Getting Started

Everything you need to install CTDashboard, connect your clinical trial data, and start reviewing safety signals. Download, import, review – in minutes.

Installation

CTDashboard is a free Windows desktop application. No account, license key, or admin rights are required.

  1. Download the installer from the download page. The file is approximately 190 MB.
  2. Run the installer. Double-click the downloaded .exe file. The installer runs in user space – no administrator privileges are needed.
  3. Launch from the Start Menu. After installation completes, find CTDashboard in your Start Menu and launch it. The application is ready to use immediately.

Tip: CTDashboard installs to your user profile directory, so it works on locked-down corporate machines where you cannot install system-wide software.

Connecting Your Data

CTDashboard works with CSV files exported from any Electronic Data Capture (EDC) system, including Medidata Rave, Oracle InForm, Veeva Vault CDMS, and others.

CDASH format – no SDTM conversion needed

Import your data in CDASH (operational/collection) format directly. There is no need to run SDTM transformations before loading data into CTDashboard.

Auto-detected clinical domains

CTDashboard automatically detects and maps 14 standard clinical domains from your CSV files:

DM Demographics AE Adverse Events LB Labs VS Vitals CM Concomitant Meds MH Medical History DS Disposition EX Exposure SV Subject Visits FA Findings About CE Clinical Events PR Procedures SS Subject Status SC Subject Characteristics

How to load data

  • Drag and drop – Drag one or more CSV files directly onto the application window.
  • Connect Data button – Click the "Connect Data" button in the toolbar to browse and select files.
  • ODM-XML import – Load CDISC ODM-XML files exported from Medidata Rave, Oracle Clinical One, or any CDISC-compliant EDC system.

Dashboard Pages

CTDashboard provides 12 interactive dashboard pages covering the full safety monitoring workflow.

Safety Overview

High-level KPIs, incidence rates, enrollment curves, and treatment arm comparisons – your starting point for every safety review.

Demographics

Population summaries, age/sex/race distributions, and treatment arm balance assessments.

Disposition

Subject flow diagrams, screen failure rates, and discontinuation reasons by treatment arm.

Adverse Events

SAE review tables, forest plots for treatment comparisons, MedDRA drill-down from body system to preferred term, drug-related AE analysis, and severity breakdowns. Chart subtitles show active filter logic.

Labs

Shift plots, trend charts over time, reference range flagging, and Hy's Law screening for hepatotoxicity signals.

Vitals

Vital sign trends across visits, outlier detection, and treatment arm comparisons for blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, and more.

Concomitant Medications

Medication usage patterns, ATC classification breakdowns, and temporal overlap with adverse events.

Survival

Kaplan-Meier survival curves, time-to-event analysis, and hazard ratio estimates.

Subject Profile

Per-subject deep dive across all domains. View a single subject's demographics, events, labs, vitals, and medications on one screen.

AI Patient Narratives

Generate clinical narratives using AI. Produces safety summaries, lab analyses, and adverse event write-ups. Requires an AI API key.

Custom Builder

Build your own charts, tables, and views by selecting domains, variables, and visualization types.

Comparison

Load a previous data export as a baseline and see new, modified, and removed records per domain. Self-contained incremental review workflow.

Filters & Navigation

A persistent sidebar provides filters that apply across all dashboard pages:

  • Site – Filter by investigational site.
  • Treatment Arm – Select one or more treatment groups.
  • Subject – Search and select individual subjects.

All filters support multi-select. When you change a filter, every dashboard page updates reactively to reflect the current selection.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action Shortcut
Open / Connect Data Ctrl + O
Save Workspace Ctrl + S
Export to PowerPoint Ctrl + E
Next Dashboard Page Ctrl + Tab
Previous Dashboard Page Ctrl + Shift + Tab
Toggle Sidebar Filters Ctrl + B
Search Subjects Ctrl + F
Open Settings Ctrl + ,

AI Patient Narratives

The AI Patient Narratives feature uses AI to generate clinical narrative text from your safety data. This is an optional feature that requires an AI API key.

Setup

  1. Get an API key from your AI provider.
  2. Open Settings in CTDashboard and enter your API key in the AI configuration section.
  3. Navigate to the AI Patient Narratives page and select a subject to generate narratives.

What it generates

  • Safety summaries covering adverse events, labs, and vitals for a subject
  • Lab summary narratives with trend analysis
  • Adverse event analyses with temporal relationships

Important: AI-generated narratives are a starting point. Always review, verify, and edit the output before including it in any regulatory submission or clinical document.

Workspaces

Workspaces let you save and restore your session configuration so you can pick up where you left off.

  • Save workspace – Saves file paths, filter selections, reviewer notes, and display preferences to a workspace file.
  • Open workspace – Restores your previous configuration, reconnects to the referenced data files, and reloads your reviewer notes.
  • Close prompt – If you have unsaved notes or changes when closing the application, CTDashboard prompts you to save the current workspace.

Privacy note: Workspace files store file paths, reviewer notes, and preferences only – they never contain clinical data. Your trial data is never written to disk by CTDashboard.

Incremental Review (Comparison Tab)

The Comparison tab is a self-contained page for incremental safety review. Load a previous data export as a baseline, and CTDashboard shows you exactly which records are new, modified, or removed – organized by clinical domain.

Using the Comparison tab

  1. Load your current data as usual (File > Connect Data, select your CSV files).
  2. Switch to the Comparison tab and click “Load Baseline (Compare)”.
  3. Select the CSV files from your previous export. CTDashboard uses the same file picker as Connect Data.
  4. The tab instantly shows summary KPIs (New Records, Modified, Removed, Unchanged) and per-domain sub-tabs with filtered tables of only the changed records.

What you see

  • Summary KPI cards – aggregate counts of new, modified, removed, and unchanged records across all domains.
  • Domain sub-tabs – Adverse Events (+7, ~3), Labs (+70), Vitals (+60), etc. Each shows only the new and modified records for that domain.
  • STATUS column – each row is labeled NEW (blue) or MODIFIED (gold) so you can scan quickly.
  • Clean tables – comparison tables use their own color scheme, separate from the clinical highlighting (red/amber/green) on other tabs.

Clearing the comparison

Click “Clear Comparison” on the Comparison tab to discard the baseline and return to normal single-dataset mode. Other dashboard tabs are unaffected.

Field mapping

The baseline load uses the same field mappings (including any user corrections from the mapping dialog) as your primary data. You do not need to re-map columns for the baseline.

Compliance

All comparison processing happens in memory. The baseline file paths are saved in your workspace file for convenience, but no clinical data from the baseline is stored. When you close the application, all comparison data is released from memory.

Exporting

CTDashboard supports multiple export formats for sharing safety data with stakeholders:

  • PowerPoint presentations – Export dashboards and charts as formatted slide decks ready for safety review meetings.
  • PDF safety records – Generate PDF documents of individual subject records or full safety summaries.
  • DSMB packages – Create Data Safety Monitoring Board packages with appropriate confidentiality labels and blinding considerations.
  • DSUR draft reports – Generate ICH E2F-aligned Development Safety Update Report drafts as Word documents. Auto-fills patient exposure, AE summary tables, SAE narratives, lab findings, and signal evaluations from loaded data. Select which sections to include and set the reporting period. Sections requiring sponsor-specific input are included as labeled placeholders.

Application Validation

CTDashboard ships with an automated validation engine that independently recalculates every displayed value and compares it against the application’s output, with computation evidence and app screenshots.

What the validation report covers

The report independently verifies the following analytics modules using raw data and pandas calculations that are separate from the application’s rendering pipeline:

  • Demographics – subject counts, age distribution, sex/race breakdowns
  • Enrollment – cumulative enrollment, enrollment by site and arm
  • Adverse Events – total AEs, subjects with AE, SAE counts, drug-related AEs, severity distribution, body system counts
  • Labs – out-of-range counts, shift analysis, toxicity grading
  • Vitals – mean values by visit, out-of-range flagging
  • Disposition – completion/discontinuation counts, protocol deviations
  • Survival – time-to-event calculations, event counts
  • Concomitant Medications – unique medication counts, top medications
  • Subject Profile – per-subject data aggregation

What the validation report does not cover

The report is a functional verification tool, not a full Computerized System Validation (CSV) package. It does not include:

  • Installation Qualification (IQ), Operational Qualification (OQ), or Performance Qualification (PQ) documentation
  • A formal validation plan or traceability matrix
  • Risk assessment per GAMP 5 or equivalent framework
  • Independent third-party audit

For regulated use, we recommend treating CTDashboard as a visualization and review aid. Cross-validate key findings against your CRO’s independent SAS/R output before including in regulatory submissions. For GAMP 5 classification, risk assessment, and formal vendor-file documentation, see the Validation Summary below. See the For Sponsors page for full regulatory positioning guidance.

Generating the report

Within CTDashboard, go to File > Export Validation Report. The report is generated as a standalone HTML file that can be opened in any browser and saved as PDF for your study files.

Download sample Validation Report (PDF)

Validation Summary for Sponsor Vendor Files

For sponsors needing a formal document for their vendor qualification file or computerised system inventory, CTDashboard provides a Validation Summary. This companion document covers:

  • System description and intended use – read-only visualization layer, not an EDC or submission tool
  • GAMP 5 classification – Category 4 (Configured Product) with rationale
  • Risk assessment – data integrity, patient safety, and regulatory risk (all rated Low)
  • Functional verification reference – pointers to the 161-check Application Validation Report and 115-test automated suite
  • Known limitations and boundaries – what CTDashboard is not (no Part 11, no e-signatures, no submission outputs)
  • Recommended qualification activities – suggested steps for sponsor-side verification

Download Validation Summary for Vendor Files (PDF)

Compliance & Data Privacy

CTDashboard is designed with regulatory requirements in mind. This section explains how the application handles clinical data and how it aligns with industry standards for data privacy and integrity.

Zero data storage

CTDashboard never stores, caches, or persists clinical trial data to disk. All CSV data is loaded into working memory (RAM) when you open your files and is released completely when the application is closed. There is no local database, no temporary files containing patient data, and no background syncing.

No data transmission

Clinical data never leaves your machine. CTDashboard does not connect to external servers, cloud services, or analytics endpoints. The application runs entirely offline with one exception: AI Patient Narratives (if enabled) sends the selected subject's data to the AI provider you configure. This feature is opt-in and disabled by default.

Workspace files contain no clinical data

When you save a workspace, CTDashboard stores only file paths, filter selections, reviewer notes, and display preferences. No patient-level data, no identifiers, and no clinical observations are written to the workspace file.

21 CFR Part 11 considerations

CTDashboard is a read-only visualization and review tool. It does not modify source data, does not maintain audit trails, and is not intended to serve as a system of record. Because CTDashboard never writes or alters clinical data, it operates outside the scope of 21 CFR Part 11 electronic records requirements. Your validated EDC system remains the authoritative source of record.

GDPR and personal data

CTDashboard processes personal data (such as subject demographics) solely in memory during your active session. No personal data is persisted, transmitted, or shared. Since data processing occurs locally on your own hardware and nothing is sent externally, CTDashboard supports GDPR data minimisation and purpose limitation principles. Organizations should still ensure that CSV exports from the EDC are handled according to their own data protection policies.

ICH & GCP alignment

CTDashboard supports safety monitoring workflows consistent with ICH E6 (GCP) and ICH E2F (DSUR). The DSUR export feature generates ICH E2F-aligned report drafts. All visualizations, signal detection outputs, and AI-generated narratives are intended as review aids and must be verified by qualified personnel before inclusion in regulatory submissions.

AI Narratives data handling

When AI Patient Narratives is enabled and you generate a narrative, the selected subject's clinical data is sent to the AI API you configured (e.g., Anthropic, OpenAI). This is the only scenario where data leaves your machine. The data is sent over an encrypted (TLS) connection and is subject to the AI provider's data usage and retention policies. No API key or clinical data is stored by CTDashboard beyond the active session, except the API key itself which is saved in your local settings file.

Summary: CTDashboard is a local, read-only review tool. It stores zero clinical data, transmits nothing by default, and is designed to complement – not replace – your validated EDC and regulatory systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does CTDashboard store or transmit my clinical data?

No. CTDashboard processes data in memory only. Your CSV files are read from disk when you load them and are never copied, cached, or sent to any server. When you close the application, all data is released from memory.

Do I need SDTM-formatted data?

No. CTDashboard works directly with CDASH (operational/collection) format data exported from your EDC system. No SDTM transformation step is required.

Is the AI Narratives feature required?

No. AI Patient Narratives is entirely optional. All other dashboard features work without an API key. If you do not configure an AI API key, the AI Narratives page will simply be unavailable.

What data is sent to the AI provider when using AI Narratives?

When you generate a narrative, the selected subject's clinical data is sent to the AI API for processing. This data is not stored by the AI provider and is subject to the AI provider's data usage policies.

Can I use CTDashboard on macOS or Linux?

CTDashboard is currently a Windows-only desktop application. macOS and Linux versions are not available at this time.

Do I need admin rights to install?

No. The installer runs in user space and installs to your user profile directory. No administrator privileges are required, so it works on corporate machines with restricted permissions.