Status: In production
Facilitates the preparation of online data entry forms that allow for the easy input and query of a variety of numerical and non-numerical data. In a clinical or research setting, CALM can be used to streamline the development of online forms for patients’ and subjects’ data entry and for the easy maintenance and update of the ever-growing number of clinical assessments.It is composed of an off-line multipage form layout editor and code generator. The CALM package can generate online forms that accurately replicate any paper and pencil form, while the associated Generic Assessment Management Engine (GAME) package operates the CALM generated interface and allows for effortless quality assurance (QA) checks and clinical and research data queries.Online data entry and management is the responsibility of the GAME web application.
The applications’ versatility is not limited to clinical forms; in fact, CALM/GAME can be used for the translation, maintenance and query of any paper and pencil form into an online form.
From a developer view point these are the highlights of the package:
- Efficiency: to speed up form designing CALM/GAME use user defined templates
- Accessibility: no Java, Javascript, or JSP coding experience is required to generate form objects
- Friendly output: the package can build forms with the similar layout as paper forms for easy data entry
From a CALM-based interface user view point these are the highlights of the package:
- a user friendly interface that permits data entry using a point and click, intuitive format.
- built in double data entry as a cautionary step to validate the accuracy of data submitted for entry
- build in graphical user interface allowing ability for easy data search/query/retrieval for QA queries or clinical/research questions (or in general relevant questions for any form data)
Once the form(s) of a clinical assessment are laid out spatially using CALM, the form input fields are linked with the assessment information from the database. The form editor then renders the form using XForms technology (designed to meet the shortcomings of HTML forms, by including device independence, strong separation of purpose from presentation, and universal accessibility). The code generator section of the form editor uses plug-ins to generate document/code for different user interface platforms. The XSL stylesheet generates a Java Server Pages (JSP) document for each form in the clinical assessment. The plug-in also generates a Struts Form Bean for the clinical assessment. Using the JSPs and Form Bean(s) generated by the form editor, GAME provides the data maintenance logic for adding and editing any clinical assessment. Eighteen clinical assessments to date have been created and deployed using this method.
For more information: http://www.nitrc.org/projects/hid/
