Field Types and Properties

Who this article pertains to: Study Builders or Managers

What this article covers: Descriptions of Data Collection Objects and Attributes that can be Configured in the form builder

Adding Fields and Objects To a Form

Fields can be dragged out from the toolbox onto the form canvas. Once a field is on the form canvas, tap the field to access the corresponding field properties.

Web Browser:

Mobile App:

Each form object has its own set of unique properties. These are included in the corresponding descriptions of each field type below. Some properties are common across all field types.

Common Field Properties

These are properties common to all types of fields. They can be seen by selecting any field on a form within the form builder.

Field Name (data fields only)

The variable name was given to the field (data fields only). This is alphanumeric with no spaces. This is where naming conventions like CDISC or SDTM can be used.   

The field name cannot be changed once data has been entered or the study version is published.

Reporting Label

A more user-friendly name is given to a variable/field. It will be displayed throughout the system instead of the main Field name if this exists. Ad-hoc reporting and data exports display the field name by default.

Hidden

Hides the field in all scenarios for any user viewing the form in data entry (still shows in data exports). A common example/use-case is where a Number field is used to compute a value that users don’t need to see during data entry. 

Field Source Verification (FLSV)

Forces field level review for the workflow review level where FLSV is enforced. This adds a ‘Lock’ icon next to the field when being viewed by the applicable review user.

Tooltip

Displays text to the user when hovering over the field with a mouse.

NOTE: Available on the web browser only.

Show in Log

Display the field in the log table if the field is part of a Log Form. The web browser will default to use the field reporting label as the column header. If it is not defined, it will use the field name. See the examples here of log tables within a subject casebook.

Web Browser:

Mobile App:

The first two log fields are displayed on mobile in data entry.

Required

Make a data variable required when not being hidden by a condition. An error displays to the user when the field is left blank.

Show In CTMS

This will cause the field to display within the CTMS data tables for convenient viewing - similar to how Log Forms display the fields with 'Show in log' enabled.

Conditional Actions

Create custom field logic and edit checks. Read more about Conditional Actions here.

Layout

Sizing in width and grid location on the form.

Blinding

Hide the field to specific user roles. Read More About Blinding here.

Labels - Non-Data-Storing Objects

Text Labels

Labels identify data-collection objects ("Fields") within a form so users entering data know what needs to be done.

When a label or design tool is dragged and dropped into the form builder, the label or tool becomes active.  To edit an existing label or design tool in a form, click on the label or design tool to make it active. 

When clicked, the Properties for the label or design tool will display in the properties section of the Form Builder, as shown above. The label text and formatting can then be edited.

Formatting:

On the web form builder, the system will default the formatted font and size, so each text label needs to be individually formatted as needed.

Text Label Properties

Field 

A label can be related to a specific data field, allowing the label to be hidden when a hidden conditional action is added to the label’s associated field.

Include in Export

Allows the label to be exported in the data extracts.

In the example below, the weight field has two labels, but we want one label to be displayed in the data extracts next to the actual weight value. To do this, be sure the unit label is related to the weight field and the box to Include in Export is checked.

When a label is exported with the data in a data extract, it will have a column name matching that of the field it is associated with an "_Label" attached to the end.  For example, in the above image, the "Kg" label will be included in the data exports next to the Weight value (PE_WT) and have a column header titled "PE_WT_LABEL." The label will appear as data down that entire column.

Image Label or Spacer

Displays a static image similar to how a text label displays static text. To select an image to display within an image label, it first must exist in the central Image Library.

Audio Label (App Only)

Record an audio label (through field properties) which allows a very descriptive message.

Use Label as a Spacer

If no image is defined for the image label, it will display as an invisible object that can serve to separate objects apart from one another. When using an image label as a spacer, include the property “Upon Render, Omit Outline.”

Separator

A visual separator bar to split up sections of a form. There is no functional purpose of a separator. They can be conditionally hidden if needed and labeled with any text.

Audio Label

Audio labels can be used to attach a pre-recorded audio message to the form. This is done by recording a message directly within the field properties.

Button

Buttons can embed reference information, such as documents, external URLs, or bodies of text, into a popup window. They are useful to simplify a form and focus on the data entry rather than putting large amounts of text directly onto the form.  

The key factor of a button is what will happen when the user taps on it. There are three options detailed below.

• Open a popup window containing plain text

• Open a new browser page/URL

• Open a PDF

• Open a Consent document (applicable only if the form is used as the study's consent form)

• Open the DICOM files list (PACS studies only)

• Collect and store user’s e-signature for any purpose

• Link another form

Properties Specific to Buttons:

Window Size (Mobile only) - The percentage area of the screen that the popup window should consume for viewing.

Report Label - The text is displayed on the button itself.

Webpage URL

Opens a specified web URL. Use your own pre-existing URL, a PDF stored in TrialKit, or read here on how to create custom web pages within the system to create a custom page/URL. 

Quick Help Text

Opens a popup window with help text for the user to quickly reference

Display Consent PDF

This will map the button to the consent PDF defined within the Informed Consent configuration settings and usually mapped to the site-specific Informed Consent document uploaded in the Site Documents Section. 

Using this option will override the other two options above.

DICOM Files 

Provides an access point to the TrialKit PACS system for DICOM uploading and viewing. This is only enabled for DICOM-enabled studies.

e-Signature

Opens a popup window on the form for a user to enter their e-signature which gets stored separately from the form data, but still connected to the specific record where the signature was applied.

Form Link

This object is a button that allows a user in data entry to quickly add a new log form and view a list of existing log records that have been entered in relation to the current (parent) record.

Any number of these can exist on a given form, shown here in the mobile form builder, but also possible on the web.

In the properties, define which form to link to (log forms only):

Tip

Use Linked forms instead of normalized tables for more control on field logic of each record.

When a user adds a form from the button, it will get associated in the database by a related record ID - similar to how normalized tables work.

Table (Normalized Table)

A Normalized Table is a sub-form used to log repeating records of data within a single ‘Parent’ record where the table exists.

When to use normalized tables

Normalized tables are a legacy alternative to the more modern approach of using a button link described above.

Only use normalized tables when collecting lab ranges or where the table needs to be fixed (e.g. Physical Exam scenario) where a pre-defined number of test values are being collected at a single point in time and when only 10 or less variables are needed in the table.

Normalized Tables can be dynamic or fixed. By default, they are dynamic, where the user adds rows on demand. A pre-defined number of rows will be displayed if set as Fixed, and the user cannot add new ones.

When a Normalized Table is placed into a form, the Form Fields dialog box opens to allow for dragging new Fields onto the table. In the example below, a radio field has been placed into a table. Tapping on that row then provides access to the properties for that field.

To add the column header, type in the Label column highlighted in yellow above. If the header is long, you can use a <br> tag to break the text into a new line when it's displayed in the table. This prevents the column in the table from being too wide when the header text is long.

Properties Specific to Normalized Tables

Fields View/Edit - Select this to open up the list of field types included in the table. Drag a new field into the table or reorder fields.

Maximum Rows - This will set the maximum number of rows that can be added to each defined normalized table. The maximum is 100 rows per table.

Report Name - Users enter names for each table to help identify the table when extracting data. For example, a user could enter the Medications Table to signify that the information collected in this table contains Medications.

Fixed Rows -Users may want a normalized table with a fixed and required number of rows. The fixed rows attribute allows the user to define a normalized table with a fixed number of rows. The first field/column in the table determines how many fixed rows there will be.

Here's a common example in a Physical Exam where specific exams are conducted, and all are displayed without the user needing to manually enter one at a time.

All choices in that first column will automatically show as unique rows during data entry. The user cannot edit the first column.

Data Fields (Data-Storing Objects)

Text

Stores single-line text data (alphanumeric).

Maximum Length

The Maximum Length field allows the Form Designer to set the maximum number of characters allowed in the field. If the Maximum length is not defined, the default length is ten characters. To designate a Maximum Length for the field, enter the desired number of characters for the field to accept.

Field Mask

The Field Mask allows the Form Designer to set a pattern of how the text should appear in the field when the data needs to be entered in a certain way.

For example, to create a text field to capture a telephone number, set the Maximum Length to 14. Then, set the mask so that the code appears as a telephone number (###-###-####). When a telephone number is entered in the form, only the numbers, not the dashes, will need to be entered. 

Basic masking rules are as follows:

9 - number only a - lower case letter only A - upper case letter only # - anything

The characters described here define what the user will be allowed to enter. Any other character used will be counted as a "literal," meaning it will be displayed as-is.

Special Type 

The Special Type dropdown control allows users to designate the field for a special purpose, including:

• Medical Coding attribute.

• Name of a randomization configuration - for populating a Randomization ID.

• Barcode (mobile) - Adds a barcode scanner to the field when displayed on the mobile app.

• ICD lookup - Allows a user to click on the field to open a quick search for ICD codes. Read more here.

Regular Expressions (RegEx) 

This allows a study designer to require specific formatting in a text field based on a predefined expression. You can read here for more info about regex functionality. This field property is also available in memo-type fields if longer strings of text are required in data entry.

A Regex error message can also be defined. This will fire as a query if the data entered does NOT match what the expression requires. 

RegEx Examples:

Memo

The Memo Field allows for the storage of large amounts of alphanumeric text information. This data type is commonly used for notes, comments, or descriptions.

Maximum Length

The Maximum Length property allows the Form Designer to set the maximum number of characters in the field. The system default is 3,000 characters. Enter a value in the Maximum Length property to set a different limit of up to 10,000 characters.

Special Type

Memo fields can be set to serve as a WHODrug route or med code field for forms that are being medically coded.

Email

The Email Address Field is a text field designed to store text formatted as an email. Only syntactically correct email addresses are accepted in the field when the form is completed.

When an Email Address form field is dragged and dropped onto the Form Builder body/grid, the Email Address Properties appear in the Toolbox, as shown in the figure below.

Special Type 

Subject Email - Used for ePRO studies to set the email field as the one that will collect/register an email as a Participant user in the study. Data collected in a field with this property will be blinded in data exports and reporting. However, it will still be visible on the form for any users that are not blinded to it.

Mask E-Mail 

The email will be masked with hidden characters when typing within the form by checking this.

Barcode (Mobile App Only)

A Barcode scanner is a text field with access to open a camera (when completed via the mobile app). When the camera is opened, it will scan for one of 21 different barcodes or QR types to pull the text automatically into the data field. Additionally, if applicable, FDA device registry data can be automatically pulled into other fields on the same form.

Use the Barcode field type to add a barcode field within the iOS form builder. Use a text field on the web form builder and set the special property type “Barcode,” as shown below.

If a user enters data via the mobile app, they can directly open the device's camera to scan the barcode ID into the text field by tapping the icon next to the field.

Mobile App:

FDA Device Registry

Barcode fields can also pull public FDA information into other fields on the form to quickly gather extra information if the device is registered.

To auto-fill device data from the FDA's database, the following field naming conventions must be used, where the items below need to be appended to the end of each of the corresponding fields:

_DEVBARCODE_003

_EXPIRATION_DATE_003

_LOT_NUMBER_003

_UDI_003

_ISSUING_AGENCY_003

_DI_003

_BRANDNAME_003

_VERSIONMODELNUMBER_003

_COMPANYNAME_003

_GMDNPTDEFINITION_003

Number

Number fields store numerical values. Both decimals and whole numbers are supported. The Number Properties selected for the Number field determines which numerical format is accepted. 

Maximum Length

The Maximum Length field allows the Form Designer to set the maximum number of numbers allowed in the field. If the Maximum length property is not defined, the default length is six numbers. To designate a Maximum Length for the field, enter a value in the maximum length property.

Decimal Places

The Decimal places field allows the Form Designer to define the number of places accepted after a decimal. For example, To set the number field to display 23.46, the Maximum length should be 5, and the Decimal places should be 2. If the Decimal Place property is not defined - the field defaults to zero. 

Special Type

Slider (Horizontal Slider): Used to provide end-users the ability to slide an indicator on a horizontal slider. This is set on numeric fields only and can be used effectively on pain scale forms. The visibility of that value depends on the settings. This is created within the web form builder by setting a regular number field with the special type property “Horizontal Slider”.

Vertical Slider

The Vertical Slider Scale (VAS) allows the Form Designers to provide a vertical scale in which the user can use their finger to slide on a scale to a particular numeric value if using the Mobile App.

The unique properties of the VAS field are the following:

• Tick Attributes - This allows the Form Designer to change the size, spacing, and number of ticks that will be displayed on the scale.

• Ball Size - Controls the size of the ball the user grabs and slides up and down.

• Upper Descriptor - Sets the text to be displayed at the high end (top) of the VAS field.

• Lower Descriptor - Sets the text to be displayed at the low end (bottom) of the VAS field.

• Number of Steps - Works with the step increment to set the scale's high value. For example, if you have five steps and 2-step increments, the top of the scale will be 10. If only 1 step increment were used, the max of the scale would be 2.

• Step Increment - How many steps will be shown on the scale? If two steps are used with ten steps, the user will see 2, 4, 6, 8, …y up to 20 for the max value of the scale.

• Start Step - The Form Designer can start at the bottom of the scale.

• Score Box - When the user slides the scale up and down, the value or “score” of where the slider stops is shown to the left of the slider control.

• Score Label Title - The Form Designer can name the value or “score.” For example, the Pain Scale

• Hide Score Box - If “On” will hide the value or “score” of the slider from the user.

Pain Scale

Stores numeric value data with input limited to pre-defined options on a chart.

A tappable standard numerical horizontal scale of 1-10 is commonly used to rate pain.

This can be added by setting a number field’s special type property to “pain scale”.

The field will be rendered on a form only on the mobile app. The web will render this as a number field.

Other than size, there are no customizable parameters for this scale type.

Stopwatch

The stopwatch is a number-storing object that presents the user with a counting utility on the form. This can serve as a convenient timing function for performing an activity for the form. It will not control any other functions, but will store the final number of seconds in the field.

Additionally, a specific threshold can be defined that the stopwatch will count down from.

Single-Select Dropdown

Stores a coded value along with decoded text for each value.

The Drop Down Field is used to create a list of choices a user may select when completing a field on a form. When the user selects a choice, the field displays that choice in the Drop Down field in the form.

Adding and Editing Field Choices

Accesses the list of choices for adding, editing, or deleting choices from any choice field. This works the same for radio fields and multiselect fields discussed below.

Use the tools at the bottom for adding new rows above/below the currently selected row, or delete options.

Web Browser:

Items to note when adding or editing existing choice values

• The value must be a non-negative number, and can include zero (“0”).

• Duplicate values should not be used.

• No other limits exist regarding the order or sequence that choice lists must follow.

• These values can also be used in scoring scenarios where multiple different choice fields are factors in a computation somewhere else.

Mobile App:

Importing choices from another code list on the same form

Copy and Paste fields from other forms

Another way to accomplish the same thing, but also across forms, is by copying and pasting the field.

Batch Importing Coded Choices

Choices can also be imported to prevent the necessity of manually typing them in. This is done via a 2-column CSV file, with "Text" and "Value" as the column headers:

• Column 1: Text - Text of the choices you want to import

• Column 2: Value - Has the value of the corresponding text

Example:

Web Browser:

Open the choices editor on a dropdown field and tap the import button.

Mobile App:

The file must be saved using the .csv file extension and placed in the TrialKit folder within your iCloud Drive.

Tapping the import button below will bring a list of CSV files available to upload from your iCloud>TrialKit Folder.  Select the file you are importing and tap the import file button.

The "Combine" option allows you to add to the existing list or start a new one.

When OFF it will create a brand new list from your imported file.

When ON will append your choices to the existing list of choices already set for the field.

Special Type 

Used to Map the Choices to one of the following:

• Country List

• Language List

• Visit Interval

• Inventory Lists - displays items from inventory. Read more here.

• Medical Coding attributes

• Local labs

• Versions - Displays all study versions for a user to select from. They are commonly used for site consent documents.

• Timezone - Displays a list of all system time zones. Applicable for ePRO studies. Read more here.

Adjudication Final

This attribute is only applicable to forms being built to perform adjudication. Enabling this on a choice field tells the system that this variable should be compared during the adjudication moderation step. 

Single-Select Radio

Stores a coded value along with decoded text for each value. These are similar to the dropdown fields described above but allow the user to see all choices on the screen rather than first tapping to expand a list.

Radio Field Orientation

Allows for displaying the radio choices as a horizontal list or a vertical list.

Fixed Width Radio Field

This allows for defining a set width for each radio button, for horizontal orientation only. The text label will also be hidden, based on an objective of displaying repeating similar table-style answers. The width can be manipulated to spread out the buttons to any extent required.

Multi-Select

Stores a coded value along with decoded text for each value as a comma-delimited string. This can be used when a user needs to select 'all that apply' instead of having multiple checkbox fields.

Once choices in this field are selected, it will display up to five selected choices without the field being expanded. If more than five selections have been made, it will read, for example, “6 selected”. A user viewing the form later on would need to hover or tap on the field to see which choices were selected.

Considering the use of checkboxes or a multi-select field:

• Checkboxes are separate variables and will be presented as unique columns in the data exports

• A checkbox is always true or false (never blank), but a multi-select field can be blank

• If an edit check is needed to see if the 'x' number of choices is selected, checkboxes would be needed

Selecting Multiple Products From an Inventory List

A unique aspect of this Multi-Select field type is its use when mapped to Inventory via its “special type” field property. It will display an icon next to it, opening a popup reference window of the inventory available at the current site. Here's an example of the popup displaying the following:

1. Site inventory.

2. Trigger by clicking the icon to the right of the field as shown below.

Checkbox

Stores a value of True (checked) or False (unchecked).

Checkbox Text 

This sets a visual label to go with the checkbox (not shown in data exports). An alternative is using a label separately like other field types. The difference is that using an embedded label via this property helps the form render the checkbox and label as one object and keep them in better alignment.

Paper Consent

Applicable for studies using eConsent, but where some patients in the study are providing consent via any other means.  If the form where the checkbox resides is the registration form for the study, select this option for one checkbox on the form. The system will use this to check if the patient should be forced to consent electronically or if consent is being provided another way (a checkbox gets checked on the registration form for that patient).

Date/Time

Date/Time fields collect dates and times on a form. For all Subject CRFs, at least one is required as the visit transaction date.

Date/Time Type (Time Control)

• None - (Date only) Only the date will be entered by the user. This will need to be a complete date. If the user deletes a part of the date, the system will auto-fill it to make it a real date. This is the most common option used.

• Time - (Date+time) The user will enter Both the date and time. Due to the field type, this must be a full date+time. Users will not have the option to keep either one blank if only part of it is known. To allow users to add one or both, we advise splitting the date and time into separate fields or adding a checkbox for the user to tick if one portion is unknown.

• Time with seconds - Similar to the Date+time field, but also includes seconds.

• Time Only - The user will enter only a time

• Time Only with seconds

• Partial Date -  Read more below

Note: The appearance of the field in the form builder may not reflect the time control option chosen. The form can be tested in the Subject Manager to view how the users will see the field and perform the data entry.

Birthdate

Any full date on any form can be set as the Participants birthdate. The system will use this date within any conditional actions that reference the constant "Participant Age". This is so an accurate internal computation can be done dynamically to get the age of the Participant.

It may also be used by the eConsent module to help the system know when consent needs to be revoked.

Partial Date

Data is stored as text but displayed to the user like a date. Users will be able to enter a year only, a month+year, or the full date. Any part of the date that is deleted will be auto-completed with zeroes. If the month is deleted, the day will also be automatically zeroed out.  

Partial Dates will only be displayed in the format DD-Mon-YYYY, regardless of the user's preferences.

Points to consider:

• The system cannot use partial dates as the form's transaction date.

• Partial dates can be used to compare to other dates or values within conditional actions. If that is done, the system assumes 01 for the day and January for the month in cases where the data is incomplete. (e.g. 00-000-2022 is assumed as 01-Jan-2022 within the conditional action).

• Do not change an existing time date field to a partial date; you need to delete and start with a new field and name.

Interval Diary Trigger

This is a list of the study's interval diary configurations (v2 diaries only).

Setting the diary trigger for a date will cause the chosen diary to build its schedule off of the date that users enter into this field.

Interval Diary Stop

This is also a list of all interval-type diary configurations. It will be the date that the diary schedule ends. The schedule will be based on the diary configuration maximum forms if this is not indicated.

Event Diary Trigger

This is a list of all Event schedules, if they are configured on the study. Defining an event for a given date field will make it so the date entered in that field is the starting point for the event. Note, this also depends on the form being what triggers the event (contains an event trigger CA)

Multi-Media Types

All media type fields described below get stored as files attached to a record but collectively accessible within the study's file repository.

File Upload

Stores files that users need to upload. Any format is supported.

In data entry, users can upload and access files as described here.

When users upload a file, it is stored in the File Repository and attached to the site/subject/form where it was saved. Users will be able to access files directly from the form or from the file repository (if they have access).

Most common file types are supported, except for executable or script files.

Within Data exports and reports, files are referred to with the file name and ID. To retrieve the files later on, the files themselves will need to be downloaded from the file repository.

Audio, Image, and Video

Stores media files captured directly by the device from the form where it's initiated.

On the web browser, Image or Video capture will be displayed as a file upload field for uploading the media file. Audio fields will allow the user to record directly using the device microphone (browser permissions must be granted).

Web Browser:

These fields can be added to a form by using the file upload field and setting the special Type property.

Mobile App:

On the mobile app, the user can tap to record video or audio directly. Here's a view from the iOS app form builder.

Signature

This upload field Stores an image file of a handwritten signature. It allows a user to use drawings on the screen to create a signature image. The Image gets stored as a file on the form - similar to an upload or media field.

On the web browser, add an upload field and set the special type to Analog signature. 

Use the signature field object directly available in the toolbox on the mobile form builder.

During data entry, users will see a box like this that they can either sign directly or tap to sign.

Enforcing Signatures

The following options exist to enforce signatures, from most strict to least

Required signature - If a signature is set as required, the form cannot be saved until the signature is added. To specify a role that must sign, use the Role property.

Role - Optionally assign the signature to a specific user role required to sign it. Other roles cannot see the signature field on the form unless they have permission to view all signatures.

Blinding or Hiding - The signature field can be conditionally hidden or blinded to specific roles, but not required.

Sketch Pad (Mobile App only)

Stores image file of an annotation on top of a predefined static image.

Web browsers will only display the image but not allow for drawing.

Mobile App:

The image itself can be set via the Background property. When a user in data entry draws on top of it, the image gets stored as a single flat file.

The unique properties of the sketch pad are the following:

• Background Image - Allows the Form Designer to select an image to be displayed as the background of the Sketch Pad. The background images to choose from are stored in the Image Library. Images will be sized to fit the size of the Sketch Pad box. In other words, if the image is distorted, adjust the field size to the appropriate height/width.

• Brush Site (1-20) - Allows the Form Designer to set the brush size used to draw on the Sketch Pad area.

• Color (RGB) - The Form Designer can choose the brush color used when drawing on the Sketch Pad by sliding the amount of Red, Green, or Blue colors. A preview of the color will be shown in the properties panel. By default, the color is set to black.

Activity Ring - iOS Only

Stores Apple HealthKit activity ring data.

This field allows the user entering data, when connected to an Apple Watch, to pull in activity data for that day.

Mobile App: