This document goes through a list of issues which users could encounter when uploading a CSV file in HD4DP v1. The article provides by tips and tricks to overcome these issues.

How should I create a CSV file?

Several methods can be used for creating a .csv file :

• Download the .csv file for your data collection on https://www.healthdata.be/dcd/#/collections
• Consult this article first
• Use a spreadsheet  (e.g. Microsoft Excel, OpenCalc)
• Save the document using one of the 2 following methods :
  • Use the spreadsheet and make sure the file saved use semi-column (;) as separator to fitting the standard of healthdata.be. Depending of the spreadsheet used, the creation of the .csv file containing semi-columns as file separators, could be carried out in 2 steps :
    • save the file as .csv file containing commas as column separators
    • edit the .csv file with a text editor and replace the commas by semi-column
  • Copy the data in a note editor and save it as .csv file
    • on Microsoft : notepad, notepad++
    • on Macintosh : textedit;app

How to find the technical requirements for a field in the registration?

• Consult the registration requirements for each field in the data collection definition, as shown below :
  • Field Type e.g. text, boolean, choice, date, patient
  • CSV column_name 
  • Required : 'true' means that is a mandatory field and it has be present within the .csv extract

• Postal code missing : use the value 999
• Postal code for people living abroad : 9999

How to perform a massive deletion of records with HD4DP v1?

• If your HD4DP version is not yet version 1.10.3 (consult this website for getting informed with HD4DP version), contact support.healthdata.be@sciensano.be
• For future releases, the functionality is available

How should I treat NISS code with leading zeros when creating my csv?

 For treating leading 0s of a national registry number (NISS), you can fill in the field 'patient_id' by adding a simple quote (')  before the leading zeros as follows:

• as is : 0007788..
• to be: '0007788...

We advice the use of Excel TEXT function for formatting your NISS field for adding leading zeros. You can consult the following article for more information.

Can I use both Windows and Macintosh file for creating a csv file?

• From the HD4DP version 1.10.3, you create your CSV file can either on Windows or Macintosh
• For older versions, you can create a CSV on Macintosh buy you have to save it on a Windows environment before uploading it in HD4DP

How should I format the date fields within my csv extract?

The date format has to be dd/mm/yyyy, therefore  make sure the date format is correct by consulting your .csv file before uploading. Open the file with a text editor and not a spreadsheet and check the format date.

How should I proceed with deceased patient?

• Put a value in the field 'patient | deceased' 
  • TRUE if patient deceased
  • FALSE if patient alive
• Put the date of death in the field 'patient_id | date_of_death'  if the patient is deceased 

How can I fix errors with the automatic generation of Patient_ID?

• If you do not dispose of a national number of the patient, a patient_id will be generated automatically. This is called a 'codepat' and you can find more information in the article "What is a codepat and how is it calculated?" 
• If you use a codepat, you should use the substrings function for extracting the name and first name from the codepat field to fill in the strings from the 'CODEPAT': 
  • patient_id | name
  • patient_id | first_name
• Below, an example of use of substring functions directly applied on the 'CODEPAT' for carrying this information extraction
  • patient_id | name  = MID(cell,9,2)   
  • patient_id | first_name =MID(cell,11,2)
  • patient_id | generated has to set to 'TRUE'
  • patient_id | sex has to be set to 'M' (Male) or 'F'(Female)
• Test this procedure using the following csv extract, you should get the 'patient_id' filled in automatically

​Example:CODEPAT;patient_id;patient_id|generated;patient_id|internal_patient_id;patient_id|
name;patient_id|first_name;patient_id|date_of_birth;patient_id|sex;patient_id|deceased;
patient_id|place_of_residence;HIVType;RNA_DATE;RNA_VALUE;RNA_SPECIMEN;
RNA_ASSAY;DNA_PCR_DATE;DNA_PCR_VALUE19711125JADAM;71112535971;;;;;25/11/1971;M;;2000;
HIV1;12/12/2016;25;B;99;;19711125JADAM;19711125JADAM;TRUE;;JA;DA;25/11/1971;M;;2000;
HIV1;05/10/2016;82;B;90;;

• Pay attention cases when the substring function returned values as DE, DU IN, LA, LE, OP in the field 'patient_id | name', you should add one characteristic 

e.g. LE could become LEE or DE could become DEE 

Which norm of country code should I use in my csv extract?

Fill in the field 'NATION' using the the 2-digits ISO standard 3166alpha2 format.

How can I make sure that there are no spaces in cells left empty?

Make sure there is no spaces in cells left empty by searching the 'SPACE' characters (e.g. CTRL-F and push on the SPACE touch).
Remove all the spaces in cells left empty by replacing all the 'SPACE' characters by an empty string '' (e.g. CTRL-H and replace the 'SPACE' characters by an empty field '').

How can I treat the numbers with decimals?

The decimal separator must be the comma (e.g. 1,78 ; 1,89)

What are the not supported postal codes?

What values to use when postal code is missing or for patient living abroad?

Missing postal code : 999
Patient living abroad : 9999