OpenSpecimen has additional features for easy distribution, returning specimens, reserving specimens for distribution, etc. This page will guide you through the features.

Consent Validation

Consents are validated before distribution by setting required consent statements at DP and CP levels.

Configure Order Specimens UI Limit

You can configure the maximum number of specimens added using the UI, whose details can be edited at the time of distribution. Once configured, if the number of specimens to be distributed is less than the limit set, the 'Specimens' list will display all the specimens.

Report

Researchers will need data about the distributed specimens. The data needs of each project could be different. OpenSpecimen allows the administrators to configure these reports at the system level or DP level and download them after distribution.

Reserve Specimens

Often, specimens are collected for a specific researcher or a project. You can use this feature to reserve specimens to ensure that they are not distributed to a different project. When the specimens are marked as reserved, they can't be distributed to any other distribution protocols (DP).

Mark specimens as reserved for a DP
View list of specimens reserved for a DP
Distribute reserved specimens
Cancel reservation

Return Specimens

In some cases, researchers return the remaining specimens after research to the lab. To support this workflow, OpenSpecimen allows marking such specimens as ‘Returned.’

These specimens can be:

Put back to the storage location.
Automatically updated with the returned quantity as available quantity.
Marked as available again.
Updated with freeze/thaw cycles.

You can return specimens with quantity=0 only if the distributed quantity=0
You can return specimens with quantity=blank only if distributed quantity=blank

Retrieve Specimens

When the specimen is held in a temporary storage location after distribution, an option to 'Retrieve' such specimens appears on the 'Specimens' tab of the 'Orders' page. This option retrieves the specimen from the holding location, and a final transfer event is added to the specimen.

When the specimens are in a holding location, a pick distributed specimens email notification is sent to the following users associated with the order:

Requestor
Distributor
DP Principal Investigator
DP Coordinators
Receiving site coordinators.

Specimen Events

After you click on the 'Distribute' option from the above 'Create Order' screen, a few events are added for each distributed specimen. These events are useful for creating reports or audit purposes.

Bulk Upload

Distribution data can also be bulk uploaded for many orders at a time using CSV files. E.g., for legacy data migration.

Edit Orders

Filter Orders

You can filter out orders from the orders list view page. This can be helpful if you want to search for all orders from a particular ‘Receiving Institute', 'Distribution Protocol’, etc.

Order Notification Email

When specimens are distributed, an email containing the order details is sent to the users. The email also contains a link to view more details of the order and an attachment of distributed specimens CSV file. From v10.3 the emails will also display an additional sender comments field mentioning the details entered in the ‘comments’ field while distributing the specimens.

The attachment will have the same name as the 'Order' name. While distributing specimens, if you change the order name, the attachment in the email will also get the same name.
From v10.3 the emails will also display an additional sender comments field mentioning the details entered in the ‘comments’ field while distributing the specimens.
The emails are sent to the distributor, requestor, and DP coordinator.
The CSV attachment and downloaded order report will have the same columns.
You can configure the report by referring to the 'Report' section on this page.

Order Email Attachment Options

You can choose the report type to be sent in the order processed email notification.

Additional Distribution Features