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  2. About VPR-CLS
  3. Preparing a Study Data File
  4. Standard Researcher Record File Layout

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The standard researcher record layout is a fixed-width file that is 965 characters in length.

This record length can be extended to a total length of 1316 characters if the researcher wishes to submit additional data that falls outside of the scope covered by the first 965 characters.

Every record in the file should be of equal length.

The records in the file should contain the fields listed in the table below in the positions that have been specified.

With the exception of Patient ID Number, which is required, if the value for a particular field is unknown it can be left blank; however, the spacing structure must be retained.

Researchers should use Match*Pro to validate and edit their study file before uploading to the VPR for IMS review.

Field Name Start Length Notes Valid Codes
Patient ID Number 1 20 A unique identifier for the patient.
Prefix 21 10 The prefix for the patient's name (e.g. Mrs, Dr, Sgt, 2Lt, Rev) should only contain letters, numbers, periods, and spaces. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed. The prefix must begin with a letter or number.
First Name 31 40 Names should only contain letters, spaces, periods, hyphens, and apostrophes. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed. The name must begin with a letter.
Middle Name 71 40 Names should only contain letters, spaces, periods, hyphens, and apostrophes. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed. The name must begin with a letter.
Last Name 111 40 Names should only contain letters, spaces, periods, hyphens, and apostrophes. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed. The name must begin with a letter.
Maiden Name 151 40 Names should only contain letters, spaces, periods, hyphens, and apostrophes. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed. The name must begin with a letter.
Previous Last Name 1 191 40 Names should only contain letters, spaces, periods, hyphens, and apostrophes. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed. The name must begin with a letter.
Previous Last Name 2 231 40 Names should only contain letters, spaces, periods, hyphens, and apostrophes. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed. The name must begin with a letter.
Suffix 271 10 The suffix for the patient's name (e.g. Sr, III, PhD) should only contain letters, numbers, periods, and spaces. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed. The suffix must begin with a letter or number.
Social Security Number 281 9 Social Security Numbers should be 4 digits (last 4) or 9 digits (preferred).
Date of Birth 290 8 Dates should be in the YYYYMMDD format (i.e. a 4-digit year, followed by a 2-digit month, followed by a 2-digit day) with no delimiters. If the year is blank, the month and day should also be blank. If the month is blank the day should also be blank. Single-digit months and days should have a leading zero.
Date of Death 298 8 Dates should be in the YYYYMMDD format (i.e. a 4-digit year, followed by a 2-digit month, followed by a 2-digit day) with no delimiters. If the year is blank, the month and day should also be blank. If the month is blank the day should also be blank. Single-digit months and days should have a leading zero.
Vital Status 306 1 Vital Status should be blank or a 1-digit number. 0=Deceased, 1=Alive
Sex 307 1 Sex should be blank or a 1-digit number. Valid Codes for Sex
Race 308 3 Race should be blank or a 3-character value. Valid Codes for Race
Telephone Number 1 311 10 Telephone numbers should be 10 digits and conform to North American Numbering Plan (NANP) standards. The 1st and 4th digits cannot be a '0' or '1'.
Telephone Number 2 321 10 Telephone numbers should be 10 digits and conform to North American Numbering Plan (NANP) standards. The 1st and 4th digits cannot be a '0' or '1'.
Telephone Number 3 331 10 Telephone numbers should be 10 digits and conform to North American Numbering Plan (NANP) standards. The 1st and 4th digits cannot be a '0' or '1'.
Telephone Number 4 341 10 Telephone numbers should be 10 digits and conform to North American Numbering Plan (NANP) standards. The 1st and 4th digits cannot be a '0' or '1'.
Telephone Number 5 351 10 Telephone numbers should be 10 digits and conform to North American Numbering Plan (NANP) standards. The 1st and 4th digits cannot be a '0' or '1'.
Address 1 - Street 361 60 Street addresses should only contain letters, numbers, spaces, periods, forward slashes, hyphens, apostrophes, and pound signs. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed.
Address 1 - City 421 50 Cities should only contain letters, spaces, periods, hyphens, and apostrophes. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed. The city must begin with a letter.
Address 1 - State 471 2 The state, province, or territory should be a valid U.S. or Canadian two-letter postal abbreviation. Valid Abbreviations
Address 1 - Postal Code 473 9 U.S. postal codes should be 5 or 9 digits. Canadian postal codes should be 6 characters long and alternate between letters and numbers. The letters D, F, I, O, Q, and U cannot be used and the first letter cannot be W or Z. The postal code must be valid for the state or province. Valid Postal Codes
Address 2 - Street 482 60 Street addresses should only contain letters, numbers, spaces, periods, forward slashes, hyphens, apostrophes, and pound signs. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed.
Address 2 - City 542 50 Cities should only contain letters, spaces, periods, hyphens, and apostrophes. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed. The city must begin with a letter.
Address 2 - State 592 2 The state, province, or territory should be a valid U.S. or Canadian two-letter postal abbreviation. Valid Abbreviations
Address 2 - Postal Code 594 9 U.S. postal codes should be 5 or 9 digits. Canadian postal codes should be 6 characters long and alternate between letters and numbers. The letters D, F, I, O, Q, and U cannot be used and the first letter cannot be W or Z. The postal code must be valid for the state or province. Valid Postal Codes
Address 3 - Street 603 60 Street addresses should only contain letters, numbers, spaces, periods, forward slashes, hyphens, apostrophes, and pound signs. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed.
Address 3 - City 663 50 Cities should only contain letters, spaces, periods, hyphens, and apostrophes. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed. The city must begin with a letter.
Address 3 - State 713 2 The state, province, or territory should be a valid U.S. or Canadian two-letter postal abbreviation. Valid Abbreviations
Address 3 - Postal Code 715 9 U.S. postal codes should be 5 or 9 digits. Canadian postal codes should be 6 characters long and alternate between letters and numbers. The letters D, F, I, O, Q, and U cannot be used and the first letter cannot be W or Z. The postal code must be valid for the state or province. Valid Postal Codes
Address 4 - Street 724 60 Street addresses should only contain letters, numbers, spaces, periods, forward slashes, hyphens, apostrophes, and pound signs. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed.
Address 4 - City 784 50 Cities should only contain letters, spaces, periods, hyphens, and apostrophes. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed. The city must begin with a letter.
Address 4 - State 834 2 The state, province, or territory should be a valid U.S. or Canadian two-letter postal abbreviation. Valid Abbreviations
Address 4 - Postal Code 836 9 U.S. postal codes should be 5 or 9 digits. Canadian postal codes should be 6 characters long and alternate between letters and numbers. The letters D, F, I, O, Q, and U cannot be used and the first letter cannot be W or Z. The postal code must be valid for the state or province. Valid Postal Codes
Address 5 - Street 845 60 Street addresses should only contain letters, numbers, spaces, periods, forward slashes, hyphens, apostrophes, and pound signs. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed.
Address 5 - City 905 50 Cities should only contain letters, spaces, periods, hyphens, and apostrophes. Consecutive spaces and consecutive punctuation are not allowed. The city must begin with a letter.
Address 5 - State 955 2 The state, province, or territory should be a valid U.S. or Canadian two-letter postal abbreviation. Valid Abbreviations
Address 5 - Postal Code 957 9 U.S. postal codes should be 5 or 9 digits. Canadian postal codes should be 6 characters long and alternate between letters and numbers. The letters D, F, I, O, Q, and U cannot be used and the first letter cannot be W or Z. The postal code must be valid for the state or province. Valid Postal Codes
Custom 10-Character Field 1 966 10 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 10 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 10-Character Field 2 976 10 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 10 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 10-Character Field 3 986 10 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 10 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 10-Character Field 4 996 10 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 10 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 10-Character Field 5 1006 10 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 10 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 10-Character Field 6 1016 10 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 10 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 10-Character Field 7 1026 10 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 10 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 10-Character Field 8 1036 10 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 10 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 10-Character Field 9 1046 10 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 10 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 10-Character Field 10 1056 10 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 10 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 20-Character Field 1 1066 20 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 20 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 20-Character Field 2 1086 20 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 20 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 20-Character Field 3 1106 20 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 20 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 20-Character Field 4 1126 20 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 20 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 20-Character Field 5 1146 20 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 20 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 50-Character Field 1 1166 50 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 50 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 50-Character Field 2 1216 50 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 50 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).
Custom 50-Character Field 3 1266 50 A custom field where you can place an additional value that is up to 50 characters in length. Do not place names, telephone numbers, or addresses into this space. If you have more than 2 previous last names, 5 telephone numbers, or 5 addresses they should be discarded. Please provide documentation as to what each field actually represents (e.g. favorite color, zodiac sign, etc.).