Samples Entry: Part 2

Watch as we demonstrate how to create and modify Samples Entry Forms for the Web Client. Learn how to add fields, color, branding, and more to your Entry Forms.

Introduction – 00:00

Hi there, and welcome to the Freezerworks 2021 learning series, your visual guide to our sample management software. Today, we continue our look at Samples Entry on the Web Client, but this time, we turn our attention to configuration. In order for Users to create and modify Samples and Aliquots on the Web Client, you must first create Samples Entry Forms on the Web Client and assign them to the desired Groups (Entry Forms created on the Desktop will not be available on the Web). If you have permission to create Entry Forms on the Desktop Client, you will also have permission to create them on the Web. If you do not have permission to create Samples Entry Forms, or just need to know how to use them, see part 1 of this series.

How to Create Entry Forms – 00:57

Well, to begin, after logging into the Web Client, turn your attention to the top of the page and click the button entitled Configuration. This takes you to the Configuration page, which is where you will also go to create Charts and Dashboards, as well as Patient Entry Forms if you are in Summit or Pinnacle. But we’re talking about Samples Entry Forms, so let’s click that button. Now, if you are in Freezerworks Base Edition, your screen will look very different at this point, as Base is limited to only one Samples Entry Form.  That being the case, you will immediately see your single Entry Form’s configuration, but we’ll get there shortly. For all other editions, you will see this list of existing Samples Entry Forms, which may be blank for you at this point. If you have an existing Entry Form you want to edit, just click it – any Entry Forms assigned to your Group will be modifiable. To create a new entry form, click Create New Samples Entry Form.

Overview of Configuration – 01:52

And here is a blank Samples Entry Form. Let’s quickly go over the anatomy of this screen. The majority of it will be taken up by the entry area, where you will design the space for all the fields you need to add to this form, and where Users will enter data for Samples when the form is actually used. The entry area is made up of sections, panels, and columns, which will be how you organize and categorize the different fields you add to the form, but we’ll go over all that in just a minute. On the right side of the form, you’ll find the Palette. This is where you give your form a name, assign it to Groups, and provide a description of the form’s purpose. Most importantly, though, the Palette is where you will find all the possible fields you can add to your Entry Form. If you have Summit or Pinnacle, you will have multiple tabs of fields from the different data tables, Samples, Visits, Patients, and Studies. Otherwise, you will only have a Samples tab. Every field will be available to add to the form, and we’ll go over how to do that in just a bit. Finally, on the left, side we have the logo and the system pages. The logo will be in the top-left of the form whenever it is used, so this is where you can add your own piece of branding. Click the placeholder logo and your explorer window will open so you can find a suitable image for your organization. Now, for the two system pages, Samples and Aliquots. The Samples page we’ve just gone over, and the Aliquots page is where you will design the Aliquots Entry Form, aka the form for adding and modifying the Aliquots of a Sample, something every Samples Entry Form has, but again, more on that later.

The Entry Area – 03:33

Alright, so let’s design the Samples Entry Area of our Samples Entry Form. We want to think about the form we’re creating, about what Samples it will be used for, and about what Users we expect will be using it. All of these will affect how we might want to build the space. By default, you are given a one-column panel in one section. Think of sections as lines on the form, basically large spaces where multiple panels can be added. You can actually have as many sections as you need, but that’s probably not necessary, as every section can contain as many panels as you’d like. Click Add Section below the entry area to add a blank section. Panels, on the other hand, are how you group your fields together under a common heading. Right here, I’ve got a heading called Sample Fields by default, so I could potentially keep all the Sample-based fields inside this Panel, making data entry a little simpler later on. You can even add color to all of your Panel headings to make the separation of data even clearer. Since some colors won’t work very well with the default black text color, you can always switch the heading’s text color to white by clicking this icon. Clicking it again will switch it back to black. Now, panels can be added manually at any time by using the Panel tool on the Palette. Click and drag the Panels anywhere you’d like. When you add a Panel, remember to also give the Panel a heading. As you build your form, you may notice that it can quickly get a little long – this is where columns come in handy. There are two types of columns: Panel columns and Section columns. Panel columns are columns added inside Panels to allow more fields to fit inside the collective heading. These plus buttons will add panel columns. Panel columns make data a little easier to read too, as field’s entry boxes won’t reach all the way across the page. You can add as many columns to a Panel as you’d like. Section columns are added by clicking these big green plus buttons. This will automatically add a new blank panel to the right of the existing panel in the section you clicked. Without Section columns, panels cannot be placed side-by-side. Only four section columns can exist per section, but inside each individual column, you can place as many Panels as you want, and, of course, each panel can have as many internal columns as you desire too.

Adding Fields – 06:09

If you’re still a little confused about how to design your entry area, start adding the fields that you’re going to need. It’s simple to do, just click and drag the field to the desired location. This will help you visualize where fields belong and what should get grouped together. For instance, all of my collection related fields might go in this separate panel I labeled Collection Data, whereas I’ll put all of my Aliquot-related summary data in a whole new panel at the bottom since those fields are automatic and non-enterable anyway. As you add fields to a panel and it begins to get a little too long, that’s when you may want to add a panel column and shift the fields over to free up space.  When adding and moving fields around, be sure to use the little black dots – they’ll help you navigate by telling you where fields can be placed. Be sure to also use the garbage cans whenever you want to delete a field, panel, column, or section. Another option you’ll find on every field is this lock button, which will make the field read-only on this form. Perhaps you only want another User on a different form filling in this particular data, but you still want it visible on this form. That’s what the lock button is for. Now, experiment and understand you can always fine-tune the form as you work with it.  If you ever find you need even more spacea or a more defined separation between fields, you can always add more tabs to the form by clicking the plus button to the right of the first tab. It’ll get a default name, but you can change it by clicking this little pencil icon. Enter the desired name for the tab and click the save button. If you want, you can do the same thing to rename your first tab. As you can see, a new tab gives you a whole new blank entry area to design. You can add as many tabs to the form as you’d like by clicking the plus button.

The Aliquots Page – 08:16

When you’re done with the Samples page, you can move to the Aliquots page and begin designing that form by clicking Configure Aliquots Form. Designing the Aliquots Entry Form is almost exactly like the Samples form: you have an entry area made up of sections, panels, columns, and colors, and you have your Palette with the Panel Tool and a list of available Aliquot fields. The Entry Area will have three fields already on it by default: Aliquot Number (aka number of aliquots), Aliquot Status, and the Freezer Assignment Box. You can remove Aliquot Status and the Freezer Assignment Box, but Aliquot Number is required on every Aliquots Form. Of course, you can move all the fields freely, so put them where you please. Note that if you remove the Freezer Assignment Box, you can always put it back on the form by dragging the Freezer Section field from the Palette. Once you finish designing the look of your Aliquots form, click Save Form to return to the Aliquots page of the Samples Entry Form. You’ll notice that all of the fields you add to the Aliquots form now appear in this list view’s headers, just as they do when the Entry Form is in use. They’ll be in the order the fields were added to the form, but if you’d like to change that, click the arrows to the left and right of every header.

Conclusion – 09:36

We’re almost done now, let’s just return to the Samples page and do a few final things on the Palette. First, enter a name for the form, based on what’s on it or who will be using it, maybe. Next, we need to assign the form to the Groups that need it. Click this Groups button and then simply select the desired Groups from the list. Finally, if you’d like, provide a description for later Users who might need to update the form. Now that we’re done, click Save Form, and you’ll be returned to the list of Samples Entry Forms, with our new one now listed. You can continue to create forms, edit others, or check out the one you just created in action. And that about does it for sample entry on the browser client. I threw a lot at you just now, so feel free to watch again, take a look at our more detailed explanation in the User’s Guide, or contact Freezerworks Support Staff. As always, thanks for watching, and see you next time!