TRINETX: Query Building

Introduction

Query builder is a tool on the TriNetX platform that helps you define your cohort by selecting both inclusion and exclusion criteria. Once you cohort is defined, there are other tools on the platform will help you explore and become more familiar with your cohort, as well as request help when needed. This article will help familiarize you with the those tools and will be helpful for first time TriNetX users as well as old users that needs a refresher.

Resources

TriNetX is a self-service platform;  the TriNetX team at Biomedical Informatics core at the University of Utah CTSI is available if support is needed.  Simply submit a Help Desk Ticket

Link to TriNetX Platform: live.trinetx.com

Relevant articles

TriNetX Overview

How to Submit a dataset request

LOG IN
Go to live.trinetx.com
Log in with unid@utah.edu (Example: u01234567@utah.edu) and click on "login" (password not needed at this point)


TWO FACTOR AUTHORIZATION
If enabled, go through 2FA to securely login.

CREATING A STUDY
When you login, you are brought to the My Studies screen which is where you begin to create your study. A study is a container for queries, results and other key information for a clinical trial protocol.
Upon first login, you will not have any studies listed yet.
Select the Create New Study button located in the upper right of the screen.



Enter Study Name and click on the appropriate check box(es) that apply to your study.

Open

You want to add any additional descriptive information. Enter as much information as possible. The more descriptive information you enter, the easier it will be to reference the study later. The information will also be helpful when you want to share your study with colleagues, UofU CTSI Biomedical Informatics Core team, and the TriNetX team.






Select Create to launch a new screen.

NAVIGATOR BAR
On the left side of the screen is the navigation bar. The navigation bar acts as a guide and lists all the sections you can access as you work in the TriNetX platform. The navigation bar defaults to the query builder.






BUILDING A QUERY
In the query builder, the platform is designed to represent both the MUST have or inclusion criteria, and the CANNOT have, or exclusion criteria.

Tip- Click on "Import Query" to import a query from a previous study you made or one that was shared with you.

Start building your query either by search for terms in the search bar or clicking the branching tree icon on the top right of the search bar.
If you receive a large list of matches, you may not be certain which item to select. Another way to ensure you are making the correct selection is to use the hierarchy tree or the fly out menu, to zone in on a particular term and its related terms within the coding hierarchy. This process will help you find the correct code or codes.

The arrow feature allows you to look for selections at a more granular level.

As you add more terms to your Inclusion/exclusion criteria, change the Boolean logic from AND to OR. Place cursor over AND and toggle to OR. Use the funnel icon to add more filters.


Create Group
To exclude a procedure that was conducted within a specific time period, you first need to create a group.



Select Time Constraint. The time ruler appears, you can adjust the ruler to select the specific time period. There is also the option to select specific dates. Select save.

COUNT PATIENTS
As you add criteria to the query, you can select the Count Patients button at the top right. This will display how many patients in your selected network that meets the criteria you defined for your study. Count Patients feature gives you a quick check to see how the patient population is impacted based on the selections you make to the query. A query card i
To find out more granular details about these patients you need to run additional features in the navigation bar.




POPULATION GRAPH



Population Graph view allows you to see a graphical view of males and females, by age, in the network. At the bottom of the page under “Select Age Range” and “Select Sex” you can add an age range and/or specific sex to the query to create a more targeted search.



CAMERA ICON
Select the camera icons to download an image of what is shown on the screen. You can export graphics directly from the application by downloading an image which can then be included in a presentation or documentation, sent in an email, and used for bid proposals and discussion.




MODIFYING A STUDY
Studies can easily be modified, even an entire study can be deleted from My Study page. It is good practice to spend time becoming familiar with the features and tools available in the TriNetX platform by creating a practice study.


HELP
Contact us at helpdesk@ccts.utah.edu and our team of informaticians will be available to answer your questions.
Additional resources can be found on the TriNetX platform. Simply select "?" icon on the upper right and you can access great resources such as the TriNetX beginners course: TNX 101 and TNX 102.