Using the Temporal Feature within the Cohort Builder

To create a cohort with temporal criteria, you can use the temporal feature in the point-and-click tool, the Cohort Builder.

Temporal criteria can be inclusion or exclusion criteria and considers clinical events that happened before, after, within a certain time range, or during the same time range to another clinical event. Before defining the temporal criteria, you also want to consider the timing of when the clinical event appears in the data, including any mention, first mention, and last mention.

Note: When using the temporal feature, you should read from top to bottom. It is important to keep in mind the structure of the temporal feature before entering all criteria. Even though the temporal selection is added above the temporal key, there is a continuous line that shows a division or delimitation between the temporal criteria and any prior or additional selection.

To create your first criteria and toggle the temporal feature

1. Click “” to the right of “Cohorts.”
   
   
   
   
2. Click “Add Criteria” for a drop-down menu of program data, domains, and concepts to select from for your inclusion criteria.
   
   
   
   
3. Search or browse the program data, domains, and concepts.
   
   
   
   
4. Select a program data, domain, or concept that you want to add as inclusion criteria for your cohort.
   
   
   
   
5. Define the inclusion criterion based on your research project.
   
   
   
   
6. Click “Finish & Review.”
   
   
   
   
7. Click “Save Criteria.”
   
   
   
   
8. Toggle the slider next to “Temporal.”
   
   
   
   
9. Select the timing of when the first criteria appears in the data: any mention, first mention, and last mention.
   • Any mention: Represents any time the specific code appears in the data.
   • First mention: Represents the first time the specific code appears in the data.
   • Last mention: Represents the last time the specific code appears in the data.
     
     

To create your second criteria and apply the temporal criteria

1. Click “Add Criteria” right above the temporal toggle function.
   
   
   
   
2. Search or browse the program data, domains, and concepts.
   
   
   
   
3. Select a program data, domain, or concept that you want to add as inclusion criteria for your cohort.
   
   
   
   
4. Define the inclusion criterion based on your research project.
   
   
   
   
5. Click “Finish & Review.”
   
   
   
   
6. Click “Save Criteria.”
   
   
   
   
7. Select the relationship of the second criteria in relationship to the first criteria: during the same encounter as, X or more days after, X or more days before, or on or within X days.
   • During the same encounter as: The second criteria occurred at the same encounter as the first criteria.
   • X or more days after: The second criteria occurred after the first criteria.
   • X or more days before: The second criteria occurred before the first criteria.
   • On or within X days: The second criteria occurred on or within a specific time range as the first criteria.
     
     

To apply during the same encounter as

1. Select “During the same encounter as.”
   
   
   
   
2. Review your criteria and temporal function.
   
   
   
   
3. Click “Create Cohort.”
   
   

To apply X or more days after

1. Select “X or more days after.”
   
   
   
   
2. Type the number of days to the right of the “X or more days after.”
   
   
   
   
3. Review your criteria and temporal function.
   
   
   
   
4. Click “Create Cohort.”
   
   

To apply X or more days before

1. Select “X or more days before.”
   
   
   
   
2. Type the number of days to the right of the “X or more days before.”
   
   
   
   
3. Review your criteria and temporal function.
   
   
   
   
4. Click “Create Cohort.”
   
   

To apply on or within X days

1. Select “On or within X days.”
   
   
   
   
2. Type the number of days to the right of the “On or within X days.”
   
   
   
   
3. Review your criteria and temporal function.
   
   
   
   
4. Click “Create Cohort.”
   
   

The cohort you created can now be used to create a dataset using the Dataset Builder.

Note: The temporal feature sets the query parameters to identify person IDs based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria you select in the Cohort Builder. The feature does not extract the data. Additional data wrangling and cleaning of the final dataset may be needed.