There was a lot to discuss in last week’s post on the public version of Jigsaw algorithm library, so I will try to make this one short. It is about creating and sharing algorithm (and protocol) summaries with Jigsaw.

Background

From inside any algorithm in the library, people can create a stand-alone algorithm summary. This is a stand-alone webpage that can be downloaded and saved like any other document (click the green “Download” button at the top). Importantly, the webpage also contains a CSV file with all algorithm codes. The CSV file can be accessed via link at the bottom of the summary.

To create the summary from inside any algorithm in the library, simply click the “Action” button at the top, and select “Create Algorithm Summary”.

Two Algorithm Sharing Options

The first option is a link to the algorithm in the Jigsaw library itself. For example, below is a link to an algorithm in the library:

https://public.jigsaw.io/algorithms/646c44ce-be1a-4f04-b4e6-ecc5d7b44e13

From that link, people can view algorithm attributes, a full-screen algorithm diagram, and the ConceptQL statement that stores all the algorithm specifications. People can even generate an SQL implementation of the algorithm from within the diagram by choosing “Source” at the top of the screen.

The second option is a direct link to the stand-alone algorithm summary page. It is the same URL as the algorithm in the Jigsaw library except it ends in “/summary”. See the link below for an example:

https://public.jigsaw.io/algorithms/646c44ce-be1a-4f04-b4e6-ecc5d7b44e13/summary

Bonus points – Protocols Can Also Be Shared!

Pretty much everything above applies to protocols too. Not only can an entire protocol be shared from within Jigsaw’s protocol builder, but a stand-alone summary document can also be created, shared, and downloaded. The entire protocol specification, including the enrollment criteria, algorithms and how they were defined and used (e.g., inclusion, exclusion, outcome, etc.) can be created as a stand-alone, downloadable web page. For example, see the link below:

https://public.jigsaw.io/studies/b522827a-0ea3-4d22-add7-849c072a5717/summary

Why is this useful?

The reason we designed these features was to allow for sharing and for documentation purposes. Imagine being able to see someone else’s algorithms and protocols – the exact steps they followed to create cohorts and analysis data sets. Government agencies, academic researchers, and commercial companies could share their methods without having to share the actual code or data.

Also, simply having all the detailed specifications in one place allows us to retain them as an appendix to technical reports, and saves time and energy in writing study publications.