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Automated multi-instance REDCap data synchronization for NIH clinical trial networks
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DOI：10.1093/jamiaopen/ooaf036.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Objectives The main goal is to develop an automated process for connecting Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) instances in a clinical trial network to allow for deidentified transfer of research surveys to cloud computing data commons for discovery.Materials and Methods To automate the process of consolidating data from remote clinical trial sites into 1 dataset at the coordinating/storage site, we developed a Hypertext Preprocessor script that operates in tandem with a server-side scheduling system (eg, Cron) to set up practical data extraction schedules for each remote site.Results The REDCap Application Programming Interface (API) Connection provides a novel implementation for automated synchronization between multiple REDCap instances across a distributed clinical trial network, enabling secure and efficient data transfer between study sites and coordination centers. Additionally, the protocol checker allows for automated reporting on conforming to planned data library protocols.Discussion Working from a shared and accepted core library of REDCap surveys was critical to the success of this implementation. This model also facilitates Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals because the coordinating center can designate which surveys and data elements to be transferred. Hence, protected health information can be transformed or withheld depending on the permission given by the IRB at the coordinating center level. For the NIH HEAL clinical trial networks, this unified data collection works toward the goal of creating a deidentified dataset for transfer to a Gen3 data commons.Conclusion We established several simple and research-relevant tools, REDCAP API Connection and REDCAP Protocol Check, to support the emerging needs of clinical trial networks with increased data harmonization complexity. This article describes a new tool developed to automate and streamline data collection across multiple clinical trial sites using the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) platform. The tool allows for secure, scheduled transfer of deidentified research data from individual study sites to a central coordinating center. It works by using an automated script to connect different REDCap instances and transfer data according to predefined schedules while adhering to privacy and security protocols. This NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative funded team highlights how this tool can help address challenges in managing data for clinical trial networks, particularly those studying chronic pain and opioid use disorders. Benefits include standardized data collection, automated protocol checking, and easier integration with larger data ecosystems like the NIH HEAL Initiative. By automating these processes, the tool reduces manual work, minimizes errors, and accelerates data sharing and analysis. This supports the broader goals of making research data more findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse principles). Overall, the tool represents an effort to simplify complex data management tasks in multisite clinical research networks.
Keywords:
Application Programming Interface
REDCap
chronic pain
opioid use