Once your structure exists, you add questions. They are the building blocks of your eCRF, ePRO, eConsent, Recruitment forms and Subject Database. Click Add Question in the Builder, choose a type, and it appears in your form. You can drag and drop to reorder afterwards.
š” Tip: every question needs a Title, a Variable and a Question Type. The variable is what appears in your exports, so name it for the statistician who will read the export, not for yourself in the builder. You can also add a description and decide whether the question is mandatory.
The three kinds of block
Questions collect answers: text, number, date, multiple choice and the rest.
Static content displays information only: instructions, headers, images.
Other blocks add behavior: repeated measures, templates, an ePRO invitation.
Common question types
Text
Free text, up to 2000 characters.
Radio buttons, single choice
One answer from up to 20 options. You define labels and values, or let the system generate the values. You can add an Other field for free text.
Checkbox, multiple choice
Several answers can be selected. An Other free-text field is available here too.
Date and time
Collect a date, a time, or both. Three variants exist for when a participant does not know the full date, and all three are the same question type with a different box ticked.
š ļø Step by step guide
Add a Date / Time question.
For a year on its own, tick Year.
For a year and a month, tick Year and Month.
To let the answer be complete or partial, tick Switchable Date.
Switchable dates are the useful one in practice. Asked when a treatment began, some participants remember the exact day and others only the year, and this lets both answer honestly rather than guessing.
Number
Integers or decimals. You set how many decimal places, so 2 decimals gives you 13.55.
Dropdown
A list of options, one of which can be selected.
Slider
A value on a scale, with a minimum, a maximum and an increment such as 0.01.
Rating
A scale from 0 to 10, with a customizable minimum and maximum.
File upload
Up to 5 files per question, video formats included.
Calculated fields
Calculate automatically from other variables, using the operators + - * / ^ ( ).
BMI:
{WEIGHT}/{HEIGHT}^2Age: link to the birthdate question and let it calculate.
Date or time offset: add days, hours or minutes to a reference question.
For an offset, select Calculate Date/Time, then use the dropdown to link the reference question and add the days, hours or minutes. The result is set automatically and displayed in the eCRF.
Static content
Instruction
Guidance or explanation, in the builder and as the participant sees it.
š” Tip: for anything sent directly to a participant, meaning ePRO, eConsent, Recruitment and the Subject Database, always use Instruction blocks to give context. Nobody is standing next to them to explain what a question means.
Header
A title or subtitle, to structure the form visually.
Image
Displays an image, which the reader can zoom into.
Other blocks
Repeated measures
Repeat the same form, for example Adverse Events or Treatments, up to 20 times. You can limit how many repeats a participant is allowed to open, and each new measure opens in its own window.
ePRO invitation
Triggers an ePRO invitation directly from the form.
Add from template
Reuse a predefined set of questions instead of building it again.