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VA REDCap 101: Overview for VA Researchers
Bonnie Paris, PhD
Data Knowledge Analyst & VA REDCap Project Manager
VA Information Resource Center (VIReC)
03/05/2018
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Benefits Limitations Features Example Projects
Training Support
Session Objectives
• What is VA REDCap?
• Benefits
• Limitations
• What can VA REDCap do?
• Basic & Advanced features
• Example VA REDCap Projects
• What resources are available?
• Training
• Support
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Benefits Limitations Features Example Projects
Training Support
What is REDCap?
• Secure web application for research data collection
developed by Vanderbilt University with NIH funding
• Primary data collection tool supports compliance with:
• 21 CFR Part 11
• FISMA
• HIPAA
• Used world-wide
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Benefits Limitations Features Example Projects
Training Support
VA REDCap Benefits
• Available for free to all VA employees (including WOC
appointments)
• Centrally managed by VIReC
• Hosted by VINCI
• Provides researchers with a flexible primary data
collection tool
• Easy to get started
• No programming experience required
• Many advanced features available
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Benefits Limitations Features Example Projects
Training Support
VA REDCap Limitations
• VA Intranet Only
• Survey respondents must be logged
into an active VA network account to
respond to a VA REDCap survey
• Not approved for storage of
Personally Identifiable Information
(PII) or Protected Health
Information (PHI).
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2018 Pilot Production
0 users 30 users 600 users 2004 users 2224 users
2010-2013 Need
2014 Beta Test
2015 Pilot expansion, priority to QUERI researchers
2016 Pilot expansion continues
2017 Pilot expansion continues
Supporting Primary Data Collection:
VA REDCap Growth
identified
2316 active users
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Poll Question #1
I am interested in VA data primarily due to my role as:
a. Principal investigator/Co-PI
b. Research staff (Project coordinator, data manager,
programmer)
c. Clinical Staff
d. Operations Staff
e. Other—Please describe via the Q & A function
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8
317
63 138
10
801
405
190
34
1142
710
312
47
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
VA REDCap Project Growth
Research Quality Operational Other Improvement Support
16-Mar 17-Apr 18-Feb
Source: VA REDCap System Statistics. Excludes “practice” projects. 3/2018
9
127
624
16
81
261
105
55
96
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Number of Research Projects by Subcategory
Basic or bench research
Clinical research study or trial
Translational research type 1
Behavioral or psychosocial research
Epidemiology
Repository
Other
Translational research type 2
Source: VA REDCap System Statistics. Excludes “practice” projects. 3/2018
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Benefits Limitations Features Example Projects
Training Support
What can VA REDCap do?
• Build online surveys and databases quickly
• Multiple templates to get you started
• Ability to copy your projects.
• Save your data collection instruments as a PDF to print
• Share your project with your team
• Control permission to data by user and project
• Track changes to your project instruments and data
• Export data to common data analysis packages
• Includes: Microsoft Excel, SAS, Stata, R, and SPSS
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Benefits Limitations Features Example Projects
Training Support
What are the basic steps to creating a project?
• Main project settings
• Design your data collection instruments
• Enable optional modules and customizations
• Set up project bookmarks (optional)
• User Rights and Permissions
• Test your project thoroughly
• Move your project to production status
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Benefits Limitations Features Example Projects
Training Support
Some more advanced REDCap Features
• Longitudinal data collection
• Automated survey invitations
• Randomization
• Auto-validation
• Branching/skip logic
• “Piping” in data to customize question labels, survey
invitation emails, etc.
• & Much More!....
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Poll Question #2
How would you rate your knowledge of VA REDCap?
a. 1 (No knowledge)
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
e. 5 (Expert)
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Benefits Limitations Features Example Projects
Training Support
Example Project 1
• Swallow STRengthening OropharyNGeal
(Swallow STRONG) Clinical Demonstration Project
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Swallow STRengthening OropharyNGeal
(Swallow STRONG) Clinical Demonstration Project
• 2012-2013
• JoAnne Robbins, PhD at the William S. Middleton Memorial
Veterans Hospital in Madison, WI initiates a clinical demonstration
project
• 2016
• Study results published in Journal of the American Geriatrics
Society http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jgs.13933
• “Findings suggest that the Swallow STRONG multidisciplinary
oropharyngeal strengthening program may be an effective
treatment for older adults with dysphagia.” (Rogus-Pulia et al)
Sources:
http://www.swallowsolutions.com/product-information/swallowstrong-device
https://dysphagiacafe.wordpress.com/tag/nicole-pulia/
https://www.medicine.wisc.edu/geriatrics/research
http://www.swallowsolutions.com/news/18-madison-va-hospital-funded-to-start-swallow-strong-clinic
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Swallow STRengthening OropharyNGeal
(Swallow STRONG) Clinical Demonstration Project
• 2017
• Nicole Rogus-Pulia, PhD, CCC-SLP, directs the multi-site Veteran
Health Administration’s (VHA) Swallow STRONG clinical program
• 8 sites
• 4 study arms
• Longitudinal data collection
• VA REDCap used to support data collection
Sources:
http://www.swallowsolutions.com/product-information/swallowstrong-device
https://dysphagiacafe.wordpress.com/tag/nicole-pulia/
https://www.medicine.wisc.edu/geriatrics/research 3/2018
http://www.swallowsolutions.com/news/18-madison-va-hospital-funded-to-start-swallow-strong-clinic
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Benefits Limitations Features Example Projects
Training Support
User Rights
• User Rights Role for • Study coordinator has
“Site Entry” allows data full rights
entry users to: • Project design
• Create Records • Assigning project rights
• Lock/Unlock Records • Exporting data
• Use the Calendar • Deleting records, etc.
• View the Logging record
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Benefits Limitations Features Example Projects
Training Support
Data Access Groups
• Restricts ability to see • Study coordinator can data by Site see all of the data • Cincinnati
• Gainesville
• Hines
• Jesse Brown
• Madison
• Minneapolis
• Seattle
• St Louis VA
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Event 1: Swallow
STRONG
Protocol
2: IOPI
Protocol
3: EMST
Protocol
4: sEMG
Protocol
Week 1 X X X
Week 2 X X X X
Week 3 X X X
Week 4 X X X X
Week 5 X X X
Week 6 X X X
Week 7 X X
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Example: Follow-Up Visit/Call
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Benefits Limitations Features Example Projects
Training Support
Example Project 2
• VA REDCap HelpDesk Ticket System
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How Do I Get A VA REDCap Account?
• Complete the VA REDCap Intake Form at:
https://vhacdwweb05.vha.med.va.gov/surveys/?s=W7Y9A
CRKKX (VA Intranet only)
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Once you click “Submit”
• Notification e-mail is sent to
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Support Team Member:
• Updates ticket information
• Resolves customer issue
• Communicates with customer
• Tracks time and activity
• Enters date ticket is closed
• System automatically sends customer survey invitation
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Customer Receives Notification E-mails
• Automatic system message:
• VIReC REDCap Support welcome message:
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Customer receives survey invitation
The VA Information Resource Center (VIReC) recently provided you with
information related to VA REDCap.
Please take 30 seconds to answer 1 question and provide any comments about
your experience with the VIReC VA REDCap Helpdesk.
Your feedback will help us serve VA researchers better in the future.
You may open the survey in your web browser by clicking the link below:
Customer Service Questionnaire
If the link above does not work, try copying the link below into your web
browser:
https://vhacdwweb05.vha.med.va.gov/surveys/?s=b5krwVexampleRpHX
This link is unique to you and should not be forwarded to others.
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VA
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Feature Presentations
Benefits Limitations Features Example Projects
Training Support
• Periodic live Feature Presentations are archived for future
reference
• Example: March 16th, Mark Pabst, MPH, presented on
Administering Veteran Surveys Using VA REDCap on iPad Minis
• Schedule and Feature Presentation Archive are available at
https://vhacdwweb05.vha.med.va.gov/surveys/?s=83JAXH9P8P
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Date Topic Presenter(s) 3/29/2018 Using the Data Quality Module Linda Schiffer, MS,
MPH
4/26/2018 Using VA REDCap and University
REDCaps in Research
Bonnie Paris, PhD /
Linda Kok, MS
5/31/2018 How to Test & Troubleshoot Your
Project to Avoid Problems: The
Benefits of Production Mode
Peter Addy, PhD
6/28/2018 Using the Randomization
Module
Peter Addy, PhD
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Future FY18 Feature Presentations
Thursdays 3:00pm-4:00pm ET
Benefits Limitations Features Example Projects
Training Support
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Registration is not required.
Join us online at: http://va-eerc-
ees.adobeconnect.com/redcap/
Use your computer's
speakers and microphone or
dial into our VANTS line at
1-800-767-1750, Code
89026# for audio access.
Visit the VA REDCap
Feature Presentation Archive
for previous sessions: https://vhacdwweb05.vha.med.va
.gov/surveys/?s=83JAXH9P8P
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VA REDCap Resources for Beginners
• Visiting the VIReC VA REDCap Overview page at
http://vaww.virec.research.va.gov/REDCap/Overview.htm
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VA REDCap Resources for Beginners
• Watching video tutorials:
• Some of the functionality described, such as the REDCap Mobile
App, is not available for use at the VA.
• If you do not have access to VA REDCap yet, you may watch the
video tutorials on the Vanderbilt University website at
https://redcap.vanderbilt.edu/consortium/videos.php
VA
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Benefits Limitations Features Example Projects
Training Support
• Weekly Q&A with VA REDCap support team
• Thursdays from 3-4pm Eastern Time
• Attendees can use their computer's speakers and microphone or
dial into our VANTS line at 1-800-767-1750 Code 89026# for audio
access.
• Join us online at http://va-eerc-ees.adobeconnect.com/redcap/
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Benefits Limitations Features Example Projects
Training Support
Contact Us
• Submit a HelpDesk Ticket
• https://vhacdwweb05.vha.med.va.gov/surveys/?s
=W7Y9ACRKKX (VA Intranet only)
• Contact VA REDCap Support HelpDesk
• (708) 202-2413
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