Support for the use of REDCap at OHSU is focused on collecting research data, which is the intended use of the system and in line with OCTRI's mission. Support and availability for using REDCap for uses other than collecting research data is based on capacity.
- There are two tracks of support for REDCap research projects: 1) Supported Service, and 2) Self-Service.
- There is a single track of support for non-research projects, Supported Service.
An overview of the support tracks is provided below and details each support track, including its requirements, the availability of help from the REDCap Team, and the availability of features and functionality to use in a project, is covered in the Support Tracks page.
For both research and and non-research use, study or project personnel build and manage their own projects, including managing and training their users, collecting data and/or sending out surveys, and cleaning data and exporting it for analysis. The REDCap Team provides help with and support for specific features and functionality in accordance with the terms and conditions outlined in support track that has been selected for or applied to the project. For more information about the REDCap Team and the REDCap Team's responsibilities, review the information on the REDCap Team.
Support for Research Use
The support track applies at the project level, and by default all research projects are opted in to the Supported Service track.
Study teams with REDCap building experience, who don't need the the REDCap Team's help, and are not setting up e-consent, can opt out of the Supported Service track and select the Self-Service track.
Because the support track applies at the project level, if a protocol has multiple projects, study teams have flexibility to select different support tracks for different projects depending on requirements of the project and builder’s experience.
Operations: Key Components
For both tracks, the following operations apply:
Study teams select the support track for their project when they create a new project.
The PI complete a terms of service that covers all REDCap project(s) created for the protocol.
For projects using the Supported Service track, the terms of use must be completed before the project is launched to production, or if there are multiple projects before the first project is launched to production.
For projects using the Self-Service track, the terms of use must be completed before the project for the study is created, or if there are multiple projects before the first project is created.
The builder completes a builder's agreement. If there are multiple projects, for each project, the builder completes a builder's agreement.
For projects using the Self-Service track, the agreement must be completed before their project is created.
The REDCap Team provides help and services for the project in accordance with the selected support track.
For the Self-Service track, additional information is gathered via a project intake supplement, which is required to be completed before a new project can be created. The purpose of the intake supplement is to confirm with the builder and the PI that the project's requirements and the builder's experience are a good fit for the functionality supported by and help available through Self-Service track.
Changing Support Track
Once a project is created, the selected support tracks applies to the project and to the person(s) building and managing the project for the project's lifespan, from project creation to completion.
Changing the support track from Supported Service to Self-Service track is not allowed.
There are charges to change the support track from Self-Service to Supported Service. Also the training requirement(s) for the builder/point person will be reinstated.
Costs and Charges Overview
Costs and charges for research projects are dependent on 1) the selected support track, 2) the level of help the builder/point person needs to set up and manage their project, and 3) the kinds of customizations and optional modules the project needs set up to support the requirements for their study regarding collecting data, monitoring data collection, and reporting on the data collected.
For both support tracks, there are no fees for project hosting and data storage.
For both support tracks, there is an annual fee for projects that request 21 or more external users.
Supported Service Charges
There is no cost for email and drop-in help for core functionality that's covered in our Basics and Survey trainings, and standard functionality that's covered through self-directed instruction.
Email and drop-in help are NOT available for projects using Self-Service track.There are fees associated with optional and external modules and advanced applications.
Use of optional and external modules and advanced applications are NOT supported for for projects using Self-Service track.
There are custom support charges in the event that help above and beyond email and drop-in help is needed. Charges determined on case by case basis.
Custom support is NOT available for projects using Self-Service track.
There are charges for recurrent, extensive, high impact, and support-intensive changes. For more details see "When Charges Apply" call out box on the Production changes page.
Recurrent, extensive, high impact, and support-intensive changes are NOT supported for projects using Self-Service track.
There are charges for additional help for implementing an e-consent that include minors, involves re-consenting, needs to be distributed in multiple languages, needs to accommodate a legally acting representative (LAR), or needs other REDCap features to support the consent process. For more details see "When Charges Apply" call out box on the Consent/E-Consent page..
E-consent is NOT supported for projects using Self-Service track.
Self-Service Charges
There are charges to change the support track to Supported Service, with a minimum fee of $500, and total costs depending on the project's size and complexity, and the builder/point person's REDCap experience.
Supported Service for Research
The Supported Service track is designed to offer the broadest use of and support for the application, by making available for research projects, help with and use of the full REDCap feature set, in exchange for the persons building and managing a project completing our required training(s).
This means builders of all levels can access the REDCap Team's expertise as they learn and grow their skills in the software, and study teams are not limited in determining what functionality will best meet the requirements for their data collection, monitoring and reporting.
Self-Service for Research
The Self-Service track is designed to streamline the process of setting up and managing a simple REDCap project by eliminating the REDCap training requirement as a condition for getting started and the testing requirements as a condition for launching a project to production, in exchange for limiting the use of REDCap to features and functionality that don't require the REDCap Team's intervention for implementation, or guidance for utilization.
In practical terms, this track is best suited for an experienced builder who is setting up a simple project that they will also be managing over the course of the projects's lifespan.
Workflow: Project Creation Key Components
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Builder requests project | |
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OCTRI processes request | |
↓ | |
REDCap Team approves project to be created | Builder completes supplemental intake & builder & PI sign agreements |
↓ | ↓ |
Builder & PI sign agreements via supplemental intake | REDCap Team approves project to be created |
Support for Non-Research Use
There is a single track of support for all non-research projects, the Supported Service track. Non-research project teams cannot opt out of this Supported Service track.
Operations: Key Components
For this track, the following operations apply:
The Data Steward completes a terms of service that covers all projects associated with the specific use/effort.
Completing the terms of use is required before the project is created, or if there are multiple projects, before the first project is created.
The project builder completes a builders agreement. If there are multiple projects, for each project, the builder completes a builder's agreement.
Completing the agreement is required before the project is created.
The project builder also completes a project intake supplement to determine if custom support, for which there are additional charges, will will be needed to meet the project's requirements.
Completing the project intake supplement is required before the project is created.
Costs and Charges Overview
Annual Fees
Annual fees cover the use of REDCap for a fiscal year and apply to active projects.
- A project is considered to be active if it has one of the following statuses: development, production or analysis/clean up.
There is an annual fee that covers both project hosting and data storage, as well as email and drop-in help.
There is an annual fee for projects that request 1 or more external users.
- If there are multiple projects for a single data collection initiative (which is tracked via the OCTRI number assigned to the projects):
- Fees apply to the overall data collection initiative (the fees are not applied on a per project basis).
- Fees apply if at least one project was active during the fiscal year.
- Notices for annual fees are sent, in July, at the start of each fiscal year.
- August 31st is the deadline for submitting billing information.
- Custom Support Charges
There are charges if help is needed above and beyond the help the REDCap Team provides via email and drop-in sessions. Charges depend on the scope and extent of the help needed and the personnel's REDCap experience.
Supported Service for Non-Research
Funding for REDCap is only for research activities, which is also REDCap’s intended use – data collection for research studies. The Supported Service support track for non-research data collection is designed to provide a sustainable and beneficial way for teams to build and manage non-research projects in REDCap, by making available use of standard REDCap functionality that is accessible out-of-box for every project, and providing help with the core REDCap functionality that's covered in our Basics and Survey trainings.
Workflow: Project Creation Key Components
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|---|---|
Builder requests project | |
↓ | |
OCTRI processes request | |
↓ | |
Builder completes supplemental intake & builder & Data Steward sign agreements | |
↓ | |
REDCap Team approves project to be created |
Model of Support Rationale
This model of support aims to better serve the needs of the growing REDCap customer base at OHSU, and to put into place a sustainable approach for the use and support of REDCap that aligns with OCTRI's mission, as well as the support, guidance and oversight from the institution for the application.
In developing the support tracks, we considered:
- Feedback from investigators, which was the main driver for developing the Self-Service support track for research projects; and
- Trends in using the REDCap, which was the principal factor for introducing enhanced support for survey and multi-site research projects, and for creating a separate Supported Service track for non-research projects.
In determining both the level of help and the features and functionality available for use for each support track, we considered:
- The REDCap Team's obligations for monitoring REDCap, such as reviewing the set up of all e-consent survey/forms before they are launched to production;
- Which features and functionality require the REDCap Team's help to implement, such as external modules, using Twilio for texting survey invitations, and making production changes to settings that are locked down; and
- Trends in providing help to REDCap customers, which indicate the REDCap learning curve has grown both longer and steeper as the REDCap feature set has expanded beyond the core functionality covered in our Basics and Survey trainings.