Clinical Research Oriented Workshop (CROW) Meeting: February 6, 2014

Present:  Marianne Burke, Sylvie Frisbie, Kairn Kelley, Rodger Kessler, Connie van Eeghen

Guest:     Diantha Howard

Start Up: RedCap is about to go through an upgrade in just a few weeks – stay tuned!

1.                  Discussion: How to use REDCap for data collection and analysis, with Kairn’s dissertation data collection process as a model for exploration

a.       REDCap is more than a survey; it is a data base that can produce outputs easily transferable to Stata and other analytical software

b.      Kairn is using a survey to collect data from parents (from paper forms) and from child subjects (directly into REDCap)

c.       An online designer automatically creates a data dictionary, while designing the survey

                                                  i.      However, the view of the data dictionary variables allows faster editing and additions, once the structure is understood

                                                ii.      A project has one data dictionary, which may support multiple forms

d.      For this project, each of 60 children will take this test twice.  The goal is to find out how much the scores changed for the left ear and (separately) the right ear. 

                                                  i.      At project setup, indicate that the study is longitudinal.  REDCap then provides repeated events. (See “Add new event” button function).  (We later decided to un-do this.)

                                                ii.      REDCap can track subject ID to connect longitudinal responses on a paired basis.

                                              iii.      The randomized ordering of the tests (the questions of which are part of the form, including all three tests) cannot be tracked by REDCap but can be identified as a field with a coded randomization order (for three tests, that can be randomized into 6 alternatives).  Although REDCap has a randomization function to assign a subject to a particular randomized alternative, it cannot change the presentation of the questions to match that alternative.

                                              iv.      The first form in the project should always be the subject identification variables, such as age, gender, and unique ID (which REDCap can also generate) etc.

1.      Changes to data are tracked in a history record

2.      Notes are for data management purposes; they do not export to analysis

                                                v.      Exports include all data; the analysis software has to do the work of selecting which data to analyze

e.       Once the data are in for the two different trials (or events), exported data take the appearance of two rows of data for each subject

                                                  i.      To create an exported file with all subject data on a single row, do NOT create a longitudinal study and duplicate all forms with new variable names identifying the different trials

f.       Calculated fields in REDCap are important for this project in order to immediately create an individual report for each child upon completion of the second trial.

                                                  i.      Example: how to calculate age using the birthdate (in the data file) and “today’s” date.  Calculated field come with a good “help” window to guide syntax.

g.      Kairn’s data reside on REDCap on a FAHC server, because she is collecting PHI.  Access requires an M number and, if offsite, the FAHC remote access portal.  If the project does not have PHI, the data can be stored on a UVM server hosting REDCap. 

h.      Use of REDCap is usually based on an IRB approved project.  However, education and quality improvement projects can use REDCap but need individual approval.

i.        Excellent for planning and organizing the data that support a project.

2.                  Next Workshop Meeting(s): Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m., at Given Courtyard South Level 4.   Remember: the first 15 minutes are for checking in with each other.

a.       February 13: TBD

b.      February 20: Rodger & Connie?

c.       February 27:

d.      March 6:

Recorder: Connie van Eeghen