Overview on using REDCap for multi-site, longitudinal research prepared by Catherine Zhu and Brian T. Edwards.

1. REDCap Overview
Catherine Zhu & Brian T. Edwards
Center for Biomedical Research Informatics
NorthShore University HealthSystem
June 16, 2014

2. What is REDCap?
Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap)
REDCap is a web-based application designed to
give Researchers and Clinicians the capacity to
create and manage databases and surveys in order
to support data capture for research studies.

4. REDCap Features
• Fast and flexible data entry and form creation in the web interface
• Autonomous multi-level user access
• Batch data load using automated data import procedures
• Seamless data export to common data analysis packages
• Easy and secure multi-site access
• Fully functional and customized design for longitudinal research
studies
• Aggregate graphical data view and descriptive statistics
• Ad hoc reporting and analysis
• Complete audit trails for tracking data manipulation and user activity

5. Fast and Flexible Data Entry and Form Creation
in the Web Interface
✓ REDCap provides various data field types, such as text box, notes
box, calculated field, multiple choice, checkboxes, descriptive text,
section header, dynamic query, etc
✓ Questions using branching logic are supported
✓ Research team can easily mark identified data in the interface and
create access limits on those fields
✓ Built-in data validation to maintain
data quality

6. Numerous
Field Types

7. Multiple
Choice Field
Types
Branching
Logic

8. Autonomous Multi-Level User Access
Researchers choose what people and group have access to:
✓ Data, both identified and de-identified
✓ Data export & import capability
✓ User rights management
✓ View reports
✓ View logging

9. Batch Data Load
Using Automated Data Import Procedures
Long PD
REDCap
Database

10. Seamless Data Export to
Common Data Analysis Packages
Researchers can export data to a variety of
statistical analysis packages
(SPSS, SAS, R, Excel, etc)
✓ Researches 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
Embedded
De-Identification
Tools
Specify load
individual field
Specify load
individual form
Load all the form
Exports Raw data +
Stats Script Files
(Labels, coding)

11. Easy and Secure Multi-Site Access
✓ Research teams can input data
simultaneously, from across the hall
or across the country.
✓ Data Access Groups can be
implemented to segregate users and
the data. By placing users into data
access groups, they will only be able
to access records created by someone
in their group.

12. Fully Functional and Customized Design for
Longitudinal Research Studies

13. Aggregate Graphical Data View
and Descriptive Statistics
Help You
Maintain Sushi
Grade Data !!

14. Ad Hoc Reporting and Analysis
Reports can be generated:
✓ On the fly
✓ Saved and used over and over within the interface

15. Complete Audit Trails
For Tracking Data Manipulation
and User Activity
Data logging provides information about:
✓ who has changed the instrument
✓ who has changed the data
✓ who has accessed data
✓ when these events occurred

16. Helpful information and links
- REDCap Consortium Webinars and
REDCap Tutorials videos: http://project-
redcap.org/ (under ‘Video Resources’ tab).
- Research electronic data capture (REDCap)
A metadata-driven methodology and workflow
process for providing translational research
informatics support (Journal of Biomedical
Informatics, Apr. 2009)
http://www.sciencedirect.
com/science/article/pii/S1532046408001226

17. Q
&
A