FAQs

What is AFT BioMS?

The Alliance Foundation Trial Biospecimen Management System (BioMS) is a web-based application for registering and tracking shipment of patient biospecimens collected from any AFT trial.

Whom can I contact if there is a problem with accessing AFT BioMS?

If your user credentials are not authenticated, please contact techsupport@alliancefoundationtrials.org

If you are having problems with AFT BioMS application or data, please contact  aftbiomshelp@email.wustl.edu

If your issue is related to Biospecimen kits or with Biorepository, please contact afbhelp@email.wustl.edu

What do I need to use AFT BioMS?

You will need a computer (desktop, laptop, or tablet) with access to the Internet using one the certified browsers for AFT BioMS.

How do I use AFT BioMS?

A full set of user manuals, FAQs, and training videos are available at the AFT BioMS help site. For immediate answers to more specific questions, please contact the AFT BioMS Help Desk at: 1-855-642-4667

What information will I need to provide to AFT BioMS?

You will need your email address associated with AFT ID as user name and its corresponding password to log into AFT BioMS. You will need the patient study number and/or the protocol number corresponding to the biospecimens that you have collected, in order to locate the patient registration in AFT BioMS. AFT BioMS will request that you indicate which of the required protocol biospecimens have been collected, the quantity of material collected, and the date of collection. Some specimens for some protocols may require additional information to be entered into AFT BioMS.

What if I cannot access AFT BioMS?

 In cases where there is a temporary, planned outage of AFT BioMS, you should receive a broadcast message by email. If you are able to access other Internet sites on your computer, but cannot access AFT BioMS, call the AFT BioMS Help Desk at 1-855-642-4667 OR email the AFT BioMS Help Desk Team at aftbiomshelp@email.wustl.edu. If you have no Internet access on your computer, please contact your local computer support desk.

What if I cannot log into AFT BioMS?

You will need your AFT SSO user name and password to log into AFT BioMS.  If your SSO user name and password is correct, but you still cannot log into AFT BioMS, and are receiving a User Not Authorized error, please contact the AFT BioMS Help Desk at 1-855-642-4667.

Do I need to record collected biospecimens in AFT BioMS?

YES. All biospecimens collected  must be logged as collected in AFT BioMS prior to shipment to one of the AFT biorepositories or assay laboratories. AFT BioMS will allow you to create and print a packing list to be included with the biospecimen shipment. AFT BioMS can also provide you with collection and shipping instructions.

When do I log in to AFT BioMS to record that my biospecimens have been collected?

Biospecimens should be registered in AFT BioMS after they are physically collected. AFT BioMS will require that you know the patient registration number and the study, collection time point, and date/time of specimen collection. You can review specimen requirements and collection instructions in AFT BioMS prior to collecting specimens. In all cases, biospecimens should be logged as collected in AFT BioMS, assigned to a shipment, and a packing list created and printed for inclusion in the shipment, prior to physically shipping specimens to an AFT repository.  In the event that biospecimens were shipped prior to their registration in AFT BioMS, please call the AFT BioMS Help Desk for further assistance:  1-855-642-4667.

What if I am sending a biospecimen to an ‘assay laboratory’ or some other location other than a AFT biorepository?

Any biospecimen designated by the protocol to be shipped or transferred to another repository or laboratory location (with the exception of specimens collected for routine hospital laboratory testing) should be registered in AFT BioMS.

What if I can’t find a study in AFT BioMS?

All studies that involve biospecimen collection that are either actively accruing patients or are closed to accrual but require on-going biospecimen collection should be represented in AFT BioMS. If you can not find a study for which you are trying to collect and ship biospecimens, please contact the AFT BioMS help desk: 1-855-642-4667.

What if I can’t find a patient in AFT BioMS?

  If you are unable to locate a patient in AFT BioMS that you need to collect and ship biospecimens for, please contact the AFT BioMS Help desk: 1-855-642-4667. You will need to provide your institutional affiliation, patient registration ID, patient initials and the study or studies for which the  patient was registered to the Help desk staff.  Alternatively, you may contact the Help desk by email: aftbiomshelp@email.wustl.edu

What if I don’t understand one of the AFT BioMS data entry screens as I am registering or shipping a specimen?

Site staff are strongly encouraged to attend one or more of the informational training webinars or review the on-line manuals and training videos available on the AFT BioMS website prior to using AFT BioMS.  If immediate assistance is required while using AFT BioMS to register and ship biospecimens, please call the AFT BioMS Help Desk during its normal hours of operation: 1-855-642-4667.

What if I get an error message or have some other technical problem while using AFT BioMS?

If you are experiencing other technical difficulties or receive an error message while using AFT BioMS, please call the Help Desk during its normal hours of operation: 1-855-642-4667.

What are the AFT BioMS Help Desk hours of operation?

For live support, the AFT BioMS Help desk is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4.30 PM Central Time. If assistance is required before or after these hours, please email the AFT BioMS Help Desk at aftbiomshelp@email.wustl.edu with your contact information and brief description of the problem you are encountering. You will be contacted by phone or email within 8 working hours. If it is an emergency request, please mention that in the email.  

Will AFT BioMS be used to order lab kits?   

Yes.  All requests for lab kits need to be placed via the AFT BioMS application.  After logging into AFT BioMS select "Kit Request" from the Task section.  Please be sure to provide a complete shipping address including  your contact phone number and email address.

Once we ship specimens, is it our responsibility to go back into AFT BioMS to verify the specimen was received and usable, or will you send an email to confirm?

Yes. Although the CRA sending samples will be notified by email if a sample received at the repository is unacceptable, it will be the responsibility of the CRA to verify the specimen status by logging into AFT BioMS.

My screen is distorted and some of my function keys do not work. I am not able to complete my shipment. What is causing this?

The most likely cause is a browser issue.  Because AFT BioMs is a web based system, it works best with the recommended Browsers listed here: 

Windows    -    FireFox version 40.0, Chrome version 44.0

Mac             -    Safari 7.0

If you notice that the AFT BioMS application is appearing distorted on your screen, check to ensure you are using one of the recommended browsers. If you are not allowed to download applications or updates on your computer, contact your local IT department.

The Repository that received my samples called to tell me that they did not receive a Paraffin block that was listed on the packing slip I sent.  I realized that I still have the block here and did not send it with the 10 unstained slides I sent earlier.  How do I log and send the Block now in AFT BioMS since I have already previously marked it as collected and shipped? 

When the shipment is received at the Bio Repository, the receiving staff will change the quantity field of the missing block to zero, and record the block as "Not in Shipment" in OpenSpecimen. The biorepository staff will then notify the CRA that the block was missing and needs to be collected and shipped in AFT BioMS. The CRA will log into AFT BioMS and navigate to the patient specimen checklist  that contains the Paraffin block. The status of the block will be displayed as "Received-Not in Shipment". The CRA will need to click on the "recollect" icon and say yes to collect an additional specimen. This will create another specimen collection event below the first and allow the block to be logged as collected. The specimen checklist will then display two collection events for the block, with the first specimen having a quantity of zero, and a status of "Received-Not in Shipment", and the new specimen with the correct quantity and a status of "Collected". Once the block has been logged as collected, the CRA will add the block to a new shipment and send it on to the repository with the new packing slip. 

I cannot see my specimen on the Pending Specimens list on the Manage Shipments Page.  I have logged it as collected in AFT BioMS. It is a paraffin block that was collected 6 weeks ago. I need to ship this specimen today.

The default view of Manage Shipment page displays all specimens that are pending shipment from your site that have been collected in the last 30 days. If you have recorded a collection date of greater than 30 days ago, you need to change the view of the Specimens Pending Shipment list by selecting to view "All" from the drop down menu at the top of the Specimens Pending Shipment list.

I cannot find my patient in AFT BioMS

A. If your patient was just registered today in OPEN, it could take up to 1 hour for the registration to appear in AFT BioMS. Registrations are updated every 15 minutes. If you still do not see your patient in AFT BioMs, and it has been at least one hour since they were registered in OPEN, please call the AFT BioMS help desk : 1-855-642-4667.

B. In the AFT BioMS system, it is better to search for patients by their Registration ID. If you are having problems finding your patient in AFT BioMS, try searching by the patients registration number. If you still can't find your patient, please call 1-855-642-4667 or email the help desk at aftbiomshelp@email.wustl.edu. We will need to know the date the patient was registered, what studies the patient was registered to, and the patient's registration number and initials.