REDCap Bits
Accessing REDCap
Lifespan’s REDCap is free to use for Lifespan projects.
If your primary affiliation is with the University of Rhode Island (URI) and you would like access to URI's instance of REDCap, please complete this service request.
Introduction to REDCap
Can’t make it to one of our live Introduction to REDCap sessions? No worries! We have a recording from a previous offering of this seminar available for your review.
IRB-Related REDCap Resources
To access Lifespan’s IRB approved e-consent template, please visit REDCap, click +New Project, Select “Use a template (choose one below), select “e-Consent Template” and select “Create Project.”
- Instructions for generating e-consent links for IRB submissions
- Protecting sensitive participant information (PHI) in REDCap
- Best practices: REDCap user rights
- Research electronic data storage plan
General REDCap Resources
- CTR website
- REDCapU
- REDCap overview
- New features available in REDCap 11.1.1.15
- Steps for backing up your project
- Survey item response formats (examples)
- How to use email to text surveys (outdated)
- How to add progress bars to surveys
- Building a detailed codebook for your REDcap project
- How do I use an email address when sending surveys?
- How to ensure proper results when using filtering in the reporting feature
- How does REDCap link or track information for one patient between forms?
- How to replicate the same branching logic for an entire data entry form
- How to back up your data dictionary
- Best practices for using calculated fields
- Existing database upload
REDCap Advanced User Series Videos
eConsent Through REDCap
Watch "eConsent through REDCap: How to utilize REDCap’s eConsent Framework to Approach your Digital Consent Process," with Ali Chambers, PhD and Jeff Richardson, from the Center for Digital Health Seminar Series, May 26, 2021.
Data Structure with REDCap
Active Design Rather than Passive
Many users are not aware that they can choose what their database looks like in REDCap. The key is to make those choices before you get started using REDCap's features.
REDCap Advanced Users Series
Randomization
This webinar clears up the common misconception that REDCap randomizes participants, and provides the tools you need to use the randomization module with your project.
Field Embedding in REDCap
The field embedding features allows you to customize how your data entry forms looks, including allowing you to reposition field elements on a survey page or data entry form.
Lifespan REDCap and CFR 21 Part 11 Compliance
CFR 21 Part 11 Compliance is not a feature that can be turned on, but rather a process that a project needs to go through to ensure traceability and data integrity. In general, each project has system-level compliance requirements AND project level compliance requirements.
- Documentation on system-level data integrity can be found below.
- Project-level compliance must be determined by each PI on a project-level basis. In general REDCap has tools to make this easy. Credentialed user logins, project logging, e-signatures/locking management, field comment log, data resolution workflow. However, each project needs to have a documented procedure, training and validation for its intended use.
Learn more about CFR 21 part 11 (regularly updated information)
Learn more specifically about CFR 21 part 11 compliance in REDCap:
Research Information Science & Computing (RISC)
Institute of Translational Health Servies (ITHS)
View a compliance document example (PDF).
REDCap Citation for Lifespan Security and Infrastructure
Data will be collected and managed using the REDCap electronic data capture tools hosted at Lifespan’s Department of Information Services.
REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) is a secure, web-based application designed to support data capture for research studies, providing 1:
- An intuitive interface for validated data entry
- Audit trails for tracking data manipulation and export procedures
- Automated export procedures for seamless data downloads to common statistical packages
- Procedures for importing data from external sources
The Lifespan REDCap infrastructure comprises two production and two test servers, all of which are backed up daily. All data in encrypted in transit and at rest. Backups occur every night and are retained for 35 iterations. In addition, long-term backup occurs monthly and is retained for 7 years off site.
REDCap data storage servers are located behind a firewall, are virtual, and are protected by multi-layered, enterprise-level security (monitored 24/7/365). All hardware resides in the corporate data center, which is physically secure, with triple-redundant power. This architecture was designed by network engineering and approved by IS security.
1. Paul A. Harris, Robert Taylor, Robert Thielke, Jonathon Payne, Nathaniel Gonzalez, Jose G. Conde. Research electronic data capture (REDCap) – A metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics support. Journal of Biomedical Informatics. 2009 Apr;42(2):377-81. Abstract