REDCap
Drexel University College of Medicine offers a self-managed, secure, web-based solution designed to support data collection strategies for research studies — REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture).
REDCap was developed by a multi-institutional consortium NIH-funded, Vanderbilt developed, and College of Medicine supported is easy to use and provides functionality and features that enable researchers to rapidly develop databases for collecting and managing research data.
REDCap is a web-based system for data collection. Data entry operators or people taking an online survey enter data in a web browser, either locally or from remote locations. The data is stored centrally in a secure MySQL database. A mobile application for both Android and iOS is also available in addition to an Application Programming Interface (API) to allow exchanging of data between systems.
REDCap should be considered for any clinical trial in which web-based data entry, survey, or collection via a mobile application is desired. It can accommodate multiple-site studies.
Need to Access REDCap?
- To access REDCap, complete, and submit the REDCap Access Request.
- IMPORTANT: For research involving human subjects, REDCap users MUST be listed as study personnel on the IRB protocol to be granted access to the program.
- Once your request is approved, you will be emailed a link to complete REDCap training in Blackboard Learn. Training consists of responding to a brief attestation, watching a REDCap video, viewing a HIPAA slide set, and completing a short competency quiz. Once you successfully complete the quiz, you must email research.informatics@drexelmed.edu to inform them of your passing score.
- Upon successful completion of your REDCap training and approval by Compliance, you will be notified that you have been added to the REDCap user group, and you may log into REDCap at https://redcap.drexelmed.edu.
REDCap Frequently Asked Questions
How is REDCap supported?
The College of Medicine's REDCap team provides support for REDCap at Drexel. For more information, please contact the REDCap team at research.informatics@drexelmed.edu.
What is the cost?
Use of REDCap is available at no cost to the investigator.
Do I need to install this software? Who can help me?
You do not need to install this software. Drexel University College of Medicine supports REDCap for use by any research project. This is fully supported on a University server complete with daily back-ups. The University also provides all technical support to load up-to-date software versions, the correct hardware configurations and technical support.
What are the advantages of using REDCap?
- This tool is useful for small to medium sized studies to support effective data capture.
- Easy and intuitive to design, develop, and use data collection forms/screens.
- Screen layouts are clear and simple to navigate.
- Interactive editing includes range checks, data type checks, valid date checks, and branching logic.
- REDCap provides audit trails for tracking the history of data entry and revision.
- REDCap permits downloads of data to Excel, PDF, SAS, SPSS, Stata and R.
- REDCap is being used extensively by other CTSAs, including Vanderbilt, Mayo Clinic, and Harvard.
- REDCap software includes models for a number of standard data collection instruments (e.g., RAND SF-36, many others)
- REDCap supports web-based randomization.
- REDCap's Data Quality module supports reporting on problems with data consistency within and across forms.
- In projects in which REDCap's Data Resolution Workflow (often called 'data queries' in clinical trials and studies) is enabled, users are allowed to use a workflow for documenting the process of resolving issues with data in the project.
Is REDCap right for my study?
When trying to determine if REDCap is right for you, you are welcome to try the application on a dedicated server available here: https://redcaptraining.irttest.drexel.edu/
Please note that this "trial session" is not to be used for storing any real data. ALL DATA ENTERED BY YOU WILL BE DELETED EVERY EVENING. Project information (e.g., forms, reports, etc.) will be deleted after three months.
Log on to this system with your DREXEL credentials (login is typically your initials followed by a number, not first initial and last name). Do not use your Drexel University College of Medicine username and password to access the trial area.
If you visit the REDCap trial site and are still unsure if REDCap is an appropriate solution for your research study data management needs, you may email College of Medicine's REDCap team at research.informatics@drexelmed.edu.
How should I describe REDCap in a grant or IRB application?
You may include this paragraph in your grant or IRB application, but only if you plan to do what it says you will do (using data checks and restricting access to those who should have access):
Data for this study will be entered into REDCap , a secure data collection tool , which uses a MySQL database via a secure web interface with data checks used during data entry to ensure data quality. REDCap includes a complete suite of features to support HIPAA compliance, including a full audit trail, user-based privileges, and integration with the institutional LDAP server. The MySQL database and the web server will both be housed on secure servers operated by Drexel University College of Medicine Information Technology. The servers are in a physically secure location on campus and are backed up nightly, with the backups stored in accordance with the retention schedule of daily, weekly, and monthly tapes retained for 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, respectively. Weekly backup tapes are stored offsite. The servers provide a stable, secure, well-maintained, and high-capacity data storage environment, and both REDCap and MySQL are widely-used, powerful, reliable, well-supported systems. Access to the study's data in REDCap will be restricted to the members of the study team by username and password.
How should I cite REDCap?
You can find recommendations on citing REDCap at https://projectredcap.org/resources/citations/.
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