Hidden Items with Open Queries

Summary

There exists a unique condition in ClinSpark where queries can be opened against item data that is visible at one point, but later hidden, as visibility conditions on that queried item change. When this happens, open queries that were once accessible via Study > Data are now hidden from the interface and unable to be located. These queries may also no longer appear in certain exports.

This can become a challenge for studies where thousands of queries may exist and no quick way to understand where something may be hidden. Across our customers, it’s generally expected that before a study is completed and database lock occurs, all queries in an ‘Unanswered’ or ‘Answered’ state must be accounted for.

To address this challenge, Foundry Health has developed a dashboard component with the purpose of helping users locate any instances where an item contains a hidden query not already in a ‘Closed’ status. With sufficient details in the dashboard component, insights into the study design, and inspecting Item audits - users now have a way to know where a hidden query may exist and a path forward to address.

If this dashboard component does not exist in your current ClinSpark environments, reach out the team via service desk ticket for a request to add.

Open

Demo

The following screencast provides a short demonstration of how the dashboard component works, against a very simple form with hidden visibility conditions in place.

Configuration & Access Restrictions

The dashboard has been designed with the intention of exposing hidden queries across all studies. This allows high visibility to site staff who may be responsible for overseeing query resolution process across several studies.

The component will also honor study restrictions applied to a user. This means that a user who is accessing the component will only see hidden query conditions that are visible in their assigned studies.

By default, the component is protected by the ‘Study Queries Manage’ role action. The thought here is that users with this role action typically are those who would have the authority to review and address the hidden query conditions.

Dashboard components support configurations for role, role action, and studies. The restrictions on who can access this component can be further refined by updating those settings on the component itself, via Administration > System Settings.

Resolution Tips

Each customer and site will have their own processes in place to resolve queries. That said, the only way that a hidden query can become visible again is to change the visibility condition on the related Item/ItemGroup. What was once hidden must be visible in Study > Data to properly expose the Item and query via Study > Data for follow up.

Columns in the component expose Subject and Timepoint details related to the hidden item, as well as the query status. These provide the contextual “clues” that can further help understand where the query exists.

There is a ‘Collect’ button for each hidden query on the dashboard component which brings qualified users to the Data Collection screen for the Form/ItemGroup in question that contains a hidden item. From there, Item Group and Item actions on the Form can be used to expose the hidden item.

In a similar manner, the information from the dashboard component as well as insights from study design on the form can allow users to locate the form/timepoint via Study > Data. From there, audits on the visible items/item groups will help determine what values would need to be changed to make the item visible and then later hidden again once the query is resolved.