Setting a question to require authorisation means that when the question is answered during data entry, a popup box appears, requesting the login details of a user with a specific role. The question's value will only be accepted when the required login details are entered.
Any type of question can be set as an authorisation question. Authorisation questions are often used at the end of an eForm as a way of signing off the eForm with the question caption containing the declaration. See image
You need to specify which user role is to be used for authorisation. You may choose to create a special 'Authoriser' user role for this purpose. Help on creating user roles in the System Management module...
You can set an authorisation scope to have a signature revoked if subject data is changed after the authorisation question has been signed. If the signature is revoked, then the authorisation question is cleared and must be completed again.
Open the eForm containing the question by clicking the eForms shortcut button and selecting the relevant tab.
Right click within the eForm and select Edit eForm from the popup menu. The eForm definition window is displayed.
Click More to expand the eForm definition window.
Locate the question you wish to require authorisation and click at the intersection of the question row and the 'Requires Authorisation' column. A drop down list containing the study user roles appears.
Select the user role that must be held by a user in order for them to authorise the question.
A new column 'Authorisation Scope' is displayed. To clear the signature from an authorisation question after a data change, select the required scope. To retain the signature after a data change, then select the blank option. More help on when a signature is revoked
Click OK to save and close the eForm definition window.
If you wish to display the name of the user who has authorised an authorisation question, you can create a text question with a derivation of question:username, where question is the name of the authorisation question.
If you wish to display the date of the authorisation, you can create a date/time question with a derivation of dateof(question), where question is the name of the authorisation question.
For example, if an authorisation question is called 'signature', the expression signature:username will display the full name of the authoriser, and the expression dateof(signature) will display the date/time at which the question was authorised.
If you set an authorisation scope for an authorisation question, then the signature will be revoked after changes to subject data within that scope. For example, if the scope is set to 'Current eForm', then any data changes within the eForm will cause the authorisation question to be cleared.
The authorisation scope can be set to 'Current eForm', 'Current visit' or 'Current subject'.
Signatures are revoked after changes to:
Signatures are not revoked after changes to:
A signature will be revoked even if the authorisation question is locked or frozen. The question will be unlocked/unfrozen and will remain so, ready to be re-authorised.
If another question derives its value from the authorisation question, then when the authorisation question is cleared, the derived question is also cleared. In this case, the eForm must be saved again to save the derived question as empty.
A revoked signature is recorded in the question audit trail by a new row showing the authorisation question has been cleared, and an automated reason for change if requested by the study designer.