FAQs

A: Medical Matrix Online, the successor to the PC Matrix desktop application, is the premier source for occupational medical surveillance and certification examinations. Medical Matrix Online enables clinics to perform occupational exams in the most efficient manner possible.

A: All U.S. Government agencies and Military departments are invited to use Medical Matrix Online.

If MMO has recently been updated but the SF-600 expiration date is very soon or past then you need to clear the browser cache. If clearing the cache does not resolve the issue or MMO hasn't been recently updated then please contact us for assistance.

Clear Cache on Chrome Browser:

1. Click on the 3 dots at the top right of the page.
2. Select "More tools"
3. Select "Clear browsing data", choose the "Basic" tab
4. Change the "Time range" at the top to "All Time". Then, check only the box for "Cached images and files".
5. Click "Clear data"
6. Then close all browsers

Clear Cache on Edge Browser:

1. Click on the 3 dots at the top right of the window.
2. Select "Settings"
3. Click on "Privacy, search, and services" from the list of options on the left-hand side under Settings.
4. Scroll down to Clear browsing data and click "Choose what to clear".
5. Change the "Time range" at the top to "All Time". Then, check only the box for "Cached images and files". Finally, click Clear now.
6. Then close all browsers

A: MMO is compatible with modern browsers such as Edge, Chrome and Firefox. For the best experience use Chrome

A: MMO does not prescribe any particular workflow. Use it to fulfill whatever workflow your clinic finds most useful. Don’t input the lab values but use the blanks for checking off that each lab was ordered, or just leave them blank. It’s up to you and your clinic.

A: Sorry, no. The PC Matrix’s reports were cramped and difficult to read. Some of the considerations in designing the report layout for MMO were to ensure that 1) patients could be handed the history section of the exam to fill out without handing them the provider sections, 2) there is always an adequate amount of space to write notes on the form. Because the exam generator has to accommodate any combination of programs and exam types, some compromises had to be made, so some exams will have more wasted space than others. Every exam is as least three pages because there are three distinct sections separated by hard page breaks.

A: Each section of the exam is divided by hard page breaks. This is done for a few reasons, some of which are technical, others for more practical purposes. The comment block has a minimum size to ensure there's enough room to write, but typically it will fill whatever remaining space there is before the next page break. However, if there isn’t enough remaining space to fit the minimum size comment block, it will end up taking the entire next page. Odds are low that we will change this as the implementation is VERY complicated and the design decisions were purposeful. The software is very flexible as it can generate a form for any combination of programs, so some compromises had to be made.

A: Yes, click "Enter form info" above the "Create Exam" button. Enter any information you want to auto-populate on the SF-600 and check the corresponding check box to save what you've typed.

A: Probably not. Doing variable periodicity per exam element is really complicated. Currently the periodicity is per program but there are many exceptions for certain exam elements. We try to make the report as turn-key as possible, but it’s still the provider’s responsibility to be familiar with the content of the Matrix Manual and not solely rely on the Matrix Online generated reports.

A: The SF-600 exam forms are PDFs that can be saved locally. In some cases where a clinic regularly does the same exam, it can be a time savings to simply open a saved copy of the SF-600 rather than having to log into MMO. Also, in situations where there is limited internet connectivity, it can be useful to have commonly used exams saved locally.

Since MMO is regularly updated, saved copies of exams will eventually become out-of-date. The expiration date printed on the bottom of the SF-600 is there to remind clinics to periodically download updated copies of the exams.

An exam's expiration date is set to 180 days from the date it is first downloaded, since the most recent MMO update. However, we recommend that you re-download forms at least every 90 days to ensure that you have the most recent version. The extended 180 day period was chosen to accomodate clinics in low/no internet access situations.

A: No, the application doesn't store any personal information. The exam forms generated are blank, fillable PDFs, and they reside only on your local machine. If you choose to save forms which contain PII/PHI, you must ensure that you are in compliance with all applicable regulations pertaining to the storage, retrieval or transmission of PII/PHI according to OPNAV, Privacy Act, HIPAA, etc.

A: Yes, the SF600 and AHLTA checklist reports are both fillable PDFs and saving them to your hard drive will save any information entered into them. You can also do a “Save-As” to keep a blank version while creating a new file with information filled in.

If you have certain exams that you perform often, you can save an otherwise blank copy with your clinic’s information pre-filled in to avoid having to re-type it. Be aware, however, than there will be frequent revisions and corrections made on an ongoing basis to the Manual, so avoid using a saved form for more than 90 days or so to ensure you are using an up-to-date copy.

If you choose to save forms which contain PII/PHI, you must ensure that you are in compliance with all applicable regulations pertaining to the storage, retrieval or transmission of PII/PHI according to OPNAV, Privacy Act, HIPAA, etc.

A: Yes. You can tab through each field on the forms. If you need to go backwards to correct something, you can press SHIFT+TAB.

A: The intent was to provide a solution with as much flexibility as possible so that different clinics can integrate it into whatever workflow they find most suitable. But yes, being able to print out the history section to hand to the patient to fill out was one of the use cases we anticipated. However, it could just as easily be filled out on the screen by a provider working with the patient, or emailed ahead of time to the patient to have them fill out and bring in, etc.

A: There's no way for us to interact directly with AHLTA. So, the form can be scanned in, or it could be completed entirely as a PDF, digitally signed and then uploaded directly without having to scan anything (in theory).

A: An input box for the patient's age will appear when you choose a program and exam type combination (e.g. Explosive Handler - Periodic Exam) where the exam periodicity is age dependent. Otherwise, the age field will not be shown.

A: No, the PC Matrix desktop application is no longer up-to-date with the latest guidance from the Medical Matrix Manual and it is no longer approved software on Navy networks. All previous versions of PC Matrix are considered end-of-life and will no longer be updated or supported.

A: No, the form simply lists all of the possible tests since different clinics use different ones.

A: It is very difficult to keep the reference links updated because they change often and without notice. Please email us with any reference you find that goes to a bad URL.

A: Please email the helpdesk with as much detail as possible about the problem you are seeing:

A: We encourage you to provide us with feedback; it is very useful for driving improvements and future development and to ensure that MMO is the best application possible for our users. Please check that your concern hasn’t already been addressed in this FAQ, particularly under the “Problems or Issues” section before you send a request. Please send your feedback/suggestions to the helpdesk via email