Troubleshoot the linelist

Linelist
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Troubleshooting linelist data

Linelist file

File corruption

The file is getting corrupted, things do not work properly any more

Reason

It might be because OneDrive tried to synchronise the file while it was opened, but failed because VBA macros prevent synchronisation.

Solution

  • Migrate the data in an empty, uncorrupted linelist
  • Save file in a folder not synchronized by OneDrive or stop OneDrive when you are working on the file.

Buttons form the OBT menu not working

Buttons do not work, file is being weird

Reason

Macro are not executing / the file is protected

Solution

Follow the steps here to unprotect the file and authorise macros.

Not enough rows

I arrived at the end of the lines where I can enter data

Solution

Click on the “Add rows” button of the OutbreakTools Menu.

Additionaly, try t upgrade your linelist to a more recent version: recent builds automatically insert rows when you start entering data in the last row.

Formulas

Formula are not updating

Solution

  • Make sure the macros are authorised
  • Hit F9 / CALCULATE NOW BUTTON (in the native Excel Formula ribbon).

There are errors/“VALUES” in the epiweeks formula

Solution

  • Go to the “Week start” button in the OutbreakTools Menu and fill the day you want, then hit F9

  • Check that the corresponding date exists (e.g. is not a 30th of February and is in the correct format (and thus parsed as a date by Excel)

Analyses

My analyses sheets do not update after I enter data

Solution

  1. Verify that your data are not filtered (or the filter you applied are the one you want to see reflected in the analyses sheet). If you want to clear out all filters you can use the button in the OutbreakTools Menu
  2. Hit F9 in the patient data sheet make sure all formula are up-to-date
  3. Hit the “Refresh analyses button” in the OutbreakTools Menu.
  4. In the temporal analyses sheet and the spatio-temporal one, select the unit you want to display.

If problems remain, check the concerned columns:

  • Are they filled correctly (right format, exact options from the dropdown menu…)?
  • Do they depend on other variables, and if yes, are these variables filled1 properly2.

If the data is clean and the problem remains, contact your referent epi or the developers.

Read more about the analyses sheets in the linelist.

Sending data to the dashboard

I sent the data yesterday but it does not appear on the dashboard

  • Did you send the data to the mail address epi-data [at] epicentre.msf.org? Sharing a file with OneDrive does not work.

  • Did you send the whole linelist file instead of the anonymous export? You should have received a feedback automatic message explaining the problem.

  • Was the linelist Info sheet correctly filled? Scripts cannot compile the data if any of these are missing:

    • Organization
    • Country Name
    • Name of facility (unless you filled the facility column if it exists)
    • Outbreak code (for old linelists, but it is getting depreciated)

  • Open the export (it’s an excel file) to see if anything is weird. There should be several sheets, among which:

    • Metadata sheet containing information about the export
    • Info sheet containing the information of the linelist
    • Patient linelist sheet(s) containing your data

  • In the linelist, force recalculation (by button or by pressing F9). Try to export and send again.

If this does not work, contact a member of the EpiDS team.

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Footnotes

  1. For example, tracking the outcome in the Temporal analyses sheet requires the outcome date to be filled.↩︎

  2. Text instead of numbers, out of bound values, impossible dates, bad dates format…↩︎