Data & Such
Data & Such …
How to Get Your Data Rolling …
(This is a long post- click Here if you want to skip to a list of posts)
Set Your Own Data Standards …
In the late 1990’s there was a data storm in the perfusion community. All of a sudden, terms like CQI, STS, QA, and CQM, were rolling off perfusion administrators tongues faster than a water park slide. This was definitely the tail wagging the salivating dog.
Number crunching was in, and on top of all the perfusion data we were already collecting, was added a nice new and shiny wrapper in what was to become the new and improved perfusion package.
If it had a number, it had better be in the database that perfusion groups were spending thousands of dollars on.
The database itself was a mythical beast. On top of countless records and checklists, the mountain that was yet to be climbed, AFTER the all night circ-arrest case, was the mentally crippling task of typing in data, to feed this monstrous pig.
Sometimes… ya gotta feed the Pig .
And the authors of this soulless tyranny? It’s administrators? Well sad to say, but the persons that fomented this information gorge were invariably some of our own…
People climbing ladders and spending countless hours trying to figure out how to fit an abacus into an email, and teaching monkeys to count.
I was once one of them… So this is my Mea culpa …
Sorry Bros…
So.. You want a Database- for Free…
Well it’s not as hard as it sounds… it’s actually pretty easy.
If you follow the steps listed below, you and your group can have a database that is:
- Free
- Can be accessed anywhere and anytime
- Automatically creates a spreadsheet with the data in it
- Has conditional navigation
- Has data entry checks to prevent missed data points
- Spits out nice bar graphs and pie charts on it’s own
- Can be downloaded and backed up at anytime
- Did I say free ?
If you don’t want to read up on the process but would like to see how it works- Launch the Form now by clicking below. Please enter data one time only- as it is a live form.
Start Your Database …
Step 1: Open a Gmail account (they provide the database engine)
Step 2: Log in to your new Gmail account.
An example of the one I opened for CircuitSurfers.com
Step 3: create a new document. There are several options- but for now, let’s just create a new form.
Click to see “Documents”
Select “Form”
Step 4: Design your questionnaire/data collection tool.
Create your first question : Add label to form : Select question “type” .
Note: Pay attention to the “Type” of question you are designing. “Multiple choice” allows for one selection only, whereas “checkboxes” allow for more than one response.
Fill in answer options : Designate if it is a “required” question.
Add more questions to your form.
Note: The 3 different “types” of question formats below
You can add a poll.
Step 5: Save your form before you close out of gmail.
Be sure to save your form.
Step 6: Add some fluff and a nice wrapper…
Select a theme (it’s all about appearance)
Step 7: Test your form (really test it and make sure the results graph out the way you want them to).
How the form Looks with your selected theme.
Step 8: Set security settings to allow access only to the people you want to have entering the data.
Select WHO you want to See this form.
Step 9: Who gets to see the results?
Assign who can access the form.
Note: The form generates it’s own down loadable Excel sheet.
The form Creates an Excel worksheet on it’s own.
Voila’ !
The completed Form in action.
Step 10: Get instant updates on when data forms are submitted.
You can be notified when someone enters a new record.
Step 11: Do you want the people submitting the forms to see the results?
Set form to allow others to see previous results.
Note: How to see the form responses…
Click on “previous responses” to see data.
Note: Shiny new bar graphs. Where’s that dog whistle ?
Some results for this form.
Note: A credit to instant gratification… Like going to the ice cream parlor.
Your email lets you know when a form has been submitted.
OK- you’re done.
Let me know what you think and leave questions in the comments section. The form above is one that I created to use for this blog as a way to determine if a global perfusion data bank could ever be established.
So if you want to see the online database in action, try filling out the form below, and viewing the results. The form is live- so please enter only once.
Results can be seen by clicking the link at the bottom of the post.
Good Luck !
(and leave a comment if this actually helped you or your group create a database)
Frank Aprile, BBA, LP, CCP
Take the Poll …
