This training provides a brief introduction to writing dynamic reports using R, Rmarkdown, and Posit Cloud (previously known as RStudio Cloud). It runs as a series of four interactive sessions, and is designed for those without previous programming experience working in health, care, and housing across Scotland. It is intended as a starting point for automating your report writing processes, with the aim of replacing, enhancing, or simplifying, manual report writing. The training also covers ways of producing reports in a variety of formats including .pdf, .docx (Word format), and .html (webpage). Some examples of routine reports that might be targets for re-working in a dynamic format include service-use reports (admission figures, bed utilisation), annual reports (public health annual reports), and engagement and impact data (training, outreach).
Prerequisites:
- interest in learning R and/or Rmarkdown
- access to Posit Cloud (see setup instructions)
- multiple monitors are extremely helpful for the interactive part of the training
- no previous programming experience is necessary. This is designed as a from-scratch course.
Learning aims:
- give an introduction to why we should write dynamic reports
- understand what kinds of report are most suitable to automate
- have a basic overview of R/Rmarkdown/Posit Cloud, including basic data handling, simple data analysis, and drawing graphs
- show how these functions can be integrated into a simple report format that will update as the underlying data changes
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, user will:
- have gained a basic understanding of R, and how Posit Cloud and Rmarkdown can be used to generate reports
- be familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of working in this way compared to traditional manual report writing in Word and Excel
- be able to confidently navigate the parts of an Rmarkdown document
- be able to recognise some simple R code, and with suitable assistance interpret it
- be able to seek suitable help for their R code needs
- produce and tweak simple descriptive statistical measures, and simple visualisations in R
- be confident adding dynamic text elements to an Rmarkdown document
Contact email: brendan.clarke2@nhs.scot
Provider: NHS Education for Scotland (NES)
Type: Bookable course
Audience: Information systems or information technology; General audience