101.9 Using Queries

Queries are used to create predefined searches that display useful data about specimens or participants. You will have access to default queries and other queries that have been shared with you or your user group.

Queries work like filters in Excel. Data can be filtered by values entered into any data field. The query is build to display only the relevant data fields (columns). Each query can be customized to your needs. This section will cover only how to view predesigned queries.

View available queries from the Queries widget on the homescreen or by navigating to Queries from the hamburger menu.

1. Choose the query of interest from a list. These screenshots show a query called ‘Demo: samples by type, visit, person’.

   Open

   

2. Viewing the query results shows a list of all active specimens and and the metadata defined by the user who built the query.

3. The upper right shows a summary of all the data displayed

   1. 10 participants

   2. 21 visits

   3. 339 samples

4. On the left are the filters that can be used to display only the data that the user wants to see. In this example, data can be filtered by specimen type, visit description, diagnosis. Or by pasting in a list of participant IDs so that only those specimens from those participants are displayed.

5. The columns shown represent the data that is displayed to the user. In this case, the column fields have been defined to show:

   1. Participant fields

      1. Participant ID

      2. Sex

   2. Visit fields

      1. Visit Description (Baseline or treatment start)

      2. Diagnosis

      3. Clinical Status

   3. Specimen fields

      1. Specimen ID

      2. Specimen Type

      3. Box name

      4. Position within the box

6. To view only the samples of interest, use the filters. To view only serum samples from the baseline visit from participants with a diagnosis of Chronic kidney disease, stage 1 or Type 1 diabetes mellitus, I will apply those filters as shown.

   1. Visit description

   2. Open

      

      Specimen type

       

   3. Diagnoses

       

7. This has filtered the total number of participants and specimens down to a reasonable number of 9 samples from 2 people.

Each query is unique. Filters and the columns displayed can be specified by the user who creates the query. This subject of creating queries will be covered in a more advanced module.