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Concept dictionary

What it does

The concept dictionary is the shared vocabulary of the platform — the diagnoses, tests, questions, and answer options used across forms and records. Using one dictionary keeps data consistent and reportable everywhere it's captured.

Where to find it

Choose Concepts from the navigation (/concepts). You'll see a searchable list of concepts.

📸 Screenshot: the Concepts list (concepts-list).

Common tasks

Find a concept

Type a name or code into the search box in Concepts and open a result to see its details — its class, data type, and any answers or mappings.

Add a concept

  1. In Concepts, select New (/concepts/new).
  2. Give it a name, pick its class (what kind of thing it is) and data type (the kind of value it holds — a number, a date, text, or a coded answer).
  3. For coded concepts, add the allowed answers. Select Save.

Group concepts into a set

Open Sets (/concepts/sets) to build a concept that contains other concepts — useful for panels and grouped questions.

Map to external code systems

Open Mappings (/concepts/mappings) to link a concept to standard codes (for example ICD or LOINC) so data can be shared and reported against those systems.

Tips & limitations

  • Concepts are used widely, so changing one affects every form and record that references it. Prefer retiring an outdated concept over deleting it, to preserve history.
  • A concept's data type determines how it behaves in forms — choose it carefully when creating.