Scheduling and reminders
Visit schedules, reminder messages and a list of who is overdue, kept in one place instead of a coordinator’s calendar.
REDCap and your options
REDCap is a good start.
Here is what to add, or replace
Many labs run studies in REDCap and still keep scheduling, reminders and reports in spreadsheets. This guide sets out when REDCap is enough, when custom software sits beside it, and when it replaces it.
At a glance
- 3
- Options: keep, add to, or replace
- API
- How most connections are made
- 1
- Review to find the right option
- 30min
- Free architecture review
What is possible depends on how your institution runs REDCap.
Is REDCap enough for a research lab, or do we need something custom?
REDCap is often enough for forms, surveys and data capture, and a lab with no software team should not replace it without a reason. Labs add custom software next to it for the parts REDCap does not cover, such as visit scheduling, reminders, a participant app and sponsor reports. Replacing REDCap is rarely the first step. Whether a connection is possible depends on how your institution runs REDCap and who controls API access.
Your options
Four ways to run a study's data
Start with the cheapest option that covers your needs, and add only what the study needs.
| Option | Best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Use REDCap on its own | Your study is mostly forms and surveys, and REDCap already does what you need. | Scheduling, reminders, participant apps and reports can end up in spreadsheets next to it. |
| REDCap plus custom software | REDCap holds the study data, and your team still does some steps by hand, such as visit scheduling, reminders, a participant app or sponsor reports. | The two systems must agree on who owns each piece of data, so nothing is entered twice. |
| Custom software instead of REDCap | The study needs a workflow, app or access model that REDCap’s forms cannot reasonably give you. | You take on a system that someone must run and update. That is a reason to have it run for you. |
| An off-the-shelf platform | Your needs match a clinical trial management or eRegulatory product that your institution already licenses. | Licence cost and fit. Check how much of the product you would actually use. |
Where labs add software
Four gaps custom software usually fills
These are the jobs that tend to end up in spreadsheets next to REDCap.
A participant mobile app
iOS and Android apps for participants to log data themselves, feeding the study record.
Reports for sponsors and committees
Recruitment and status counts pulled from the records, rather than copied into a new sheet each time.
Connections to other tools
Moving data between REDCap, instrument files and other systems so your team stops copying it by hand.
How a connection works
Four steps to a connection that does not double your data entry
- 1
Find out how REDCap is run
Is it hosted by your institution? Who administers it? Is API access allowed? These answers decide what is possible.
- 2
Decide who owns each piece of data
For every field, one system is the source of truth. The other reads it, so nothing is typed twice.
- 3
Connect through REDCap’s API where it is allowed
REDCap offers an API for reading and writing records. Your institution’s REDCap administrator controls who gets access to it.
- 4
Test with one study
We run the connection on a single study with your coordinators before it spreads to others.
REDCap questions from research labs
Often yes, for forms, surveys and data capture. Labs usually add something when they need visit scheduling, reminders, a participant app or reports that REDCap does not give them. If REDCap covers your needs, you do not need custom software.
Three common routes: add custom software next to REDCap, replace it with custom software, or use an off-the-shelf clinical trial management or eRegulatory platform. Which is right depends on your study, your institution’s licences and who will run it.
Often yes, through REDCap’s API, if your institution allows it. Your REDCap administrator controls API access, and settings differ between institutions, so we check this in the first review before promising anything.
No, if it is designed properly. For every field, one system is the source of truth and the other reads from it. Agreeing that split is the first step in any connection.
We do. We host, monitor and update what we build, and we adjust it when your study or your REDCap setup changes.
Usually not as a first step. Start with the part your team still does by hand and add to REDCap. Replace it only when it clearly cannot do what the study needs.
Read next
Research participant trackingEnrolment, consent and visit tracking built around your study.Security and data handlingHow we protect participant data, and what we do not claim.5 things to check before you replace REDCapA short checklist before any change to REDCap.About REDCapREDCap’s own site. We are not affiliated with it.
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Read articleTell us how your lab uses REDCap today
We will look at what REDCap covers and what your team still does by hand, and tell you whether to add, connect or leave it alone. You will hear back from a solutions architect within one business day.
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