58: Streamlining NDASH Submission Process Using a SAS Macro Approach: Master Excel Spreadsheet Creation

Music City Center 

A team of statisticians streamlined the codebook creation and data deidentification process for the data repository of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Data and Specimen Hub (NDASH) by using SAS macros. NDASH requires projects to submit deidentified datasets with a formatted Excel codebook. Historically, projects created individual submission, causing inefficiencies and inconsistencies. The streamlined process allows projects to input project specific information to quickly generate the submission files resulting in standardization, reduced time and errors, and a simplified process that still accommodates project differences. The key is the creation of a Master File Excel spreadsheet with all variable information. This spreadsheet becomes the driver for a series of macros that deidentify data and output the codebook. The macro approach saves time otherwise spent on manual coding. Additionally, minor edits are easily implemented in the spreadsheet without needing to dig through code, and then macros can simply be rerun. To date seven projects have utilized these macros for submission, and each has saved substantial time compared to the old process.

Master File

macros

data repository

DASH codebook

data deidentification 

ENAR