Customizing patient identifiers in EasyMedStat allows you to create unique, automatically generated record IDs (Custom Record ID or CRID) that follow a specific pattern tailored to your clinical study. This guide will walk you through setting up and using this feature.

Overview

In clinical studies, patient identifiers are crucial for organizing and tracking participant data. EasyMedStat offers customizable CRIDs that can be tailored to your study's needs. These CRIDs are automatically generated, unique, and non-editable, ensuring consistency and preventing manual errors. You can set up CRIDs to increment globally or separately for each study site, making them versatile for multicenter studies.

Setting Up a Custom Record ID (CRID)

1. Access Series Settings: Navigate to Series > Settings > Record Identifier to access the CRID customization options.
2. Activate the Custom Record ID: by default, the CRID feature is not activated. To use it, you need to select the type of CRID that suits your study requirements.
3. Choose the CRID Type: Depending on your needs, you can select from several CRID options: Simple numeric or alphanumeric patterns (e.g., 001, AA-001), Multicenter Format: CRIDs that include site-specific identifiers (e.g., MC-PAR-001 for Paris and JL-LYO-001 for Lyon).
   If you choose a multicenter format, ensure the Site variable is defined under Series > Parameters > General.
4. Define Additional CRID Parameters: Based on the selected CRID type, additional options will appear. See below for more information.
5. Apply Changes: Once the CRID parameters are configured, they will apply to new patients added to the series. Modifications to CRID settings do not retroactively affect existing patient records. For example, if a CRID format is changed after patient inclusion, only new patients will have the updated format.

Available options

• Initials: Choose whether to display first name-last name or last name-first name initials.
• Incremental Counter: Set whether the counter increments globally or per site.
• Number of Digits: Specify the number of digits for the incremental counter (e.g., 4 digits: 0012).

Real-time examples of your CRID configuration will be displayed as you adjust the settings.

Using the Custom Record ID (CRID)

• Search by CRID: You can search for patients using the CRID via the search bar. The search requires an exact match (e.g., entering "MC-001" will find that specific patient).
• Display: The CRID, if defined, will replace the traditional “Gender icon - Initials - Age” format across various EasyMedStat interfaces, including patient forms, monitoring sections, and reports.
• Export: When exporting data, a new column for custom_record_id will be included if a CRID is defined.

Managing Counters and CRID Collisions

• CRID counters, whether global or site-specific, are independent and cannot be reset unless the series is switched to Production mode.
• Be cautious of CRID collisions that may occur if configurations are changed during the study. If two patients end up with the same CRID, adjustments may be needed based on the study requirements.

Limitations and Notes

• CRID in Print PDF: The new CRID feature is not yet supported in Print PDF.
• Incomplete Data: If first name and last name are not collected, options involving initials in the CRID will be disabled.
• Counter Overflow: If the counter exceeds the maximum number of digits, the system will continue to increment internally, but display issues may occur. Manual correction may be needed.
• Handling Multicenter Studies: If the CRID format includes site-specific identifiers, be aware that the site variable becomes locked and cannot be edited after CRID setup.