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The CRI is proud to offer REDCap, a self-managed, secure, web-based solution designed to support data collection strategies for research studies.


Note: If you would like to use REDCap for COVID-19 research, please refer to this summary of available resources and find further information here.

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NEWS

Mar 09
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CRI Systems Outage

By News, REDCap

UPDATE 3/22/23 4:30 PM: All images, signatures, and files have been restored for REDCap. Please email redcap@rt.cri.uchicago.edu with any questions or concerns. Thank you again for your patience as we diligently worked to restore all files.

UPDATE 3/21/23 10:15 PM: REDCap remains available for use. However, images and uploaded files may not be available yet. We are in the process of restoring the remaining files. Another outage will need to be scheduled to complete the process. This outage is scheduled for Wednesday, March 22 at 3pm for approximately 1-2 hours. Please email redcap@rt.cri.uchicago.edu with any questions or concerns. Thank you again for your patience as we diligently work to restore all REDCap files.

UPDATE 3/19/23 12:23 PM: Dear CRI Colleagues: We are pleased to notify you that PRFS and all related CRI services are now available. We will be continuing to monitor the system closely for any abnormalities. If you have experience any anomalies or have any questions, please submit a ticket by emailing support@rt.cri.uchicago.edu. If you have further questions or concerns, please feel free to email us at cri@bsd.uchicago.edu. Thank you again for your patience as we diligently worked to restore services. – Julie and Brian

UPDATE 3/17/23 5:06 PM: Dear CRI Colleagues: We have restored critical clinical functionality, and REDCap remains operational. However, PRFS remains unavailable for use as we continue performance stability testing. At this point in time, we plan to restore the system on Sunday, March 19. The root cause of the PRFS outage is still being investigated, and we will continue to monitor the system closely for the foreseeable future. Per our annual operating plan, PRFS is scheduled to be replaced in the coming months which will remediate the stability risk. We will provide an update on Sunday as to when the system will be available. Thank you for your patience as we diligently work to restore all services, and please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. – Julie and Brian

UPDATE 3/16/23 5:27 PM: Dear CRI Colleagues: PRFS remains offline, though we successfully completed the utility and found no inconsistencies with data integrity. The root cause is still being investigated, and as such, we have scheduled additional performance testing for Friday, 3/17 before we re-activate the system. We will have provide further updates on our performance testing tomorrow. In the meantime, REDCap remains operational, and we are actively restoring critical files. If you have a critical need, please contact cri@bsd.uchicago.edu. Thank you for your patience as we diligently work to restore all services, and please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. – Julie and Brian

UPDATE 3/15/23 5:16 PM: Dear CRI Colleagues: PRFS remains offline as we continue running the utility that will determine if there is any data corruption that must be repaired. Based on the rate at which this utility is running, we expect it to finish tomorrow. To date, we are pleased to say that we have not identified any data corruption but will know more tomorrow upon the utility’s completion. In the meantime, REDCap remains operational, and we are actively restoring critical files from our backup system. If you have a critical need, please contact cri@bsd.uchicago.edu. Thank you for your patience as we diligently work to restore all services, and please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. – Julie and Brian

UPDATE 3/14/23 5:29 PM: Dear CRI Colleagues: PRFS remains offline as we are currently running a utility that will determine if there is any data corruption that must be repaired. This utility must be run with the data offline, and it is scheduled to complete on Thursday. At that time, we will know the extent and duration of our recovery efforts. In the meantime, REDCap is up and running, and we are working through critical data restoration from our backup system. If you have a critical need, please contact cri@bsd.uchicago.edu. Thank you for your patience as we diligently work to restore all services, and please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. – Julie and Brian

UPDATE 3/14/23 9:22 AM: REDCap is now available for use. Please note, to ensure there is no data corruption, any project files created before today are still in the process of being restored and will be added when possible. This includes files stored in “File upload” field types, “Descriptive Text (with file attachments)” field types, and previous export files. Thank you for your patience, and please email redcap@rt.cri.uchicago.edu with any questions or concerns.

UPDATE 3/13/23 6:59 PM: Dear CRI Colleagues: On the afternoon of Thursday, March 8th, we encountered a critical error within our CRI PRFS parallel storage system. This critical error caused the storage system to become unavailable. Working throughout the weekend with our partners Lenovo and IBM, we have worked through the instability. To ensure there is no data corruption, the entire 2.5PB file system will need to be checked and verified and will be offline. We will provide an estimated restoration date by the end of the day on March 14th. In the interim, we are working on alternative means for critical functions. Please email cri@bsd.uchicago.edu if you have a critical need. Thank you for your patience, and do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns. – Julie Johnson and Brian Schinker

UPDATE 3/12/23 8:27 PM: Services are still down. The vendor’s development team will continue to work over night on understanding the source of the error and finding a way to safely bypass it.

UPDATE 3/12/23 12:57 PM: Services are still unavailable. The vendor, having a global presence, is working on analyzing system logs and crash-dumps from the system around the clock. In the last 12 hours, there has been progress on narrowing down the location of the error, but it is still unclear what is required to correct the issue.

UPDATE 3/11/23 4:46 PM: Services are still unavailable. The team is troubleshooting with the vendors to resolve the issue. It is our top priority to restore services and we apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you for your patience.

UPDATE 3/10/23 12:34 PM: Unfortunately, services are still unavailable. The team is working to resolve the issue and it has been escalated with the vendor. We apologize for the inconvenience, and greatly appreciate your understanding and patience.

UPDATE 3/9/23 5:08 PM: The impacted services are still unavailable and the team is investigating the issue with the vendor. At this point, we do not have an estimate on when services will be restored.

UPDATE 3/9/23 2:25 PM: We are currently experiencing issues on PRFS storage that is affecting the use of CRI Lab shares, the Gardner HPC Cluster, Linux Stats, and other CRI & BSDIS systems, including REDCap. The team has identified the cause and are working on restoring services.

QUESTIONS: Please email support@rt.cri.uchicago.edu.

 

ABOUT REDCAP

WHAT IS REDCAP?

REDCap is a self-managed, secure, web-based solution that is designed to support data collection strategies for research studies. Its free use is offered by the Center for Research Informatics (CRI). This easy-to-use and intuitive tool provides functionality and features to enable researchers to rapidly develop databases and surveys for collecting and managing research data. Your data is securely kept on BSD servers at the Kenwood Data Center.

The REDCap project was initiated at Vanderbilt University and includes more than 4,000 active institutional partners from CTSAs, GCRCs, RCMI, and other institutions, including the University of Chicago, in a collaborative international consortium. The consortium contributes to the continuing evolution of the tool and provides a valuable sounding board and testing resource for the Vanderbilt team. REDCap is currently in production use or development build status for more than 1.3 million projects, with over 2 million end users in over 140 countries spanning numerous research focus areas across the consortium. Here at the University, we have over 10,000 projects with over 8,000 end users.

WHY USE REDCAP?

REDCap offers the following features:

  • Fast. Quick project start-up. Data entry forms and surveys can be implemented without the need for a programmer.
  • Easy. Intuitive user interface and workflow, readily available online training materials, and assistance from the CRI all make it easy to get started.
  • Fully customizable. You are in control of shaping your database.
  • Web-based. Enter data or build your database from anywhere in the world over a secure web connection with authentication and data logging.
  • Secure. Backed up offsite nightly and hosted in a secure environment maintained by the CRI.
  • Data hosting. No need to worry about security issues regarding third party websites hosting your private data.
  • Data import. Import data from Microsoft Excel and Access (csv files).
  • Data export. Export data to Excel, SAS, Stata, R, and SPSS.
  • Audit trail. Track data manipulation, project changes, imports, and exports by date and user.
  • Advanced features. Mid-study modifications, auto-validation, branching logic, and calculated fields.
  • Scheduling. Utilize a built-in project calendar and scheduling module for organizing your events and appointments.
  • Reports and stats. Online tool allows you to view reports of your data, export your reports, and turn your reports into plots, graphs, and statistics.
  • Autonomous user management. Research groups have complete autonomy and control to add new users and set several levels of specific user rights.
  • Multi-site access. REDCap can be used by researchers from multiple sites and institutions.
  • Survey participant list. Build a list of email contacts, create custom email invitations, and track who responds.
  • Anonymous surveys. Keep your participant responses anonymous (default), or if desired, responses from email contacts can be identified.
  • Survey PDF. Generate a PDF version of your survey for printing to collect responses offline.
  • Mobile app. Available for iOS and Android for offline data collection by the project team.

Note: REDCap is not intended for use with FDA-governed clinical trials. For assistance with FDA-governed clinical trials, please contact veloshelpbsd@bsd.uchicago.edu.

 

WHERE TO START

 

REDCap allows users to build and manage online surveys and databases quickly and securely. Users have the freedom to start their projects and begin designing their forms and surveys often within a few short minutes. Start with our training page to help you learn the basics of REDCap via training videos, training manuals, advanced features, quick tips, and FAQs. You can then log in to REDCap with either your BSDAD or UCHAD account and explore the Help&FAQ page for additional help within the application itself. If you need further help at this point, email REDCap Support to set up a working session with the CRI’s REDCap Administrator.

STILL UNSURE?

We can help you determine whether REDCap is an appropriate solution for your research data collection needs by providing a brief demo and discussing whether REDCap is a good fit for your project. Please email REDCap Support to set up a consultation session with the CRI’s REDCap Administrator.

MEET OUR REDCAP EXPERT

Julissa Acevedo, the CRI’s resident REDCap Administrator since 2012, is the point of contact for all REDCap inquiries at the University of Chicago. Julissa has personally guided many investigators with their study design and she takes pride in providing exceptional technical support. An active member of the REDCap Consortium, she attends REDCapCon annually to collaborate with other REDCap experts to further advance the use of REDCap here at the University. Prior to joining the CRI, Julissa developed and supported various applications at Motorola, Bank of America, and the U.S. Census Bureau.

 

ACCOUNTS & PASSWORDS

NEW USERS

New users can log in to REDCap using either a BSDAD or UCHAD account (use only one account).

If you do not have either account, a BSD sponsor may request an account for you by filling out the BSDIS Collaborator Account Request Form. The BSDIS Help Desk will follow up on this request. CNET accounts do not allow access to REDCap.

EXTERNAL ACCOUNTS

To request accounts for users from external collaborating institutions, fill out the BSDIS Collaborator Account Request Form. The BSDIS Help Desk will follow up on this request.

ADDING A USER TO A PROJECT

First, check to see if you have access to your project’s User Rights page which is on the left-hand side Applications menu. If you don’t have access, contact REDCap Support or check with other project user who may have access to the page to grant you access.

Next, click on the Add new user box and begin typing your user’s name. Select it once it appears in the list. Click on Add with custom rights. Click on the boxes of the rights to be assigned. Click on Add user. 

If you don’t see your user listed in the Add new user box, there are two possible reasons:

  1. If you do not find the user listed, and they have logged in before, their access may be suspended due to inactivity. Contact REDCap Support to have their access unsuspended.
  2. If they have never logged into REDCap, ask your user to log in and set up their profile with the following form. Once set up, you should be able to find and select their username in the Add new user box.

*Note, if your project has User Roles set up, make sure to add the user to the appropriate role if necessary.

**Please do not enter the user’s email address in the Add new user box, as this will not grant them access.

PASSWORD RESETS

Passwords are not stored or managed by REDCap. To request password help, visit the UCMIT Password Reset Self-Service site. If you need further assistance, depending on your account type, contact the following help desks:

• internal accounts (BSDAD or UCHAD) – visit the UCMIT Service Now Portal or call 773-702-3456.

• external accounts (t.cri.____ or t-9____) – email bsdis@bsd.uchicago.edu or call 773-834-4000.

 

REDCap 21 CFR Part 11

Compliance Statement

Research faculty and staff often use electronic applications to maintain records and create signatures necessary to support human research activities, some of which are governed by FDA regulations. Sponsors occasionally request certification of compliance with 21 CFR Part 11. This notice provides information about the University’s use of the REDCap system with Part 11 requirements. University researchers, sponsors, or others seeking certification of compliance for FDA-regulated studies, may rely on this compliance statement and print it as well to maintain it with other required research documents.

Validation Report

The University’s instance of REDCap was initially validated for 21 CFR Part 11 compliance back in 2017. We upgrade yearly (approximately) and a revalidation of the system and a review  and update of SOPs is performed with each upgrade. The CRI ensures the REDCap system operates per its intended use, defined by the system requirements. The intended use statement for the REDCap system is as follows: The REDCap system will be available for electronic data capture across a number of research use cases, including but not limited to, general survey and case report form (CRF) data collection for IRB-approved research studies and investigator and sponsor-initiated clinical trials requiring adherence to 21 CFR Part 11, Electronic Records and Electronic Signatures. University researchers may refer to this validation report which summarizes the results of the most recent validation.

Guidance Manual

University researchers may refer to this guidance manual to learn about the specific Part 11 criteria, and the associated REDCap features that meet said criteria.

Questions? Contact REDCap Support.