July 2008 - EpiData-list - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Coming release of EpiData Analysis v2.1
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 31 Jul '08

31 Jul '08

As part of the intensified developments of software I announced earlier we are now working on the following: 1. Analysis v2.1, which will include complete translation rewritten update and browse import data from clipboard export data from browser to clipboard other aspects which have been in the test versions Expected timeframe: 1-4 weeks for release of final test version 2. EpiData Entry Rewriting some of the logic for creation and change of data (easier logic for beginners) Prototype for GCP principles (logging) Expected timeframe: 3-5 months for first prototype Testversions will be place on the testing page as usual. Http://www.epidata.dk/testing.php With short notices on the front page of epidata.dk and/or a message to the EpiData-list. A newsletter to all registered users for this will be mailed when final versions are ready for download from the main download page. Regards Jens Lauritsen Coordinator and initiator of EpiData Project http://www.epidata.dk

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Append data from laboratory
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 28 Jul '08

28 Jul '08

Dear Ziad, My sugestion is first make two different rec files... one wiht the data you are entering and a second one from one or more laboratory results. Usually is easier to keep different files from different sources. Lets say... one from clinical evaluations, one from CD4+ T cells and Viral Loads, one from the hamatology laboratories, one froam immunology laboratories and etc, because thy come from different sources. The most important thing here is to keep in all files with a unique identfier, or a combination of fields that uniquely connect each lab result and its owner (the patient). Usually this connection is done later... right before the data cleaning, before the analysis. But if you see a necessity to bind tha data for a beter controls of what is going on with your patinets (and your data) then... Make a qes file with all the fields whith the data is the xls spreadsheet. If the spreadsheet has wierd column names... first backup the file, later change the column names to the name which you want in the rec file. Make shure that the two recfiles have the very same variable names (the one with CD4 and VL and the one wiht the CD4 and VL and all clinical data). Example: xls "unique number" name CD4+ "Viral laod" "Collection date" 1 Ziad 560 <80 last sunday ........ to xls v1 v2 v5 v6 v7 1 Ziad 560 <80 last sunday ........ CD4VL.qes ***************** My lab results ***************** v1 Unique aidentifier ###### v2 Name <A > v5 CD4 cell count #### v6 Viral load ######### v7 Collection date <dd/mm/yyyy> Also important that these variables must have the vary same name in the destination recfile with the clinical and lab results data... AIDS.qes ***************** My patients data ***************** v1 Unique aidentifier ###### v2 Name <A > v3 Date of HIV diagnosis <dd/mm/yyyy> v4 Date of TB diagnosis <dd/mm/yyyy> v5 CD4 cell count #### v6 Viral load ######### v7 Collection date <dd/mm/yyyy> ..... Now that you got this, you must save your spread as a TXT separeted by TAB or by commas (I like TAB better :)) Now, from in EpiData import this spread sheet using the CD4LV.qes as structure. Chek you data, if it is OK then go on... Now you r going to combine you dataset side by side using the unique identfier. This option in Epidata is very ituitive. IMPORTANT IS TO BACKUP ALL THE FILES BEFORE YOU START. Sometimes the variable format are tricky from xls and you might have to make it several times before you got it right! A tip is allways use Stata to import data into EpiData, because in this situation Epidata keeps all the file structure and all the labels. From stata you dont have to make a qes file before. But this doen not seem to be you case because your data is allready on xls. Another easier way to do it is to use a software that transport and tranform almost every datase format such as StatTransfer. In this situation from .xls to .rec in a plink of you eyes. And then conbine in EpiData entry or your analysis software! May the force be with you! -- Abraço forte e que a força esteja com você, Pedro Emmanuel

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Adding data from excel file
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 28 Jul '08

28 Jul '08

Hi! I entering my interviews into EpiData and have biomarker data (variables:VL and CD4) sent to me from the lab in Excel format, can I add them into EpiData dataset automatically instead of doing it manually? Thank you and best regards ziad

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error message "one or more records are corrupted"
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 21 Jul '08

21 Jul '08

Dear list members, Below you'll find a message posted on this list November 2003 and referring to the error message "one or more records are corrupted". I have had this error in EpiData 3.1 after my computer crashed in a power cut. The remedy was similar or the same as described below: I had to open the "x.rec" file in a simple text editor program and delete all the non-data crap at the end of the file. Then it was possible to open it again in EpiData. best regards, raffael A type of error like this is very difficult to find since it can be due to many factors. e.g. network failure, network cache failure, disk occupied failures etc. But to minimise this type of error the principle of saving files was changed with version 2.1 to eliminate that error. And from v2.1b that type of error has only until now been reported from two instances in Kenya and China from situations where the computer lost power while entering data. The cause of the error was in both cases that the operating system (not epidata) were handling open files at power breakdown in a way where end of file markers were faulty. Even if the error still occurs only in rare cases we will consider a tool to "repair corrupt files" as part of the tool. The idea being to 1. read the file structure. 2. read the records from the start of the file and write them to a new file. 3. If a record was not of correct length, then tell the user how many records were retrieved. regards Jens Lauritsen >>> <epidata-list at lists.umanitoba.ca> 24-11-03 16:08 >>> Hi - Periodically (perhaps every few months) I am not able to open a .rec file, and get the message that "one or more files are corrupted". Our IT person will find that the end of the file marker has to be reset, and once that is done, we're able to use the file again. We're now using EpiData2.1b, although this has been happening for probably about a year, with previous versions. I'm wondering if there is anything we can do to prevent this "file corruption" from happening. I'm wondering if this problem could be related to my editing records in EpiInfo that have been originally entered in EpiData. thanks, Elise Elise Lennon, RN, MPH Research Analyst Massachusetts Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Project Massachusetts Department of Public Health Western Regional Office 23 Service Center Northampton, MA 01060

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Re: EpiData-list Digest, Vol 57, Issue 14
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 18 Jul '08

18 Jul '08

Dear Pedro, Thank you for your kind and the great insights! I guess I am thinking of visit number as control variable to know number of visits per patient which of course I could do it later on. So I guess it was just matter of "can't wait until time of analysis to know the answer per patient". I better hold down my horses until analysis time then! :-) Best regards ziad On Fri, Jul 18, 2008 at 10:04 AM, <epidata-list-request(a)lists.umanitoba.ca> wrote: > Send EpiData-list mailing list submissions to > epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/epidata-list > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > epidata-list-request(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > > You can reach the person managing the list at > epidata-list-owner(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of EpiData-list digest..." > > EpiData-list mailing list > ___________________________________ > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Visit number (epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca) > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > To: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:47:07 -0300 > Subject: [EpiData-list] Visit number > Dear Ziad, > > Of course a visit number is interresting... if you want visualize your data > and order it by visit number. Having a visit number at your paper forms is > also interresting for the very same reason. > > However, most analysis softwares such as R and Stata do not bother with the > visit number while running survival analysis - which I guess you will do > later. :) For survival analysis the most important data is the date of the > evaluation, somehting indicatig what happened at the period, and a date > indicating the beggining of the period. Most softwares have available > analysis whith time dpending variables - which has a dataset wiht a > structure containing the same patient at several lines - each line a > different period. Of course to do that, there must a unique idenfier for > each patient which will be repeated all the lines where the same patient > appear. > > Again, visit number is important but not that importatn. As a previous > answered, if you already started your job and you have a lot of data in your > dataset it will be easier to insert a variable indicating visit number. > Otherwise, you could update you qes file with a nwe variable indicating > visit number. > > Best regards, > Pedro Emmanuel > > > ________________________________________ > EpiData-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/epidata-list > > -- Ziad El-Khatib AIDS Unit National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) 1 Modderfontein Road Private Bag X4, Sandringham, 2131 Johannesburg, South Africa Mobile: +27 (0) 72-52 39 716 Phone: +27 (0) 11-386 6433 Fax (NICD): +27 (0) 11 386 6453 Fax (connected to my email): +27 (0) 86 18 2871 http://www.nhls.ac.za/div_nicd.html Division of International Health (IHCAR) Department of Public Health Sciences Karolinska Institute Nobels väg 9 SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden Landline (connected to Skype):+46 (0) 8-559 21 659 Fax: +46 (0) 8-311590 http://ki.se/ki/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=18835&l=en

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Visit number
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 18 Jul '08

18 Jul '08

Dear Ziad, Of course a visit number is interresting... if you want visualize your data and order it by visit number. Having a visit number at your paper forms is also interresting for the very same reason. However, most analysis softwares such as R and Stata do not bother with the visit number while running survival analysis - which I guess you will do later. :) For survival analysis the most important data is the date of the evaluation, somehting indicatig what happened at the period, and a date indicating the beggining of the period. Most softwares have available analysis whith time dpending variables - which has a dataset wiht a structure containing the same patient at several lines - each line a different period. Of course to do that, there must a unique idenfier for each patient which will be repeated all the lines where the same patient appear. Again, visit number is important but not that importatn. As a previous answered, if you already started your job and you have a lot of data in your dataset it will be easier to insert a variable indicating visit number. Otherwise, you could update you qes file with a nwe variable indicating visit number. Best regards, Pedro Emmanuel

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First and last observations in a file
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 16 Jul '08

16 Jul '08

I have a data file with multiple observations for each person and each of the multiple observations is on a separate record. A person may have one, two, three, or more observations. I need to create a file with the first and last observation on the same record for each person. Each record has a person's id variable, date, and observation number. If I could first identify the first and last observations and then write them out to separate files, then it would be possible to rename the variables except for the id variable and merge the files using the id variable. I searched the archive for something similar with no success. Thanks, John

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Continuous number at every new ID number
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 15 Jul '08

15 Jul '08

Dear EpiData lister, I am entering longitudinal data into EpiData, is it possible to have a variable 'visit' that will have new number every time I enter new record for the same patient? Then it will start from beginning with number when i am entering new patient? example below id visit -- ----- 1001 1 1001 2 1001 3 1001 4 1001 5 1002 1 1002 2 1002 3 1003 1 1003 2 1004 1 1004 2 1004 3 etc.. Thank you in advance and best regards ziad

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RE: EpiData-list Digest, Vol 57, Issue 8
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 14 Jul '08

14 Jul '08

In the check file BEFORE ENTRY IGNOREMISSING V3=V1+V2 END This should work. Sandy MRC (SA) -----Original Message----- From: epidata-list-bounces(a)lists.umanitoba.ca [mailto:epidata-list-bounces@lists.umanitoba.ca] On Behalf Of epidata-list-request(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Sent: 11 July 2008 19:07 To: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Subject: EpiData-list Digest, Vol 57, Issue 8 Send EpiData-list mailing list submissions to epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/epidata-list or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to epidata-list-request(a)lists.umanitoba.ca You can reach the person managing the list at epidata-list-owner(a)lists.umanitoba.ca When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of EpiData-list digest..." EpiData-list mailing list ___________________________________ Today's Topics: 1. Adding values of 2 cells (epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca) 2. Adding/Revising Checks (epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:00:23 -0700 From: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Subject: [EpiData-list] Adding values of 2 cells To: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Message-ID: <897a5cf60807101100q72d4f35drd460ec55f4f56b65(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi! How can I create v3=value of v1 and value of v2? example: ID v1 v2 v3 --- --- --- --- 1 BW 101 BW101 2 CW 102 CW102 etc.. ' any tips? Thank you in advance and best regards ziad ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:03:26 -0500 From: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Subject: [EpiData-list] Adding/Revising Checks To: <epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca> Message-ID: <000001c8e2d0$65e4af60$6401a8c0@EA5E71A6DE4A4D9> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I have created the qes, rec, and chk files using 3.1. When I use add/revise on the checks menu, make changes, and then save the file, many of the previously defined labels and commands are deleted. My manual states that a check file can be created by using add/revise or the editor. Can edits to the chk file only be made using the editor? Thanks much, John Hater Memphis, TN ------------------------------ ________________________________________ EpiData-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/epidata-list End of EpiData-list Digest, Vol 57, Issue 8 *******************************************

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Adding values of 2 cells
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 11 Jul '08

11 Jul '08

Hi! How can I create v3=value of v1 and value of v2? example: ID v1 v2 v3 --- --- --- --- 1 BW 101 BW101 2 CW 102 CW102 etc.. ' any tips? Thank you in advance and best regards ziad

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