REDCap OverviewInstitute for Clinical and Translational Science

Heath DavisFred McClurgBrian Finley

What is REDCap?

(Research Electronic Data Capture) is a web-based application used to create and manage databases and surveys in order to support data capture for research studies.

(Research Electronic Data Capture) is a web based application used to create and manage databases and surveys in order to support data capture for research studies.

What is REDCap?

3 Modes• Survey• Intended for a subject or participant• Can be anonymous• Data Capture • Intended for a research team member or

collaborator• Survey + Data capture combined

Who can use REDCap?

Any University of Iowa investigator or research team can use REDCap.

People use REDCap by logging into •https://redcap.icts.uiowa.edu/redcap/

Video training modules are available here:•https://redcap.icts.uiowa.edu/redcap/index.php?action=training

Why are people choosing REDCap over Excel and Access?• Access is authenticated• Using University of Iowa LDAP hawkId and password

• Secure hosting and regular data backups• Data backups, software grades, and system

maintenance are handled automatically by ICTS• More on security shortly

• Allows multi site access • research teams can input data simultaneously, from

across the hall or across the country

Why are people choosing REDCap over Excel and Access?• Research teams can quickly develop databases• Any user can login and start a project

• Research teams have autonomy• Creating a new database or survey• Assigning user permissions and roles• This should be in accordance with what is

submitted to the IRB• Granting rights for data import and export

REDCap Features• Form creation and data entry are easy in the web interface

REDCap Features

• Classic Data collection• Form(s) are intended to be used for 1 time

period (ask the questions once)

• Longitudinal • A form can be used for multiple time periods• Vitals at visit 1, 30 days, 60 days

• Better for consistency, only make an update once• Calendar for subject visits

REDCap Features

• Researchers can make modifications to their database at any time during the study• In draft mode• In production mode

• Questions using branching logic and calculated fields are supported• Researchers can copy databases• Researchers can clear all data from a database

REDCap Features

• Identified data • Research teams can easily mark

identified data in the interface and create access limits on those fields that include identifying information

REDCap Features

• Researchers choose what people and groups have access to:• Data export, both identified and de-

identified• Data export & import capability• User rights management• View reports• View logging• Data comparison

REDCap Features

• Reports can be:• generated on the fly • Any field can be included on a report

• saved and used over and over within the interface• limited to certain users

REDCap Features

• File Repository• Placing a project in production• file repository automatically snapshots your

data dictionary with each production change• Other project-specific files can be stored here• E.g. consent form template, SOP

• Files can be securely shared with project members and non project members• Via email and a token.

REDCap Features

• Graphics Data View & Stats

REDCap Features

• Data Comparison Tool• Used to compare two records in a project• Data Quality Tool• Missing Values • Validation Errors (incorrect or out of range)• Outliers • Hidden fields with values• Multiple choice fields with invalid data

REDCap Features

• Double Data Entry• Intended for 2 persons entering data from a

form• Each are independent• DDE1 and DDE2 roles are assigned to 2

different people• A reviewer reconciles• Reviewer role is assigned to a third person

• (need an admin to enable)

REDCap Features

• Parent Databases• Allows for a parent database with things

such as contact information and demographics information • Parents can have many children• Child databases • Child databases inherit information from parent

databases• Children have only 1 parent

• (need an admin to enable)

REDCap Features

• API • For web developers wanting to use REDCap• Allows external applications to connect to

REDCap• Used to retrieve or modify data and

settings in REDCap• e.g. data exports and data imports

• (need an admin to enable)

REDCap Features

• Researchers can export data to a variety of statistical analysis packages (SPSS, SAS, Stata, R or Excel)• Researchers can grant or restrict access to

export data for analysis• Data exports are customizable, including all

or some of the data forms and fields• Exports can include identified or only de-

identified data depending on user and group rights

REDCap Features

Data logging • provides information about •who has changed the instrument •who has changed the data•who has accessed data•when these events occurred

REDCap System Security

(This is what the IRB will want to know)•Physical Security• Primary Data – HCIS Pomerantz Data Center• Data backups – ITS Lindquist Data Center

•Operating System Security• HawkID-Based Logins• Data Encrypted at Rest• Remote System Logging• Configuration and Change Management

REDCap Data Backups• Backups are always • At rest --This means even the system admins who have

access to the hard drive are unable to read• On the fly – this means if someone where listening

to network transmission they would be unable to decipher the information

• Copies of data replicated to remote data center every 15 minutes• 100+ point in time copies of data available at any

time• Disaster recovery strategy has been tested without

data loss

Reminder

• Hands on training tomorrow http://www.icts.uiowa.edu/content/events/ • Newsletter Wiki Page:• https://www.icts.uiowa.edu/confluence/displa

y/ICTSit/REDCap+Newsletter• REDCap Documentation:• https://www.icts.uiowa.edu/confluence/displa

y/ICTSit/REDCap

Questions?