I’m currently using OpenELIS Global 2 (Docker deployment via docker-compose.yml) and would like to know
if it is possible to add custom fields to the Sample Entry (Add Sample) form.
We would like to capture additional metadata when creating a sample, beyond the default fields provided in the UI.
Is there an existing configuration-based approach (for example via Sample Types or configuration files) to achieve this?
If this functionality is not currently supported, would the recommended approach be to extend the Sample Entry implementation within the core project?
Hello @Bruno ,
We currentnly extend the Oder entry form through Programme Questionares.
To a custom questionare , Go to admin → Programme Entry → Select New Programme
You should be able to build a new Questionater either with a UI form builder or paste raw Questionnaire JSON that defines your form.
While Programme Questionnaires allow us to capture additional metadata during Order Entry, we are specifically looking to extend the Sample (Specimen) entity.
In other words, we would like to add additional fields that are intrinsic properties of the Sample, regardless of the selected Programme. These fields should behave as attributes of the Sample rather than programme-level metadata.
For example, for a sputum sample, we need to characterize its appearance (e.g., purulent, salivary with excessive saliva, blood-tinged, or other characteristics). Similarly, other specimen types such as pleural fluid or swab samples may require specific descriptive characteristics. Capturing this information is important because it allows us to validate whether a specimen is acceptable for analysis or, conversely, to reject it if it does not meet quality criteria. This helps prevent unnecessary processing and avoids creating orders or forms that would ultimately be rejected.
In this scenario, would you still recommend using Programme Questionnaires to capture sample-level data, or is there a supported way to extend the Sample entity directly?
