Troubleshooting "Erase Current Value" Warnings in REDCap

Owned by Sara Latour (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Sept 08, 2020 by Emily Martens
2 min read

Problem

Received an “Erase Current Value” pop-up while entering data on a REDCap form.

What does the pop-up mean and why is it occurring?

The pop-up warns that you have entered data, but a subsequent option that you selected contains branching logic to override your entry. The window says to proceed with OK to hide the field and erase the value. The alternative is to force the field to remain open and retain the value in spite of the branching logic.

Example Scenario:

In the example image above, if True is selected, the consent box dialogue will open automatically. If the participant checks off the “I consent” option and then attempts to change the above response to False you may receive the Erase Current Value of the Field "x"? message, since the consent dialogue is dependent on the previous response.

Solution

  1. Select OK if the value should be erased and not collected based on previous questions.

  2. Select Cancel if the value is required for collection purposes, and the branching logic is suspected to be incorrectly formatted.

  3. If a recent protocol change was made, check with the Study Manager that data entry forms are properly set-up and updated.

  4. If you are unsure, raise a request below with a Brain-CODE Team Member

Sometimes changes to protocols may impact previously collected data. Be careful when selecting OK as it has the potential to erase data.

Related articles