Repeating Item Groups

Summary

Repeating Item Groups are useful when multiple instances of one-to-many data fields are required to be documented at the same timepoint. For example, multiple concomitant medications related to a given adverse event may be documented via a repeating item group - with an item group instance added for each unique medication.

Repeating Item Groups are especially useful when the number of repeated instances is unknown or variable. In these cases, enabling the “User Add” setting at the item group level allows users to add instances of the item group as necessary.

Leveraging Repeating Item Groups eases the burden on study designers, as they do not need to build a unique item group per repeating instance so long as the contained item attributes are the same per instance. Provided item attributes are indeed the same per instance, data will export as one row (record) per item group instance.

Step-by-step Guide

Use Repeating Item Groups to capture multiple instances of an item group. For example, capture multiple concomitant medication entries administered in response to an adverse event:

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Establish a Repeating Item Group at the item group level, via the Action > Edit button. Enabling “User Add” allows a data collector to add as many instances of the item group as are necessary:

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When both settings are enabled, a data collector is alerted to the fact that the item group is repeating. They also have the option to add a new item group instance, with each instance numbered sequentially beginning with #1:

Once collected, each instance of the item group will report as a unique row (record) in transfer-style reports. The GRPID field links together item groups contained in the same form at the same timepoint. The REPEAT field tracks the instance of repeat, beginning with 1 and iterating sequentially: