Medical Research at DataStep Development: CAPSURE
The CAPSURE database application was designed to collect a large number of patient variables for patients participating in a prostate cancer research project. Created in 1996 in Microsoft Access 2.0, the challenge of the CAPSURE project was developed to give users immediate access to thirty-two pages of information about any given patient. Because this application was developed before tabbed pages were added to applications like Access and Borland's Delphi, we created a drop-down list of pages that was dependent on the current location in the software. Thus, if the user had selected baseline information, the page list displayed all twenty-one pages of the baseline information (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Baseline page list

In addition to ease of navigation, the CAPSURE application also provided both an immediate and a batch validation function to ensure that values fell within allowable ranges. The vertical bar at the top of the window displays whether the data entered are both complete and valid.
Once a user selects a type of page (baseline, lab sheets, or progress notes), only the pages of that type are available from the drop-down list. Because different types of pages are easily accessed from the icons at the top of the window, the application provides very easy accessed at any time. At the bottom of the window, the specific lab sheets and progress notes for the selected patient are available from their respective drop-down lists.
View CAPSURE pages:
Patient Directory |
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Baseline 01 Information |
Birthdate, ethnicity, insurance |
Baseline 02 Cancer Staging Information |
Initial biopsy, Prostate volume, PSA, TNM |
Baseline 03 Cancer State Evaluation: Test 1 |
CBC, PAP, TRUS, MRI, CT, Ultrasound, X-Ray, etc. |
Baseline 04 Cancer State Evaluation: Test 2 |
IVP, Cystoscopy, Other tests |
Baseline 05 Prostate Pathology: Methods 1 |
Core needle biopsy, FNA, TUR, Other methods |
Baseline 06 Prostate Pathology: Methods 2 |
Core needle biopsy, FNA, TUR, Other methods |
Baseline 07 Prostate Pathology: DRE |
Digital-Rectal Examination, Initial & subsequent evaluation |
Baseline 08 Prostate Pathology: Systematics |
Systematic/mapped biopsy, Initial and subsequent evaluation |
Baseline 09 Prostate Pathology: Non-systematic |
Non-systematic/non-mapped biopsy, Initial and subsequent evaluation |
Baseline 10 Treatment |
Waiting, Radical prostatectomy, Lymphadenectomy |
Baseline 11 Treatment (cont) |
Cryosurgery/cryoablation, Radiation therapy |
Baseline 12 Hormonal Therapy |
Orchiectomy, LHRH agonist, Anti-androgen |
Baseline 13 Hormonal Therapy (cont) |
DES, Finasteride, other treatments, hot flashes |
Baseline 14 Baseline Progress Note |
Visit reason, Current stage and staging |
Baseline 15 Baseline Progress Note (cont) |
New diagnoses, Treatment plan, DRE, Labs ordered |
Baseline 16 Baseline Progress Note (cont) |
Imaging studies, Clinic procedures |
Baseline 17 Baseline Progress Note (cont) |
Signs and symptoms, Other treatments this visit |
Baseline 18 Baseline Progress Note (cont) |
Karnofsky, Clinical trial |
Baseline 19 Baseline Progress Note (cont) |
Medications - specific |
Baseline 20 Baseline Progress Note (cont) |
Medications - other, Comments |
Baseline 21 Patient Decline Form |
For patients who decline to participate |
Lab note 01 |
PSA, Hematology, and Chemistry |
Lab note 02 |
Urinalysis and Other Tests |
Progress Note 01 Visit Reason |
Reason for visit, current staging, TNM staging |
Progress Note 02 Diagnoses |
Diagnoses, treatment plan, DRE, labs ordered |
Progress Note 03 Imaging |
Imaging studies ordered, clinic procedures |
Progress Note 04 Surgery 1 |
Transrectal biopsy, rad. prostatectomy, lymphadenectomy |
Progress Note 05 Surgery 2 |
Cryosurgery/cryoablation, radiation therapy |
Progress Note 06 Signs & Symptoms |
Other treatments, signs and symptoms |
Progress Note 07 Karnofsky |
Karnofsky scale and description |
Progress Note 08 Medications 1 |
Medications - specific |
Progress Note 09 Medications 2 |
Medications - other comments |
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