Queensland Health REDCap
Metro North is committed to building research capacity through the provision of infrastructure and resources that enable high quality research data management.
Queensland Health (QH) REDCap is available for Metro North staff as a secure approved system for creating and managing projects designed to collect data for research and operational projects, including quality activities.
What is REDCap?
Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) is a self-guided and self-supported, easy to use, secure web application for building and managing online databases and surveys to enable flexible and high quality data collection and management. While REDCap can collect virtually any type of data, it was specifically designed to support online and offline data capture for research studies and operations.
REDCap is server software, installed on an organisations web server and managed by internal IT staff. Users are then able to access REDCap online through a web browser. There are thousands of organisations across the world who have installed and managed REDCap, each according to their own server environment and IT installation, management and support technical specifications.
You may have previously accessed REDCap at a different institution, for example Metro North REDCap or an installation at a University or through a private organisation. Whilst they are all using the REDCap software, they are considered different instances of REDCap. They will all be accessed by a different URL and will all be installed and managed in different server environments with different technical and security configurations.
REDCap is supported by the REDCap Consortium, a strong community of partner sites across the world who continue to actively develop the REDCap software and facilitate consortium activities designed to enable REDCap users to share and learn about REDCap through the community.
About QH REDCap
QH REDCap is an instance of REDCap provided for Queensland Health staff to create and manage projects. QH REDCap is a single enterprise instance of REDCap hosted in a Queensland Health data centre environment, collaboratively supported by eHealth Queensland and the Queensland Health Office of Research and Innovation, and managed under a delegated Data and Application Custodianship Framework model.
QH REDCap is accessible via the internet and can be used to create and distribute surveys to patients or research participants. The collection, management, access and disclosure of data within Queensland Health must be managed in accordance with legislative and regulatory privacy and confidentiality requirements. QH REDCap is installed and managed in a secure environment that allows Queensland Health staff to collect and manage data in compliance with the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld), Part 7 Confidentiality of the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 (Qld), the Public Health Act 2005 (Qld) and all Queensland Government privacy and confidentiality requirements and information security policies and standards.
QH REDCap is available for use by all of Queensland Health. Metro North staff can request access to create and manage projects that are led by Metro North staff. For more information, including support and access resources, please visit QH REDCap.
Why use REDCap?
All research and clinical data and metadata must be collected, managed, accessed, disclosed and disposed of in a manner that protects the rights, safety, and well-being of the research participants and the wider community, maintains data security and integrity, and is in accordance with all applicable legislative and regulatory confidentiality and privacy requirements. REDCap provides a secure, flexible yet robust platform to collect and manage data.
REDCap provides:
- Online or offline project design: Online using the Online Designer or offline using a “data dictionary” template in Microsoft Excel that can be uploaded later into REDCap.
- Availability: Software is available at no cost for REDCap Consortium Partners (Queensland Health is a consortium partner)
- Secure and web-based: Input data or build an online survey or database from anywhere in the world over a secure web connection with authentication and data logging.
- Fast and flexible: Conception to production-level database or survey in less than one day.
- Multi-site access: REDCap databases/surveys can be used by approved researchers from multiple sites and institutions
- User Access Rights & Data Access Groups: Users have complete autonomy and control to approve and add new users to any project.
- Fully customisable: Users are in total control of shaping the project database or survey.
- Audit trails: For tracking data manipulation and user activity.
- Data export controls and automated export procedures: For seamless data downloads to Excel, PDF, and common statistical packages (SPSS, SAS, Stata, R).
- Create and distribute anonymous or targeted online surveys
- A built-in project calendar and a scheduling module
- Advanced report builder with schedules or ad hoc reporting tools
- Advanced features such as branching logic, file uploading, and calculated fields.
- Regulatory compliance REDCap can be installed in a variety of environments for compliance with such standards as HIPAA, 21 CFR Part 11, FISMA (low, moderate, high), and international standards.
- Available in multiple languages: Several language translations have already been compiled for REDCap (e.g. Chinese, French, German, Portuguese), and it is anticipated that other languages will be available in new versions of REDCap soon.
Metro North REDCap
Metro North REDCap is only accessible for existing projects. All new project request must be submitted through QH REDCap. Metro North staff can continue to use Metro North REDCap for existing projects. For more information on the transition to QH REDCap, please read this guide.