We have put together a collection of the most frequently asked questions and problems that Users encounter when working with ECFSTracker. 
Check the section heading or use a word search to find what you are looking for. If your question remains unanswered please contact the ECFSPR Service Desk:
Email:  servicedesk@ecfregistry.eu; Skype:  Alice Fox – ECFSPR Service Desk / Marko Krasnyk – ECFSPR Service Desk.

Question / Problem

Possible Cause/s

Possible Solution/Explanation/Answer

1. Access/Browser-Related
  1. I ‘ve forgotten my user name / password / both.

Memory
  • To know your user name write to the Service Desk
  • To create a new password: click on the “forgot password” link in the login page of ECFSTracker.
  1. I just tried to connect to the ECFSTracker website - https://ecfstracker.eu -

for the first time, but cannot access it.

If you have never tried to connect to ECFSTracker before, maybe you do not have access rights.
  • Contact the Service Desk.

iii. Previously I was able to connect to the ECFSTracker website https://ecfstracker.eu, but now I cannot.

a. If you use IP lockdown

Maybe the IP address has changed.
  • Check with your IT department. Ask them to give you the current network IP address/addresses (even if they say there have been no changes) and send it to the Service Desk. Remember to ask for the external static IP or range of IPs.

Maybe you are using a computer on a different LAN (local access network) with a different IP from the one safelisted for you. Sometimes different departments in the same hospital use different IPs.

  • Use a PC connected to the original LAN i.e. the PC you used before.

or

  • Ask your IT department for the current network IP or range of IPs of the different LAN and send it to the Service Desk. We will put it/them on our IP safelist so you can connect to ECFSTracker in the two different places, if necessary.

iii. cont.

b. If you use an SSL certificate

The SSL certificate is valid for a fixed period of time. It may have expired.

  • Open the Internet with the browser you normally use, i.e. Firefox, Chrome etc. Find the section where you manage the certificates. Where this is depends on the browser i.e., you can use Google to help you. Find the certificate on the list of installed certificates and check the expiry date. The Service Desk will supply you with a new certificate if necessary.

You may be using a different Internet browser from the one you usually use, and you did not install the SSL certificate on the 2nd browser.
  • Use your original browser

or

  • Install the certificate on the new Internet browser you want to use. (Preferred are Firefox or Chrome; we advise against Internet Explorer). How to install the certificate depends on which browser. If you need help, or you do not have the certificate, or the password required for installation, contact the Service Desk.

You may be using a different PC or laptop from the one you normally use.
  • Use the device you normally use, or install the SSL certificate on the Internet browser on the new device (preferred Firefox or Chrome; we advise against Internet Explorer). How to install the certificate depends on which browser. If you need help or you do not have the certificate, or the password required for installation, contact the Service Desk. Please remember to limit the installation of the SSL certificate for security reasons.

iv. I keep getting logged out of ECFSTracker.

ECFSTracker has an option where you can set the number of minutes of non-activity before being you are automatically logged out. This is an important element of program security, and is managed by the user.
  • If necessary, you can change the number of minutes of non-activity before being automatically logged out. Select “Personalise Account” from under your name in the navigation bar, and change the number of minutes in the field “Session Idle Timeout”. For security reasons we advise to not make it higher than (15 minutes).
  1. I can access ECFSTracker but the pages look “strange”.

This could be because you are using Internet Explorer. IE gives problems with visualisation e.g. coloured boxes hiding fields, fields out of line, save/update buttons invisible.
  • Change your Internet Browser to a recent version of Firefox or Google Chrome. If you do not have the permission to do this explain the situation to your IT department and ask them to change it. If this is not possible, contact the Service Desk.

2. Enrol Patient / Core Data
  1. Do I need to input the Social Security number (or equiva-lent) for all patients, or only for new patients?

  • The Social Security number (or equivalent) can only be entered for patients who are being entered in ECFSTracker for the first time. The field is visible only on the Enrol Patient form, which itself is only visible once. When you save this page the Social Security Number is saved only as a hash and is not retrievable.
  1. Why do I need to input the Social Security number, and why only for new patients and not for old.

  • There is an additional check (to those in the old software) done by ECFSTracker that helps to identify possible duplicates in the database. To do this it looks at a number of variables, including this number, when you enrol a new patient; if 3 out of 4 of these are found in a patient already in the system (in the same country), ECFSTracker will give you a warning.

iii. I tried to enrol a new patient but ECFSTracker told me that the patient might already be in the system. What do I do?

You may have made a mistake typing the name or surname, date of birth or social security number, or the patient could be registered in another centre in your country.
  • Check the data you entered and correct any mistakes.
  • If the data is correct, the patient is probably already registered in another centre that contributes data to the ECFSPR in your country. If this is the case contact the Service Desk with the date of birth of the patient.

iv. I can’t change the date of birth or anything on the diagnosis tab in the Annual Summary.

This is correct. To change diagnosis and demographic information you must (i) be Centre Administrator and (ii) change it on the Core Data forms.
  • Ensure the data in the years before the change is already submitted;
  • Ensure the year of the change in the data has status = open;
  • Go to the main AS year page and open the PAS;
  • Choose the Core Data from the menu on the left. Edit the fields as desired. Save the Core Data. The patient Annual Summaries for all open years will be updated with any changes you make.
  • If you have only basic User rights, contact your Centre Administrator.
  • If you are still having problems, contact the Service Desk.
  1. When I tried to save the Core Data, the data I entered disappeared. What happened?

It is possible there is an old setting on some fields in your centre.
  • Contact the Service Desk immediately. If possible, try to recreate the problem yourself, and take screenshots of before, during and after to send to the Service Desk.

vi. When I saved the Core Data some issues were highlighted in red.

The fields in the Core Data must be completed correctly. If they are not, or some are left empty, ECFSTracker will tell you. These issues will also be copied to all open Annual Summaries for the patient.
  • Click on the help-icon beside the field or consult the User Guide to know how to complete a field correctly. If you still don’t understand contact the Service Desk.
  • When you save the Core Data the issues will disappear in both the Core Data and the Annual Summary.

vii. I need to enter 3 mutations for a patient but there are only 2 fields.

  • In the first or second mutation field start to type the word “other”, then select it when it appears.
  • Below, in the field “other mutation” type the mutations, separated by a comma (“,”).

viii I can’t see names of the patients in ECFSTracker.

You did not type the labels file password when asked.
  • Type it. If you don’t know it ask your Centre Administrator. The password is centre-specific. You need to type the password to see patient names in ECFSTracker. If you are the Centre Administrator and you cannot remem-ber the password you set contact the Service Desk.

There is no labels file password set for your centre.
  • Ask your Centre Administrator to set the password. See Section the User Guide. Contact the Service Desk before you do this if you have doubts or further questions.

You did not save the patient names in the labels file when you enrolled them in ECFSTracker.
  • Go to the Annual Summary for the first open year. Select and open the patient. Select “Set Patient Label” from the menu on the left, type the patient’s name and save. To do this, the password for the labels file must be set, and you must know it. See the User Guide.

You have not uploaded the contents of your SVL file to ECFSTracker.
  • See how in the User Guide. If you need help with this contact the Service Desk.

If you have typed the labels file password, and set the label/s correctly, and you don’t see the patient name/s, it may be because you are using Internet Explorer as your browser. We do not recommend this.
  • Change your Internet Browser to a recent version of Firefox or Google Chrome. If you do not have the permission to do this, explain the situation to your IT department and ask them to change it. If this is not possible, contact the Service Desk.

3. Clinical Data
  1. Are there specific criteria for liver disease diagnosis?

  • Yes. CF liver disease is considered present when LFTs abnormal on 2 separate occasions with no other cause identified, or if liver disease seen on radiology (typically ultrasound).
  1. If a patient has had oxygen therapy briefly during the course of an exacerbation but does not undergo chronic domiciliary oxygen therapy, should we answer yes or no?

  • No, for registry purposes we want to know if the patient is on long term O2, which means low O2 levels after an exacerbation is resolved.

4. Error Correction during input and Data Cleaning
  1. ECFSTracker (or the ECFPR statistician) has found an error but the value I entered is correct for this case.

This is possible. ECFSTracker and our statistician both check values against accepted parameters, and highlight anything that falls outside of the range.
  • You can tell ECFSTracker and our statistician to accept the value. Click on the issues button and choose “value is correct” in the window that opens.

ii. I corrected the error in my data but it is still there.

It’s not really still there. When you saved the page you corrected the error. But you still need to confirm that you corrected it for the red error description to disappear.
  • Click on the red issues button at the bottom right of the patient annual summary. A list of fields affected by the error, a description of the error and the values are listed. If you changed the value, select “fixed” and save. Now the issue will disappear.

5. Data Submission
  1. I can’t see the option to submit the data to Europe.

You have not set the centre status to complete.
  • The “submit to Europe” option can be found in the Centre Status options but is only visible if the centre year has first been set to “complete”.
  • You must mark all patients to “complete” before you mark the centre complete.

You are not the Centre Administrator.
  • You must have Centre Administrator rights to submit the data set to the ECFSPRegistry. Speak to your CA. If you are the CA speak to the Service Desk.