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Creating QR Codes for Participant Demographics

  • Updated

In addition to creating new participants by manually entering their demographics, you may also import a participant’s demographics via a QR code. To do this, please follow the steps listed below.

 

  1. You must format the demographic information exactly as follows, ensuring that the vertical bars separate each variable/string:

ParticipantID|FirstName|LastName|DOB|ExpectedDueDate|SexAssignedAtBirth|Ethnicity|Race|Handedness|Education|MotherEducation|FatherEducation|GuardianEducation|StartPointOverride|ParticipantNotes

 

Please take note of the following:

  •  
    • All strings/fields must be separated by a vertical bar in the code: |
    • Do not leave spaces between the data you enter and the vertical bar.
    • The order of the strings within the QR code cannot be altered. The following fields must be formatted as follows:
      • DOB: MM/DD/YYYY
      • Expected Due Date: MM/DD/YYYY 
    • Sex Assigned At Birth, Ethnicity, Race, Handedness, Education, Mother’s Education, Father’s Education, Guardian’s Education, Start Point Override: These fields are coded numerically; please refer to the "NBT Final Formats" file at Toolbox Learning & Resources.
    • If you wish for a field to remain blank, do not enter information there, but preserve the vertical bar. For example, if you wish to only enter the minimally required information (Participant ID and Date of Birth), the code might look like this:    01234|||01/01/2000|||||||||||

    • Only one string (i.e., one person’s demographics) may be used per QR code.

       

      Example of a completed code:

      98765|ABC|DEF|04/01/2025||1|1|2|1|1|21||||Referred for cognitive testing

       

      • ParticipantID = 98765
      • FirstName = ABC
      • LastName = DEF
      • DOB = April 1, 2025
      • ExpectedDueDate = N/A
      • SexAssignedAtBirth = Male
      • Ethnicity = Not Hispanic or Latino
      • Race = Black or African American
      • Handedness = Right
      • Education = None
      • MotherEducation = Bachelor’s degree
      • FatherEducation = N/A
      • GuardianEducation = N/A
      • StartPointOverride = N/A
      • ParticipantNotes = Referred for cognitive testing

 

2. Paste this string into any QR code generator.

3. Open the NIH Toolbox V3 app, then tap Participants > New Participant > Scan.

4. Use the iPad’s camera to scan the QR code you have created.

5. The demographic information will be pulled into the “New Participant Information” section in the app.

6. It is critical to review the fields in the app and verify that the information was imported correctly.

7. Tap Next > Save.

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