizing these Client Activity fields and Client Interaction fields and some general recommendations.
To summarize the content below, Client Activity pulls specific data from a pre-built column on a table and Client Interaction analyzes every time-stamped event in the system (because of this Client Interaction fields are more resource intensive and may cause longer run times if included in reports).
Field Comparison
Client Activity
Client Activity fields are found within the Clients view in the Client Model and Coordinated Entry Model. There are two dimensions (Last Activity Agency and Last Activity Date) and one Client Activity Measure (Count). Activity Data is populated from Clarity’s client_activity table. This table does not currently include a ‘Type’ field so we are unable to identify what the Last Activity was for the client. We can narrow down the applicable activities that are included in the field/table. Activities include adding an assessment, adding a contact, adding a file, adding a location, adding a client, enrolling a client, exiting a client, adding a status for a client, adding a service and/or attendance date, adding a referral, adding a note, adding an alert, adding a Coordinated Entry Event and client check-ins.
Activities stored in the client_activity table play a role in keeping clients active on the Community Queue. It is not the sole determining data point as there are some impacts on inactivity and the community queue when clients are transferred to a new queue or a client is denied/expires back to the queue creating a new referral.
Client Activity fields will load quicker than Client Interaction fields because of how it is structured, but there are limitations when trying to identify what the flagged Client Activity was.
Client Interaction
Client Interactions are available in the Client Model. There are far more available fields associated with Client Interactions but it is crucial to understand the data that is pulled with these fields. Client Interactions include any timestamped event in the system. This can include newly added content and edits, but also includes anytime the ‘save’ button is selected on a screen. There is some overlap between Client Interactions and Client Activities but any save/update to existing enrollments, assessments, etc. will be flagged as an interaction.
Due to the nature of how these fields have been designed, it is important to note that these fields are logging every time-stamped event in the system and will use more processing power. Client Interaction fields should be used for smaller reporting needs.
Updated: 03/01/2023