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A system is an integrated set of components that are used for collecting, storing and processing data. There are many different types of systems such as web applications, desktop applications, and mobile applications. The preferred systems used by DMSU are:
- Web applications
- Mobile Applications
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A web application is an application program that is stored on a remote server and delivered over the Internet through a browser interface. There are a number of web applications that are used by the department such as the project portal and many others. A web application does not need to be downloaded on a device as it is accessible through the web browser.
The following are the advantages of using web applications:
- It allows multiple users to have access to the same version of the application.
- Users do not need to install the application
- The application can be accessed through various platforms i.e. laptops, desktop or mobile devices.
- The application is also accessible through multiple browsers.
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The project portal is a principle data management tool for the department that is used by both the data managers and project staff. It is a multi-module system that provides access to study related modules as well as other systems.
The table below is a guide on which modules are essential depending on the type of study that is being carried out. The data manager will be required to configure the project portal for the study depending on the study requirements.
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Project Portal Module
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Applicable to which studies
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PII Data
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All Studies
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Visit Management
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Only if Study carries out multiple visits
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Data Quality
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All Studies
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Image Data
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If study handles images
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Pharmacy
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If study is a clinical trial
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Barcode Manager
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All Studies
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PCR-ELISA Upload
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If study uses PCR-ELISA
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PID Search Updater
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All Studies
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Project Document
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All Studies
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LIMS QC
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If study collects samples
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LIMS Results
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If study collects sample
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ODK
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If study uses ODK
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Teleform
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If study uses Teleform
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Project Datasets
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All Studies
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Safety Reporting.
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If study is a clinical trial
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Description
Samples collected are stored in storage boxes, the storage boxes are then placed in a freezer. Using this system, users can search for the location of the sample within the sample archives.
Features
The sample archive is used for studies that collect samples. The samples are stored in storage boxes which are then stored in a freezer. The location of these samples is recorded and these details are found in the sample archives.
Advantages
Having the details of the storage location makes it easier to retrieve the samples when required. This also increases the efficiency of the retrieval process as a user does not have to go through many storage boxes. |
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Description
This is a web-based application that will be used to organize documents in the organization. These documents could be personal, departmental or organizational.
Features
A user will be able to upload, download and carry out other tasks to documents. The documents will fall into categories depending on the type of documents they are.
Advantages
- It would be easier to store and manage the documents.
- It will provide easy access to the different type of organizational unit documents.
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Used to overcome ZOHO Analytics licensing limitations and facilitate access
Implement a project based login rather than an individual one
Currently implemented for MATSURV only
This dashboard is used to provide access to information about maternal deaths, maternal near-miss events as well as suspected/confirmed Covid-19 cases. The data is collected from health care facilities in Malawi using the MATSurvey platform. |
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The following systems were used in the past but are no longer in use as they were project specific systems and now the projects are finished. |
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LIMS Data has been replaced by LIMS QC and LIMS Results in the project portal
Is there a use case for a stand alone sub-system?
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This has been replaced by PID Contact Info module in the project portal |
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A mobile application is a type of software designed to run on a mobile device such as phones or tablets. The user is required to download and install the application on the specific device. The department uses a number of different mobile applications such as the PID search app.
The following are the advantages of using mobile applications:
- Mobile applications are faster and more efficient than web applications
- They do not need an active Internet connection to run as compared to web applications.
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Description
PID Search is an Android based application that helps study teams in uniquely identifying study participants. A search is carried out based on the PID or name of the participant. This helps in getting the information about a participant.
Functionality
To get the participants contact information, the user can filter the results based on a particular facility. The user can search for a participant using either a PID or by name.
This will give the name, PID, gender and the facility where they were enrolled.
Advantages
Using a filter to get the participant details narrows down the results and increases the efficiency of obtaining the required results.
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Description
This is an application that is used to populate data to an ODK form.
Functionality
This application works hand in hand with the ODK Collect application. When running the ODK application, it is required for there to be metadata available. The ODK Launcher application is used to populate the metadata for a PID when the application is run
Advantages
Ensures that |
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Description
ODK Lookup Updater is an Android based application that is used to reference data from a main form to other forms.
Functionality
When a participant is enrolled in the study, they are required to fill out an enrollment form. Some studies require the participants to make follow-up visits. When the participant comes for a follow-up visit, they fill out a follow-up form. Some of these details are extracted from the main enrollment form. The ODK Lookup Updater application is used to get those details automatically and populate the follow-up form.
Advantages
Automatically populating the details instead of re-writing them reduces the chance of an error occurring as incorrect information may be entered which will lead to queries arising at a later stage. |
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Description
This application is used to send reminder messages to participants for follow-up visits.
Functionality
This application is used to send bulk SMSs as a reminder to participants about follow-up visits. The application has a list of the participants phone numbers, the user types out the message to send to the participants.
Advantages
Use of the application makes sending SMSs to the participants quick and easy as the SMS will be sent to the participants as a group rather than sending the participants an individual reminder. |
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Description
This is a data collection tool for recording vital signs of HDU patients.
Functionality
This application is currently used in the High Dependency Unit (HDU) ward. The nurses collect vital signs such as blood pressure and pulse rate of patients and record them in the application. The results are then reviewed by the doctor at a later stage. Currently the ward is using both the a paper-based system along with the mobile application.
Advantages
- Use of the application makes it easier to review the results at a later stage.
- The paper-based records could easily be misplaced or lost. Use of the application ensures security of the results.
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Description
This application is used to collect details about maternal deaths, covid-19 suspects, near miss cases among pregnant women. The application is used around 33 district hospitals.
Functionality
The application collects real-time data about maternal deaths, near-miss events and suspected Covid-19 cases. These results are then displayed on the MatSurv Dashboard. The dashboard can be filtered to view information from different facilities or a specific facility.
Advantages
It provides easy access to information and thereby making it analysis of the data easier.
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Description
This application is used to take images such as Ultrasound images or X-ray images.
Functionality
Some studies like the TITAN study use and process images of participants. This application is used by the doctors or nurses in the hospital. When a participant visits the hospital, the doctor takes a picture of the injury before beginning with the surgery/procedure. The image is then uploaded to the project portal for further processing
Advantages
Using the application makes it easier to focus on the images particular to the study. |
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A DBMS (Database Management System) is a software package that is used to define, manipulate, retrieve and manage data in a database. A DBMS provides a central store of data that multiple users can access in a controlled manner.
Central storage and management of data within the DBMS provides the following:
- data security
- data abstraction and independence
- data integrity capabilities
- logging and auditing
Advantages of DBMS
- offers a variety of techniques to store and retrieve data
- has powerful functions that are used to store and retrieve data efficiently.
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Description
SQL Server is the core database platform that is used by
Functionality
Advantages |
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MySQL is a relational database management system that is used for a wide range of purposes such as data warehousing |
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PostgreSQL is a powerful, open source object-relational database system. PostgreSQL runs on all major operating systems including Linux, UNIX and Windows
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A data management platform is a software platform used for collecting and managing data. There are many data management platforms available, the ones used to collect and manage data are:
- REDCap
- ODK
- Teleform
- LIMS
- OpenClinica was used to collect data previously, but it is now no longer in use.
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Description
Research Electronic Data Capture is a free, secure web-based application designed to support data capture for research studies. The system was developed by a multi-institutional consortium initiated at Vanderbilt University. Data collection is customized for each study or clinical trial by the research team with guidance from Harvard Catalyst EDC Support Staff.
Functionality
You can create and design databases and surveys using:
- Online Designer / Offline method of constructing a data dictionary in Microsoft Excel and uploading it on REDCap.
- REDCap provides user-friendly web-based case report forms, real-time data entry validation (e.g. for data types and range checks), audit trails, and the ability to set up a calendar to schedule and track critical study events such as blood-draws, participant visits, etc.
- Designated users can assign different levels of access for each member of the research team.
- REDCap also provides a powerful tool for creating and managing surveys in your web browser. Collect anonymous responses or track and identify responses from survey participants by:
- sending a link to your survey via email
- entering data manually, and/or posting a link on your website
Advantages
- Secure and web-based. Input data from anywhere in the world with secure web authentication, data logging and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Encryption.
- Fast and flexible. Conception to production-level database in less than one day
- Multi-site access. Projects can be used by researchers from multiple sites and institutions.
- Fully customizable. You are in total control of shaping your database or survey
- Advanced question features. Auto-validation, branching logic and stop actions
- Mid-study modifications. You may modify the database or survey at any time during the study.
- Data import functions. Data may be imported from external data sources to begin a study or to provide mid-study data uploads.
- Data comparison functions. Double data entry / Blinded data entry
- Export survey results to common data analysis packages. Export your data to MS Excel, SAS, STATA, R or SPSS for analysis.
- Save your survey or forms as PDFs. Generate a PDF version for printing in order to collect responses offline.
For more information visit: REDCap |
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Description
Open Data Kit (ODK) is a free and open-source suite of tools that allow data collection using Android mobile devices and data submission to an online server, even without an Internet connection or mobile carrier service at the time of data collection.
Streamline the data collection process with ODK Collect by replacing traditional paper forms with electronic forms that allow text, numeric data, GPS, photo, video, barcodes and audio uploads to an online server.
Functionality
The work-flow for ODK is as follows:
- The final version of a project's CRF is used to build an ODK CRF template.
- Field level checks, skip patterns and validations as specified by the researcher, are built in to this template to aid in validating data as it is being collected.
- Forms are then deployed on the server, and loaded onto the tablet which is then given to the field / clinic team for data collection
- Once data has been collected, the forms are submitted onto the MLW servers. Data is available immediately.
- Researchers access their data using either the MLW Data Browser or by making direct data extracts using their statistical tool of choice.
Advantages
Our department is encouraging all new projects where possible, to adopt electronic data capture using mobile phones or tablets. This is because electronic data entry has the following advantages:
- Avoid mistakes before they happen
- Ask the right questions
- You are able to correct mistakes and rephrasing early in the survey without the logistics of re-printing or distributing paper questionnaires
- Get better answers - The use of techniques like ACASI makes getting reliable information about socially undesirable attitudes or behaviors easier.
Some questions are difficult to ask directly, but using a tablet allows us to easily isolate this set of questions for self-administration without worrying about having to recompile separate sheets for respondents later on. This also provides better protection for respondents as their answers to these and other questions are not easily accessible to outsiders
- Eliminate data entry error. Data collected on paper forms eventually needs to be digitized. While this process can be done concurrently with data collection, it is another source of error, both because of the potential for errors in the data entry program itself and by those people responsible for entering data.
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Description
ODK Aggregate is an open source Java application that stores, analyzes and presents XForm survey data collected using ODK Collect or other OpenRosa-compliant applications. It can support a wide range of data types, and is designed to work well in any hosting environment.
Functionality
Using ODK Aggregate, data collection teams can do a variety of tasks:
- Host blank XForms used by ODK Collect or other OpenRosa clients
- Store and manage XForm sunmission data
- Visualize collected data using maps and simple graphs
- Export and publish data in a variety of formats.
Advantages
- ODK Aggregate can be hosted on cloud providers like DigitalOcean and Amazon Web Services, or also local cloud servers.
- There is also a pre-configured virtual machine image that is ready to deploy on any computer
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Description
ODK Central is the ODK server. It manages user accounts and permissions, stores form definitions, and allows data collection clients to connect to it for form download and submission upload.
Functionality
- Form upload and management
- Submission upload and management
Advantages
- You can partition your server into different sandboxes. This allows users to maintain multiple independent teams.
- Direct upload of XLSForm files makes the management of forms easier
- OData API makes it easy to synchronize live form data to desktop visualization and dashboard tools
- Managed encryption makes the process of handling encrypted form data significantly easier and more secure
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Description
ODK Collect is an open-source Android application that replaces paper forms used in survey-based data gathering. It supports a wide range of question and answer types and is designed to work well without network connectivity.
Functionality
ODK Collect renders forms into a sequence of input prompts that apply form logic, entry constraints and repeating sub-structures. Users work through the prompts and can save the submission at any point. Finalized submissions can be sent and new forms downloaded from a server.
Advantages
- Collect supports location, audio, images, video, barcodes, signatures multiple-choice, free text, and numeric answers. It also accepts answers from other applications on your device.
- Does not need an active Internet connection to fill out forms
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Description
TeleForm is a data capture system designed to reduce data entry and manual processes associated with paper based forms projects. The software offers unrivalled flexibility in capturing handwritten data from paper and seamlessly incorporate the data output into MLW back-end database.
Through the scan and verification interface, forms are classified, recognized, verified and transferred into reliable and accurate data records in the MLW back-end database from which researchers and analysts get data for their analysis.
Functionality
The work-flow for TeleForm is as follows:
- The final version of a project's CRF is used to build a TeleForm template
- Filed level checks, as specified by the researcher, are built in to this template to aid in validating data as it is processed.
- Forms ae printed, given to the field / clinic team for data collection.
- Completed forms are returned to the data department for processing
- Returned forms are scanned, verified and finally the data is "committed" to the project's database
- Researchers access their data using either the MLW Data Browser or by making direct data extracts using their statistical tool of choice.
Advantages
- We choose TeleForm mainly for the efficiency in data processing. Compared to manual data entry, TeleForm allows us to complete data processing much faster and with a lot less errors.
- Easily and rapidly acquire information from paper into any ODBC database and increase productivity through reduction of manual key entry as TeleForm automatically reads hand print, machine print, optical marks and barcodes.
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Description
A Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is software that allows the lab at MLW to effectively manage samples and associated data to improve lab efficiency. By using LIMS, MLW lab can automate work flows, integrate instruments, and manage samples and associated information.
Functionality
Access to LIMS is through a self-service reporting system which allows the user to search results on LIMS based on project name, data range, test types, organisms and many other criteria. It is user friendly and a quick way to access the LIMS data.
Advantages
LIMS allows the following:
- Provide end-to-end information management of samples, tests, and results run by the lab at MLW
- Accommodate different users with role-based interfaces to optimize lab efficiency
- Offer out-of-the-box reports as well as the ability to create custom reports.
For more information visit: LIMS |
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This platform is no longer in use.
Description
OpenClinica is an open source software for Electronic Data Capture (EDC) and Clinical Data Management (CDM) used to optimize clinical trial workflow in a smart and secure way.
Functionality
Advantages
We use OpenClinica to:
- Build studies
- Create eCRFs
- Design rules/edit checks
- Schedule patient visits
- Capture eCRF data from study sites via the web
- Monitor and manage clinical data
- Audit trails and electronic signatures
- Role-based access controls
- Import/Export data
- Extract data for analysis and reporting
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Description
Data visualization is the graphical representation of information and data. By using visual elements like charts, graphs, and maps, data visualization tools provide an accessible way to see and understand trends, outliers, and patterns in data.
Features
General types of data visualization
- Charts
- Tables
- Graphs
- Maps
- Infographics
- Dashboards
Advantages
- Visualization helps identify errors and inaccuracies in data quickly
- Organizations can use visualization to access real-time information and assist in management functions in a significant manner.
- Can easily find differences in trends and patterns that are vital
- Increases optimization and retrieval of data using tailor-made reports.
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Description
R is a language and environment for statistical computing and graphics. R provides a wide variety of statistical and graphical techniques.
Functionality
R is an integrated suite of software facilities for data manipulation, calculation and graphical display. It includes:
- an effective data handling and storage facility.
- a suite of operators for calculations on arrays
- a large, coherent, integrated collection of intermediate tools for data analysis
- graphical facilities for data analysis and display either on screen or on hardcopy
Advantages
- Excellent for statistical computing and analysis
- Open-source
- Has a large variety of libraries
- Cross-platform support
- Supports various data types
- Powerful Graphics
- Can interact with databases
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Description
Power BI is a business analytics solution that lets you visualize data and share insights across the organization, or embed them in your app or website
Functionality
Using Power BI, users can:
- Connect to data
- Transfer and model the data
- Create charts and graphs
- Create reports and dashboards that are collections of visuals
- Share reports with others using the Power BI service
Advantages
- Provides a quick start with an uncomplicated setup and does not require any prior training.
- Dashboards provide real-time information
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Description
Zoho analytics is a self-service business intelligence and data analytics software that lets you analyze your data, create stunning data visualizations, and discover hidden insight in minutes.
Features
- Reports and dashboards
- Embedded analytics
- Drag-and-drop interface
- Data imports
- Chart types
- Workspaces
Advantages
- Empowers visualization with dashboards
- Simplifies creation of charts
- Flexible
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As a department, we have many Standard Operating Procedures in place that we use and recommend other |
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A policy is a set of guidelines or rules that determine a course of action. As DMSU, we have a number of policies in place that we use and |
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The Mission
To effectively manage clinical research data, ensuring that MLW researchers are best positioned to translate research into novel discoveries and innovations.
The Vision
To provide excellent data management services and implement more effective data quality assurance and control; data stewardship and data sharing systems that includes better incorporation of study document (metadata) and increase MLW capacity in both qualitative and quantitative analysis. |
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1. Data Systems
