Epi Info™ 7.2.6.0 Release Notes
Version: 7.2.6.0
Release date: October 24, 2023
Release notes version: 3
Release note date: October 23, 2023
Overview
Epi Info™ is a public domain suite of interoperable software tools designed for the global community of public health practitioners and researchers. It provides for easy data entry form and database construction, a customized data entry experience, and data analyses with epidemiologic statistics, maps, and graphs for public health professionals who may lack an information technology background. Epi Info™ is used for outbreak investigations; for developing small to mid-sized disease surveillance systems; as analysis, visualization, and reporting (AVR) components of larger systems; and in the continuing education in the science of epidemiology and public health analytic methods at schools of public health around the world.
This version offers increased functionality, improved performance, additional statistics, and bug fixes. Security updates ensure your information always stays safe.
Changes Summarized
Statistical: To our Classic and Dashboard analysis tools, we added a new regression analysis, new statistics and features to existing analyses, new data input and output options, and new data management functions. We hope that these additions and improvements will increase our customers’ ability to manage and analyze epidemiologic and other scientific data.
Template Collection: We added a comprehensive collection of templates to make creating highly effective forms easier. Templates are collections of field, pages, or forms that can easily be copied to your survey or used to explore some of the advanced features of Epi Info surveys.
Security Updates: Software is always under attack and vulnerabilities are found in the packages of software used by larger programs such as Epi Info 7. Patches are then made, and we update our software to employ the newest updates to ensure your information is safe.
User Impacts
The required version of the .Net framework is now 4.8 or later. The prior version required was 4.6.1 or later. This means that users using a version of Windows that did not have .Net 4.8 or later installed natively, will have to install 4.8 to be able to run Epi Info 7. For example, if you are running Windows Vista, you will need to upgrade your version of windows to Windows 7 or later and then install the .Net 4.8. If you have version 10 or later, no framework updates will be needed.
Fixes and Improvement Descriptions
Epi Info™ Enter Data
Added “is missing” to list of text field filter operators in Line Listing.
Detail: Previous versions only offer “is equal to”, “is like”, and “is not missing” operators.
With this release: “is missing” is added to the list.
Added metadata fields to filter columns in Data Packager.
Detail: Previous versions only list data fields for filtering data to be packaged.
With this release: Metadata fields FirstSaveLogonName, FirstSaveTime, LastSaveLogonName, and LastSaveTime are available to filter the data.
Added “is like” to filter operators in Data Packager.
Detail: Previous versions only offer “is equal to” for filtering on text fields for data to be packaged.
With this release: Text fields may also be filtered with the “is like” operator.
Added variables to Line Listing.
Detail: The Line Listing as MS Excel feature within Enter Data provides the ability to users of accessing/exporting the data very easily directly from the Enter Data module without having to use any of the Data Analysis modules of Epi Info for exporting the data. However, the current line list generation does not include three key variables: GlobalRecordID, FKEY, and RECSTATUS.
With this release: GlobalRecordID, FKEY, and RECSTATUS are included in the Line Listing.
Epi Info™ Classic Analysis
Added functions GROUPROWINDEX and LAGVALUE.
Detail: Row-by-row data processing is useful for data management and data manipulation. Prior versions do not contain this type of processing.
With this release: These two new functions in Classic are useful in flattening datasets and other data management tasks:
SORT variable
DEFINE variable_value_count NUMERIC
ASSIGN variable_value_count = GROUPROWINDEX( variable )
The above will create a new column called "variable_value_count" whose value is 1 each time a value of "variable" is seen for the first time and whose value increments by 1 for each observation of the same value of "variable". The GROUPROWINDEX function returns a numeric value.
The below will create a column called "lag_variable" whose value on a row is equal to the value of "variable" on the previous row. The LAGVALUE function returns a text value.
DEFINE lag_variable
ASSIGN lag_variable = LAGVALUE( variable )
These functions are displayed on the lists of numeric and text variables in the ASSIGN GUI.
Added reading and writing JSON files.
Detail: JSON is a text format for storing data. It is used by the Box cloud platform to which Epi Info mobile apps may send data. For this and other reasons, it is useful for Epi Info 7 to read and write JSON files.
With this release: This update allows the READ of one or more JSON files, RELATE of a single JSON file, and WRITE (Export) of a single JSON file.
Added Fisher’s Exact test to TABLES analysis.
Detail: For MxN tables where M and/or N is other than 2, TABLES computes and displays a Chi-squared test statistic with degrees of freedom and p-value. Low expected cell counts may render a Chi-squared test unreliable. Previous versions of Epi Info will display a note informing of this but does not offer an alternative test.
With this release: This update allows the user to add the STATISTICS=FISHER option to the TABLES command and display the Fisher’s Exact test along with the Chi-squared test.
Odds ratios for interaction terms in LOGISTIC.
Detail: Previous versions use TRUE as the reference value for interaction odds ratios for binary independent variables. However FALSE is generally the preferred reference value and is the reference value for main effects.
With this release: This update changes the reference value to FALSE for interaction odds ratios.
Added Log-Binomial regression.
Detail: Previous versions feature LOGISTIC regression, which computes and displays adjusted odds ratios.
With this release: This update also offers Log-Binomial regression, which computes and displays adjusted risk ratios. To execute this analysis, add the LINKFUNCTION=LOG option to the LOGISTIC command. Running the command without this option will cause the routine to execute Logistic regression as in previous versions.
WRITE APPEND.
Detail: Previous versions only replace when WRITE command runs, even if APPEND is specified.
With this release: WRITE APPEND appends rows as expected.
Gave the option to display numeric codes instead of text for Options fields.
Detail: Previous versions only display the text of Options fields in analyses.
With this release: A checkbox is added to the Analysis tab in Tools>Options… . If checked, which is the default, output will display text values. If unchecked, output will display numeric index values. This affects the results of the READ command and all analyses after the READ command.
Epi Info™ Visual Dashboard
Added reading and writing JSON files.
Detail: JSON is a text format for storing data. It is used by the Box cloud platform to which Epi Info mobile apps may send data. For this and other reasons, it is useful for Epi Info 7 to read and write JSON files.
With this release: This update allows Set data source as one or more JSON files, a single JSON file to be added as a Related data source, and the Export of a single JSON file.
Odds ratios for interaction terms in Logistic regression.
Detail: Previous versions use TRUE as the reference value for interaction odds ratios for binary independent variables. However FALSE is generally the preferred reference value and is the reference value for main effects.
With this release: This update changes the reference value to FALSE for interaction odds ratios.
Added Log-Binomial regression.
Detail: Previous versions feature Logistic regression, which computes and displays adjusted odds ratios.
With this release: This update also offers Log-Binomial regression, which computes and displays adjusted risk ratios. To execute this analysis, select Log as the Link in Logistic regression properties panel. The default value of Link is Logit, which will cause the routine to execute Logistic regression as in previous versions.
Added Use Common Reference Value checkbox to MxN/2x2 table.
Detail: When one or both variables in a MxN/2x2 table has more than two values, a single table is displayed along with Chi-squared and Fisher’s Exact tests of association.
With this release: The properties panel has checkbox to Use Common Reference Value. When left un-checked (default), the gadget will produce a single table with the appropriate dimensions. If checked, the gadget will produce M-1 tables, each comparing the first-in-sort-order exposure value with a single other exposure value. If these are 2x2 tables, then all 2x2 statistics are included with each table.
Added survival analyses.
Detail: Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox Proportional Hazards analyses are featured in Classic but not in Dashboard in previous versions.
With this release: Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox Proportional Hazards analyses are featured in Dashboard and in Classic.
Added test statistics to Rates gadget.
Detail: In previous versions, Rates produces graphical output but no test statistics for comparing groups.
With this release: This gadget also computes and displays Chi-squared and Fisher’s Exact tests.
Column Chart.
Detail: In previous versions, when the “One graph for each value of” option is used, each graph displays column only for values of the graphed variable that are present within its value of the group variable. This can result in column values on one graph not being present on another graph.
With this release: A “Show All String Values” checkbox is added to the Grouping and Sorting tab and when checked, each graph displays the same column values with some columns having length 0 if necessary.
Export Append.
Detail: Previous versions only replace when Export runs, even if APPEND is specified.
With this release: Export Append appends rows as expected.
Added low expected cell count warning to Complex Sample Tables.
Detail: Previous versions do not display a warning when an expected cell value is less than 5.
With this release: Gadget now displays this warning.
Missing values in Complex Sample Tables.
Detail: In previous versions, the analysis fails when the first record contains a missing value in an analysis variable.
With this release: This does not cause the analysis to fail.
Behavior of Data Filters and Defined Variables when zoomed.
Detail: In previous versions, Data Filters and Defined Variables gadgets are hidden when the Dashboard is zoomed to less than 100%. It is only possible to see and use these gadgets when zooming is greater than or equal to 100%.
With this release: The Data Filters and Defined Variables are hidden when the Dashboard is zoomed to less than 100% but will be displayed if the user clicks the buttons at the top of the Dashboard for displaying these gadgets. These gadgets are hidden again upon dismissal.
Importing Redcap data.
Detail: Previous versions crash upon encountering a row or Redcap data where incorrect data has been entered, a string value in a numeric field for instance.
With this release: Such rows are skipped, and a message is displayed for the user.
Allow variable names to contain dashes.
Detail: Previous versions crash when running Logistic Regression with variables whose names contain dashes.
With this release: Names with dashes do not cause a crash.
Allow field labels to contain dots.
Detail: Previous versions crash when running a column chart with a Group By variable whose label contains a dot.
With this release: Labels with dots do not cause a crash.
Fixed large number bug in Frequency gadget.
Detail: Previous versions display a negative number when total count exceeds the maximum value for an integer.
With this release: The correct value is displayed.
Fixed MxN weighted totals.
Detail: Previous versions incorrectly compute weighted totals when weights are not integers.
With this release: The correct weighted totals are displayed.
Epi Info™ Menu
Beta Test Version Identification.
Detail: Epi Info versions are often released that do not have the release keys. They are used for QA and sometimes given to involved parties outside of the Epi Info Team. This issue serves to help identify the QA versions.
With this release: A red ribbon on the bottom of the Menu module shows “FOR BETA TESTING” when not built with release keys.
SyncFile2CSV
Added batch processing. User can now select a folder to sync. Command line arguments can be used select the folder to sync. SyncFile2CSV now comes with the zip and installer files and can be found in the root folder.
Notes
Epi Info 7 is free of charge and can be downloaded from the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/epiinfo
The Epi Info User Guide may be downloaded in PDF and Word formats or viewed online here: https://www.cdc.gov/epiinfo/support/userguide.html
Support
If you have an Epi Info 7 Desktop related question or need assistance, please submit a request for help at the Epi Info Service Desk portal.
Sign up for a free account to the Epi Info Service Desk portal at:
https://epiinfo.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/1/user/signup
If you already have an account, click the "Log In" link or you can log in to your existing account here: https://epiinfo.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/user/login