The below functionalities are the ones currently supported at healthdata.be and provide hyperlinks to the xlsform.org website including more details on how the functionality can be implemented in general XLSForms. Please note that slight changes might be needed for implementation within healthdata.be.

• Basic format
  • The survey worksheet
  • The choices worksheet
  • Setting up your worksheets
• Question types
  • Multiple choice
  • Multiple choice from file
• Hints
  • Regular hints
  • Guidance hints
• Formulas
• Constraints
  • Constraint message
• Relevant
• Calculation
• Required
  • Required message
• Randomize choices
• Grouping questions
  • Nesting groups within groups
  • Skipping
• Repeats
  • Fixed repeat counts
  • Only add repeats in certain conditions
• Cascading selects
• Default
• Read only
• Appearance
• Advanced use and extensibility
• Tools that support XLSForms
• More resources
• History

Naming convention of the files

"HD_DCD_SPEC_REGxxxx_ABBREV_DCDname_vx.x.x"

• REGxxxx : specific healthdata.be project identifier (HDBPxxxx as applicable)
• ABBREV : the registry abbreviation
• DCDname : name of the DCD
• vx.x.x : the version of the DCD (based on semver.org)

Versioning

Three levels are considered (based on semver.org)

• Major: changes that impact the validity of draft or submitted registrations (for example adding variables)
• Minor: changes that do not impact the validity of draft or submitted registrations (for example adding new choice options)
• Patch: changes that do not impact any registrations but are rather classified as bug fixes

Multiple DCD convention

For each DCD, a separate XLSForm is created and maintained in the relevant project folder.

Workspace

• Conventions regarding the use of XLSForm within healthdata.be or XLSForm templates are available upon request at our Servicedesk.

This page is a work-in-progress reference for available functions in XLSForms used by healthdata.be to create Data Collection Definitions. It lists the four possible sheets: survey, choices, settings and hd.

survey

This sheet is mandatory in all XLSForms.

Category	Item	Description	HD specific?
Column headers
	order	Sequential order number	Yes
	type	Sets the question type, see below
	name	Unique variable name
	label::[language]	Label visible in the form. Currently English, French and Dutch are supported
	hint::[language]	Providing a help text description
	guidance_hint::[language]	Providing a help text tooltip
	hd::number_format	Format for integers and decimals expressed as x.y (x=total number of characters; y=number of decimals)	Yes
	constraint	Specifying additional validations on the provided data
	constraint_message::[language]	The message a user is shown if the response was not valid
	required	Whether a variable is mandatory to be provided
	required_message::[language]]	Allows to customize the error message if required question is not answered
	default	A default value that is pre-filled before the user gets to the question
	relevant	Skip logic condition (the relevant condition that needs to be fulfilled in order for the present question to be displayed)
	read_only	Whether a question response can be edited
	choice_filter	If available choices depend on entries in another data field
	calculation	For specific calculations
	appearance	Includes variable specifics
	authentic_source::[source]	Data field connected with an external source	Yes
	name::technical	The technical name used within healthdata.be Data warehouse.	Yes
	destination::hd	Data field sent to healthdata.be Data warehouse.	Yes
	destination::hd_client	Data field sent to healthdata.be Data warehouse and available for client	Yes
	destination::nippin	Data field sent to National Intermutualistic College (NIC)	Yes
	destination::nippin_xml_name	Xml file name for NIC in which data field is included	Yes
	destination::nippin_relevant	Logic condition if data field is not always included in xml file for NIC	Yes
	destination::ima	Data field sent to Inter-Mutuality Agency (IMA)	Yes
	destination::hera	Data field sent to Sciensano Be-HERA platform	Yes
	destination::bioit	Data field sent to Sciensano BioIT platform	Yes
	destination::nrc	Data field sent to National Reference Center (NRC)	Yes
	destination::bcr	Data field sent to Belgian Cancer Registry (BCR)	Yes
	destination::contact	Data field sent for contact tracing purposes through Be-HERA platform	Yes
	destination::azg	Data field sent to Agentschap Zorg en Gezondheid (AZG) through Be-HERA platform	Yes
	destination::aviq	Data field sent to Agence pour une Vie de Qualité through Be-HERA platform	Yes
	destination::iriscare	Data field sent to Iriscare through Be-HERA platform	Yes
	destination::dgov	Data field sent to Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft	Yes
	destination::digivl	Data field sent to Digitaal Vlaanderen	Yes
	ttp::ehealth	Data field to be pseudonymized by eHealth	Yes
	ttp::hd	Data field to be pseudonymized by Sciensano healthdata.be (HD-DWH; second pseudonymization)	Yes
	comment::hd	Comment added by healthdata.be employee	Yes
	comment::commissioner	Comment added by project commissioner	Yes
Supported question types
	select_one [choices] [or_other]	User can choose one of several choices
	select_multiple [choices] [or_other]	User can choose one or more of several choices
	select_one_from_file [file]	User can choose one of several choices from an external file
	select_multiple_from_file [file]	User can choose one or more of several choices from an external file
	text	User can enter a text response
	integer	User can enter an integer
	decimal	User can enter a decimal number
	date	User can enter a date
	time	User can enter a time of day
	datetime	User can enter date and time together
	note	User is shown a note (no response possible)
	calculate	Specifically calculated parameter
Groups		Groups contain one or more questions, or other nested groups, which may loop (repeat)
	begin_group	Sets the beginning of a group
	end_group	Ends the group
	begin_repeat	Sets the beginning of a repeat group
	end_repeat	Ends the repeat group
Form variable references
	${variable_name}	Reference another question (can be used in skip logic condition [relevant], validation, inside another question or hint label
	.	Current question

choices

The choices sheet contains the options for the select_one or select_multiple questions in the file.

Item	Description	HD specific?
order	Sequential order number	Yes
list_name	A unique name for each set of choices
name	Identifier or code of the specific choice.
label::[language]	Choice label,visible in the form. Currently English, French and Dutch are supported.
name::system	Possibility to refer to which naming or coding system is used .
mdm:xxxxx	References for internal healthdata.be purposes	Yes
filter	If available choices depend on entries in another data field
link to codelist overview	For remote call lists (centrally managed within healthdata.be)	Yes

settings

The settings sheet and all of its items are optional.

Item	Description
form_title	Title displayed at beginning of form, in form list

hd

The hd sheet contains healthdata.be specific data and/or metadata related to the project.