Maintaining Biofields

A biofield is a data field that is used to store additional information for a Job or Sample. For example, where a sample is delivered by ship, then record the shipping information on the sample, as a client may ask about the status of the shipped samples.

A biofield is defined in terms of the type of values allowed, along with the validations of the entries.

A Biofield Group is a collection of biofields.

A biofield code can contain letters, digits and underscores only. Also, where the biofield is for use on a search screen, then the biofield code must not start with a digit nor contain a hyphen. Searching uses the Java infrastructure's custom attribute searching capability, and in the Java infrastructure space, a hyphen is a special character used in identifying name spaces, so using a hyphen in a biofield code interferes with name space identification, resulting in an incorrect biofield code being sent to the search.

Biofield Scope

Biofields are created either with org-scope or lab-scope. An organisation or laboratory can contain multiple biofields.

An org-scope biofield can be scoped by line of business, making them visible only to laboratories linked to that line of business.

Biofields are scoped by use:

  • Job—These biofields can be attached to a job.
  • Sample—These biofields can be attached to a sample.

Properties of a Biofield

A biofield can have:

  • A name and description
  • A type—The value of a biofield can be Test, List, Date, Date Time, check box, Image or Numeric.
  • A default value.

Multi-language data entry is supported for reportable, visible and enabled fields in this application.

Use of Biofields

Laboratories receive samples from clients for testing, and provide reports back to the client. Samples are registered as jobs. In addition to the standard information on jobs and samples, there can be additional pieces of information that must be managed and potentially reported to the client. These customised attributes are called biofields and can be used in job and sample search and update, and reported. Biofield can be defined to suit the customer's requirements. You can define biofields to suit the requirements of the client for a particular job. Biofield definitions are assigned to jobs and samples during registration, analysis and reporting phases of the job. Biofields do not have to be applied to all jobs or samples, for example, a set of additional fields for testing shoes can be added to one job, but not used in another job.

Biofields can be displayed on certificate reports.

Biofields can be added to report templates to ensure that the biofield values appear on any generated reports, in the requisite display format and in the order specified by the job and samples.

Biofields and Lines of Business

If a laboratory has one or more lines of business assigned to it, then a biofield search only returns:

  • Organisation-scope biofields that have no line of business assigned.
  • Organisation-scope biofields that have a line of business assigned that is in the laboratory's lines of business.
  • Laboratory-scope biofields.

The lines of business criteria when searching for biofields in the CCBFLD—Biofield application only displays a list of the lines of business that are assigned to the laboratory, not all of the lines of business defined in the organisation. This means that you cannot search for, or edit, any biofield that is not linked to a line of business assigned to your laboratory.

Only biofields returned from a search, subjected to the above restrictions, can be registered on a sample.

Refer to Limiting User Visibility of Biofields by Line of Business.

Configuring Automatic Registration of Biofields on to Jobs and Samples

A biofield is automatically added to a job or sample if the biofield is in scope, has a Use Scope of Job or Sample, respectively, is active, and at least one of the following is true:

Configuring Biofield Displays in Registration and Workbook

Administrators can set preferences to specify which biofields are displayed in the sample list for a job in registration, or for samples in workbook so that users can see the biofields that are relevant to them.

Biofield Creation and Maintenance

Biofields are created for use:

  • Across an organisation (at organisation scope), or
  • Only for a laboratory (at laboratory scope, applicable to just that laboratory).

Biofields are created using the CCBFLD—Biofield application, which is also accessed using the Submission Setup » Biofields menu option.