QuickSAT is Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) software that supports both online interviewing and subsequent data entry from hard-copy interviews while not being connected to the Internet. Internet access is only required during the automated transfer of data from local workstations to a centralized database. Because data input can be done “offline,” Internet connection speeds are not an issue during data entry. Following confirmation of a successful transmission of data to the central server, the corresponding data are deleted from the local workstation. This eliminates both data replication and the risk that a site can alter a record following the upload, thus resulting in unsynchronized data sets. QuickSAT has been used successfully in support of the CMHS Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program since October 2000.
For the purpose of administering interviews, the QuickSAT software acts as an interpreter that is driven by a series of meta data tables containing the definitions of the various questionnaires, corresponding skip patterns, and validation rules. The system has the capability of supporting questionnaire text in multiple languages. Meta data are maintained on a central server and updated versions are automatically downloaded into a Microsoft Access database on the user’s workstation when they connect to the central server. This allows the modification of questionnaires to be performed in a central location and automates the process of updating users in the field without releasing new versions of the software.
|