This page introduces OpenClinica Insight, a reporting and visualization module that enables you to explore, analyze, and share your study’s clinical and operational data through interactive dashboards and reports.
Once Insight is enabled for your study, contact support@openclinica.com to schedule a demo and learn how to optimize data insights for your organization.
Overview
💡 Tip: Watch OpenClinica Insight – What could you do with intelligent reporting from OpenClinica, LLC on Vimeo to see example use cases and dashboards.
OpenClinica Insight provides intelligent reporting and visualization tools that help you gain actionable insights into your study data. It allows you to:
- Create and customize dashboards to monitor study progress
- Build reports to track enrollment, adverse events, and form completion
- Share and embed reports across teams or external systems
Accessing Insight
OpenClinica Insight is available as an optional module for OpenClinica 4. It is hosted separately from Study Runner and requires its own user access.
User permissions in Insight are independent of Study Runner unless your organization has enabled Row-Level Security (RLS).
It is hosted on a separate URL and requires a separate login.
To determine whether your organization has Insight:
- Check with your OpenClinica Administrator or click here.
- Or refer to your module list in the system.
- If you are an administrator, see Module Management for configuration details.
After Insight is enabled:
- Navigate to your study in OpenClinica.
- Select Insight Reports from the study navigation bar.
The Insight interface will open in a new window.
ℹ️ Note: Access to the Insight module is managed separately from Study Runner. Granting a user Insight access allows them to view study data in Insight according to your organization’s security configuration (see Data Access and Permissions below).
However, visibility of the Reports section in the Study Runner Tasks menu is controlled within Study Runner using the Show Reports Link role permission.
Getting Started
Insight provides built-in reports and interactive tools for building your own analyses without complex setup.
Key Concepts
- Questions:
Reports in Insight are called Questions. You can create them using a visual Question Builder or by writing SQL queries.- The Question Builder supports filters, aggregation, grouping, and chart or table views.
- Save Questions to reuse or share them with colleagues.
- Dashboards:
Dashboards display multiple Questions on one page.- Arrange Questions on a grid, resize panels, and apply filters to specific or all Questions.
- Drill down into tables or graphs for more details.
- Pulses and Alerts:
Configure automated notifications that send report results to team members—either on a schedule or triggered by data changes. - Data Reference:
Use the Data Reference section to explore table and column definitions generated from your study metadata.
Administrators can customize these descriptions.
ℹ️ Note: The Insight interface runs on Metabase software. For detailed instructions on creating Questions, setting alerts, managing users, and permissions, refer to the Metabase User Guide.
Insight Data Warehouse
Insight’s foundation is a data warehouse built from your OpenClinica transactional database using PostgreSQL and Python.
Each warehouse includes:
- A schema for each study environment
- Tables representing CRFs and Item Groups, with items as columns
- Audit logs and non-removed data
- A constellation data model optimized for reporting
For more information on constellation data model, refer to constellation. - Automated snapshot updates (default refresh every hour, configurable as needed)
Data Access and Permissions in Insight
By default, OpenClinica Insight assigns permissions using a feature called integrated Row-Level Security or RLS. RLS, which integrates privileges between OpenClinica itself and Insight, became the default method for assigning Insight privileges in the Stack 19 release (March, 2024). Any study started before that date will have RLS disabled unless you have chosen to opt it in. You can opt any study started after that time OUT of using RLS by contacting the OpenClinica support team.
When RLS is enabled:
- Insight automatically limits data visibility to match the user’s permissions in Study Runner.
- Users only see data from the forms, events, or sites to which they have access (based on study access, site access, and assigned Permission Tags. All form access levels except No Access will be considered by Insight as having access to the form.).
When RLS is not enabled:
Access to each data mart in the Insight data warehouse, and all Questions, Dashboards, and other reports created in Insight, must be managed manually in the Insight Admin menu.
Controlling Visibility of the Insight Reports Link in Study Runner
Allow you to configure which study roles can see the Reports (Insight) option in the Tasks menu.
Show Reports Link Permission
Each role includes a new permission called Show Reports Link. This permission determines whether users with that role can see the Reports section in the Tasks menu.
Where to Find This Permission
- Go to Settings → User Roles.
- Click Edit next to an existing role.
- In the Module Permissions section, expand Insight Module.
- Select Show Reports Link.
Default Behavior
- The Show Reports Link permission is disabled by default for all roles.
- Users cannot see the Reports link unless a Data Manager enables this permission.
Custom Roles
When you create a custom role, the Show Reports Link option appears in the role creation dialog, regardless of the base role you select.
Interaction with Insight Activation
If your organization deactivates and later reactivates Insight, the system does not restore prior role configurations. You may need to re-enable the Show Reports Link permission for the appropriate roles.
Advanced Capabilities
Data Sharing and Integration
You can:
- Share and embed Questions or Dashboards directly through the Insight interface
- Integrate Insight with your organization’s analytics or reporting tools
- Access data warehouse content directly or via the Metabase API (contact OpenClinica Support for assistance)
Learn More About Insight
Take a deeper dive into Insight to explore its full capabilities and advanced reporting features.
You can:
- Review the Insight Overview Slides to learn how to:
- Track enrollment
- Monitor adverse events
- Identify missing forms
- Understand the data model and architecture
- Explore advanced Question Builder features
- Watch the Insight Webinar Recording a one-hour demonstration of Insight’s reporting tools and configuration options.
💡 Tip: Use these resources to enhance your familiarity with Insight’s data structure and reporting workflows.
Customizing Your Dashboard
You can configure your Insight dashboard to control how information is displayed and organized.
To customize your dashboard:
- Display multiple Questions at the same time
- Arrange dashboard panels on a flexible grid layout
- Resize and reposition panels to highlight key metrics
- Apply filters to one, several, or all Questions simultaneously
Additional Insight Capabilities
Insight provides advanced features that allow you to extend reporting, automate workflows, and integrate with external tools.
- Reference your data
- Build reports using the visual Question Builder interface
- Write SQL queries
- Send alerts to sponsors, monitors, or sites about key milestones or data conditions
- Assign permissions (when RLS is enabled).
If your organization uses Row-Level Security, permissions and Permission Tags defined in Study Runner determine which forms and participants a user can see in Insight.
Without RLS, all Insight users can view all study data. - Access data via API
- Automate data retrieval from Insight
- Retrieving results for existing Questions
- Running ad-hoc SQL queries
- Returning results in JSON, CSV, or Excel (XLSX) format
- Automating object creation, configuration, or other UI actions
Embedding Insight in Other Applications
You can embed a Dashboard or Question within another application using public or parameterized links.
Parameter Control Options:
- Disabled: Default values are used; users cannot modify parameters
- Editable: Users can adjust parameters in the embedded view
- Locked: Parameters are predefined and signed by the embedding application