Two types of external personnel are permitted to use OHSU's REDCap

  1. External collaborators on individual projects

    1. Access to REDCap for external users is limited to collaborators for data entry purposes only.

    2. Training and support is not provided for external collaborators to build or manage projects in OHSU's REDCap.

  2. OCTRI partner personnel, such as personnel with the Portland VA. 
    1. OHSU personnel are required to use OHSU's REDCap with OHSU username and password.

Direct access to a REDCap project, via requesting an account, for third Party vendors and/or study sponsors is not allowed.


Key Points for Requesting an Account
  • A link to the form to request an account is included in every project on the project's User Rights page.
  • Accounts can be requested during development and production phases of the project.

External Non-OHSU User Topics


Overview of Operations for External Accounts

Account Sponsorship

All external users have a Sponsor user. The Sponsor is the customer who requested the account, unless otherwise designated.

Sponsor Requirements

  • Only OHSU and Portland VA personnel are eligible to be sponsors.
  • The Sponsor must be a user on the project the external user account will be added to.
  • The Sponsor must have User Rights permission enabled.

  • Research Projects

    • A single research project can have multiple Sponsors for the external user accounts added to their project.
  • Non-Research Projects
    • A single non-research project can only one have a single Sponsor for all external user accounts added to the project.
    • We recommend the project point person be the Sponsor, however, the first person to request the first external user account will be designated as the Sponsor.
      • The name of the Sponsor is added to the project banner.
      • If a different user other than the Sponsor requests external user account, sponsorship for the accounts will be assigned to the customer listed as the Sponsor per the the project banner.

Sponsor Responsibilities

The Sponsor is responsible for managing the account operations outlined below, including annually renewing the accounts they sponsor. 

The Sponsor is also the external user's main of point of contact for help with the specific project the user has been added to and the first point of contact for any issues the user encounters accessing REDCap itself.

Changing Sponsorship

To change the sponsor for one or more external users from one customer to another, the existing Sponsor should submit a request to the redcap@ohsu.edu and cc the new Sponsor.

Include the following information in your email:

  • New Sponsor's name and email address
    • The new Sponsor must meet the requirements listed above.
  • Usernames of the external users for who sponsorship is changing.

Fees for Non-Research

  • There are no charges for external user accounts for external collaborators working on research studies.
  • There are annual charges for external usr accounts for non-research projects.
    • Fees are outlined on the Costs & Charges page.
    • Charges are based on the total number of accounts requested or renewed each fiscal year.
  • Billing information is collected the first time an external account is request for a non-research project, and subsequently, during the annual renewal process.

External User Account Details 

  • Account Lifespan

    • External user accounts are valid for an OHSU fiscal year, annually expiring every August 31st.
    • For continued access to REDCap, accounts will need to be renewed for each fiscal year.
      • The REDCap Team send account renewal notifications in early July, and the renewal notification period last until the end of business August 31st.
    • Accounts that are not renewed are automatically suspended on September 1, at 12am.
    • Accounts for Portland VA personnel are an exception and will not be set to expire.

  • Account Requirements

    • External collaborators are required to use their institutional or organizational email address for their REDCap profile.
    • An account is created for the exclusive use of the external collaborator it was created for. Sharing the account would violate OHSU security directives.
    • Per OHSU security directives, shared accounts cannot be added to REDCap as users.

  • Login and Password Management
    • Two Factor Authentication 
      • External users must complete two factor authentication via email.
      • External users will see an option to use Duo for two factor, but Duo is for OHSU users only.
      • Sponsors are the first point of contact for external users with questions about two factor authentication.
    • Password Management
      • External users create their own passwords the very first time log in to REDCap with a temporary password REDCap created for them.
      • Resetting Password
        • External users can reset their password by using the Forgot your password link on the REDCap homepage
        • Sponsors can request a password reset on behalf of an external user via the Sponsor Dashboard.


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Requesting an External Account(s)*

For a collaborator external to OHSU, the project team will first need to request a REDCap account be created for the collaborator before they can add that personnel to their REDCap project.

Accounts can be requested, as needed, through the project's life cycle, both during development and production. The REDCap Team process requests for new accounts are processed throughout the fiscal year.


Request Process

1

OHSU personnel submits form: Request External Users for REDCap Project. A link to the form is included on each project's User Rights page.

 

2REDCap Team notified via email.
3

REDCap Team evaluates if request can be processed, based on the following criteria

    • Valid REDCap project title.
    • Accounts requested for individual non-OHSU persons.
    • Organizational or institutional email associated with requested accounts.
4

(tick) Outcome: Valid Request

(minus) Outcome: Invalid or Incomplete Request

5REDCap Team creates account(s) for external user(s).Invalid Request: REDCap Team notifies OHSU study personnel  that request could not be processed. Pertinent details included in notification.
6REDCap automatically notifies external user that an account was created in OHSU's REDCap, with instructions to log in and set up password.Incomplete Request: REDCap Team sends OHSU study personnel  link to submit missing or corrected information. Based on response, REDCap process request, following steps 3-8.
7REDCap Team notifies the the requestor/Sponsor that the external account(s) was created, with instructions to add the user(s) to their project.
8Sponsor adds external user(s) to their project.
9

REDCap automatically adds external user(s) to the requestor's Sponsor Dashboard.


* Occasionally, accounts are created for non-OHSU personnel from OCTRI partner organizations, such as the Portland VA, at the request of the personnel themselves when they will be building and managing a project that has been approved for OHSU's REDCap.


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Managing External Accounts

All external users have a Sponsor user, as described above. The Sponsor is responsible for managing account operations outlined on this page. The Sponsor is also the external user's main of point of contact for help with the specific project the user has been added to and the first point of contact for any issues the user encounters accessing REDCap itself.

Sponsor Dashboard

The Sponsor Dashboard is a tool for Sponsor users to manage the external user accounts assigned to their sponsorship.

  • The Dashboard contains information about each external user account sponsored, including the username, name, expiration, and date of last activity.
  • From the Dashboard, the Sponsor can send requests to the REDCap Admin Team to help manage their external accounts, such as resetting a password, suspending and un-suspending an account, and renewing an account(s).
  • Sponsors can access the Sponsor Dashboard from the a link above the table of projects on the My Projects tab.

Suspending and Unsuspending an External User Account(s)


Suspending Instructions

Unsuspending Instructions

1

Navigate to Sponsor Dashboard

2
  • Check the box next to each user to be suspended
  • Click the red Suspend user button.
  • Check the box next to each user to be unsuspended
  • Click the green Unsuspend user button.
3

In the Submit to administrator pop-up, click the Submit button

In the Submit to administrator pop-up, click the Submit button

4

REDCap Team automatically notified.

5

REDCap Team approves requested action.

6
REDCap Team sets the account expiration to 8/31 of the current calendar year.
7REDcap automatically emails Sponsor to notify them the request to their request was approved.

Troubleshooting Some Common Issues 

External User Email Change

There are two options for managing an email change for an external user.

  • Update the email address only
    • The external user can update their email address associated with their account by editing the Primary email address in their Profile.
    • Users can access their profile via the Profile link in the left side of the top navigation menu on the My Projects, Home, or Help & FAQ pages.
    • Updating the email address will not change the username.
      • Once an account is created, the username cannot be edited.

  • Create a new account and suspend the old account
    • Once an account is created, the username cannot be edited.
    • If the username needs to match the new email address, the Sponsor will need to request a new account with the new email address.
    • Once the new account is created, the REDCap Team will suspend the account with the username that matches the obsolete email address.

Two Factor Authentication Code Expired by the Time the External User Receives the Email 

The Sponsor should contact the REDCap Team at redcap@ohsu.edu and request to increase the amount of time the external user has to enter the code.

Include in the email:

  • The external user's username
  • The preferred increased time increment, as follows
    • 5 minutes
    • 10 minutes
    • 20 minutes
    • 30 minutes


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Renewing External Accounts

External user accounts are valid for an OHSU fiscal year, annually expiring every August 31st. Accounts must be renewed every year, for continued access to REDCap.

Renewal Process

The REDCap Team sends renewal notifications to Sponsors near the beginning of July. This starts the renewal period, which lasts until the end of August.

  • The renewal notification directs Sponsors to complete a survey to confirm their intention to either renew accounts, let accounts expire, or change the Sponsor. 
  • For non-research projects billing information is collected prior to sending the renewal notifications.

  • The REDCap Team does not process early renewal requests that are submitted before the renewal notifications are sent and the renewal period has started. 

  • Any accounts that are not renewed will be automatically suspended and lose access to REDCap effect September 1, at 12am.
    • To activate an account that has been suspended, the Sponsor will need to follow the steps, outlined above, for unsuspending an account.



REDCap Instructions for Sponsor

1

Navigate to Sponsor Dashboard

2
  • For each account to be renewed, select the corresponding checkbox.
  • Only active accounts can be renewed.
  • If an account is suspended:
    • First, request that account be unsuspended following the instructions above.
    • Next, follow instructions listed here to request accounts be renewed.

3

Click the Set account expiration button.

4

In the Submit to administrator pop-up modal, click the Submit button.

5

REDCap Team automatically notified.

6REDCap Team updates the expiration date to 8/31 for upcoming fiscal year.
7REDcap automatically emails Sponsor the request was approved.
8REDCap Team sends Sponsor an email notification confirming the accounts were renewed.


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