itBioPath's dictionaries control the choices presented in various drop-down fields throughout the application. Users with an appropriate role in itBioPath may add, delete or edit dictionary entries. Users without an appropriate role assigned are not able to access the Dictionary Manager. If you do not have the appropriate permissions to change dictionaries but would like changes made to the options in a particular drop-down field, please contact Research Informatics. There is an approval process for specific changes. Alterations to specific dictionaries may impact other users of the application.

itBioPath actually has three sets of dictionaries. The BST Dictionary set contains those dictionaries that apply to most of the drop-down fields in the application. The Pathology Dictionary controls drop-down options available in fields that appear on the Path Report window only. The Patient Dictionary currently only contains dictionaries that control options available in drop-downs associated with patient ethnicity and race as such values are stored in patient tables that are also accessed by other databases (such as CCR) that Research Informatics has developed.

To manage one of itBioPath's Dictionaries:

• Open the Dictionary Editor by selecting Administration-Dictionaries-[Name of the Appropriate Dictionary Set] in the application menu bar.

• Select the specific dictionary to manage in the drop-down at the top of the window. The list of dictionary values will appear in the window.

• Make appropriate changes to the list of values in the window. Potential changes include:
  • Adding a new value to the list by clickingabove the list and entering the new value in the field that appears to the right of the dictionary list.
  • Activating or deactivating a dictionary entry by selecting the entry in the list by changing the Is Active value for that entry. (Inactive entries will no longer appear as options in the appropriate drop-down field, although records that previously had that value will remain unchanged.)
  • Deleting a dictionary entry by selecting the entry in the list and clicking on thebutton above the list. (This can only happen if there are no existing records with that value selected. Deactivating entries that are no longer being used is preferable to actually deleting them.)
  • Editing a dictionary entry by selecting it, then making the appropriate changes in the entry text that appears to the right of the dictionary list.
• Clickto save the changes you have made to the dictionary.

• Update the drop-down fields in the application with all of the current dictionary settings by selecting Administration-Dictionaries-Refresh All in the application menu. This will update the drop-down fields with the changes just made and any other changes made by you or other users since you started the application (or refreshed). If the dictionaries are not refreshed, these changes will automatically be reflected in the appropriate drop-down fields the next time you log in to the application.