Caseload in DCAL allows you to administer the available tests on DCAL to individuals and store data from their different tests together.
An example of where this might be useful is if you want to test a child on speechreading at age 7, and test them again at age 10 to compare their ability.
By the end of this Walkthrough, you should be able to add someone to a caseload, run a test with them, and download a report of their results.
We recommend you go through this Walkthrough step-by-step.
To run tests with clients on DCAL, you need to first gain access to the test you wish to use.
To do this, go to the Tests menu, select the test, and then click Apply to use this test.
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A pop up will appear with the fields ‘Please describe how you are planning to use this test’, ‘Please state your profession/research field’ and ‘Do you plan to use the test outside the UK?’.
Fill in these fields, and then click Submit.
Please note: None of these tests can be used outside the UK.
DCAL will endeavour to process your request quickly, but we recommend you submit your request well in advance of first use. Once you have access to the test, you should not need to request access again.
Each use of a test costs Tokens. These tokens are consumed when a test is scheduled, so to schedule a test, you must have enough Tokens.
Most tests cost 10 tokens.
You can buy tokens through the shop…..
Go to the Caseload Tab, and click Add New.
A box will appear containing the Fields: ‘Identifier’, ‘Date of Birth’ and ‘NHS’.
Data in DCAL are kept anonymous and secure, but many practitioners still use pseudonyms as part of their protocol. This is good practice and adds another level of protection to personal information. So in the Identifier Box, do not enter the person’s real name. Instead, make up a unique identifier, or pseudonym, and keep this along with their real name in a spreadsheet, or in your personal files.
Date of Birth should be accurate, as this affects the type of consent you will need to obtain.
The field ‘NHS’ refers to whether you are seeing the client as an NHS practitioner part of an NHS service. You will know if this is the case.
Then click Add.
You will be taken to this screen.
Consent status is stated in the Consent tab of each person’s case.
If the person is over 18, and not an NHS patient, they will be asked for their consent at the start of the first test.
If the person is under 18, and not an NHS patient, you will need a parent or guardian to fill out a consent form before they can complete tests on the portal. Go to the Consent Tab of the case and click Send online consent form to parent/guardian.
A Send Consent Form pop-up box will appear. Enter the email address of the young person’s parent or guardian, and click Send.
This will send an email to the parent or guardian. When they click the link contained, they will be taken to this form:
When the parent/guardian has submitted the form, you will be sent an email notification.
You will then be able to schedule a test.
If the person is an NHS patient and you are an NHS practitioner, you are responsible for obtaining consent.
After you have access to a test, have purchased tokens, have added someone to your caseload and (if they are under 18) have obtained consent, you will be able to schedule their first test.
Click on Schedule a Test . A box labelled Schedule Test will appear listing the Tests you have access to.
Select your desired test and click Next.
If your test contains different versions, these options, such as 'Include Clinical Subtest: Everyday Objects' will appear on the next screen. Use the dropdown menus to select the version you’d like, and click Next then Confirm.
The following screen should appear.
Your test is now scheduled.
Test reports are dependent on the demographic information provided. Demographic information can be entered before or after the test is run, but the report will not be downloadable until the demographics are complete.
Demographic information can be collected in one of two ways.
To enter demographics in person, click the Start Now button below Demographics and click Start Now. When the demographic questions are completed, click Continue.
To email a link, click the Start Now button below Demographics and enter an email address, then click Send. You will receive an email when the demographics have been submitted.
There are two ways to Run a Test on DCAL.
In order to run the Test in person, click Start Now, then Start Now.
In order to send someone a link to complete the Test, click Start Now, enter their email, and click Send. You will receive an email when they have completed the Test.
Please check the requirements and details of the test thoroughly. Some questions may be unsuitable to run remotely as they require responses from an observer.
Can someone drop out during the test?
Yes! They can withdraw at any time by closing the test window. However, you will not be able to generate a report for this data.
Click the Download Report Button. A PDF file will download.
If this button is not present, check that both your demographics and test are complete.
What will my report look like?
Your report will include the name of the test, the person’s identifier, their date of birth, age at assessment and the date of assessment. It includes a short paragraph about the test, the person’s scores for each subtest and standardised or age typical scores where available.
Note: Even where different versions of the test are used, the report provided will contain the same fields. This means that where some subtests are not included, the score for these will be 0, and this will subsequently affect overall scores and interpretations.
