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REDCap Offline Mobile App

Owned by Melanie Mansuy (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Apr 16, 2024 by Alyssa Hill
5 min read

What is REDCap Mobile App

App Concept

The REDCap mobile app is an app that can be installed on a tablet or mobile device so that data may then be collected in an offline fashion on that device, after which it may then be synced back to this project on the REDCap server.

The app is most useful when data collection will be performed where there is no internet service or where there is unreliable internet service

Learn more about REDCap mobile applications



Download the App on the Device

iOS app:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/redcap-mobile-app/id972760478

Android app:  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.vanderbilt.redcap

Note – The app is available for iOS 6.0 or later and Android 4.3 or later



Create App User



App Admin

  • The REDCAp mobile app uses an Admin account to manage its users. A login with a pin is required to create that account.

  • The Admin can add/remove users, reset passwords, and grant and revoke user rights within App project. Here is the App user rights

  • Currently the Admin cannot have their own projects and collect data.

App Data Collector User

  • Download the project onto the app.

  • Collect data on the app.

  • Send data from the app to the server at an appropriate time.

  • Keep the project up-to-date by reinitializing the project after data is sent.



Grant Mobile Rights Access and API Token

User Privileges in User Rights

REDCap Mobile App privilege in User Rights

  • Set up the project inside the mobile app on your device.

  • Collect data which is stored locally on the device.

  • Sync that data back to this project on the REDCap server at some point.


User privilege "Allow user to download data for all records to the app?

  • It specifies whether or not the user is allowed to download records from the server to the app.

  • Unchecking this privilege prevents users from unwittingly (or wittingly) downloading lots of sensitive data to their mobile device.

  • If a user is given this privilege, then when they initialize the project in the app and the project contains at least one record, then the app will prompt the user to choose if they wish to download all the records to the app or not.


Request Token and Get App Access Code

Request an API token for you to set up the project in the REDCap mobile app.

       

Once the token is created, a QR code will be available.

       

An alternative way to set up this project in your REDCap app on your mobile device or tablet is to use an initialization code. The initialization code will expire in 10 minutes.



User Rights and Mobile App Privileges

  • The user privileges inside the REDCap Mobile App mimic a user's privileges in the project on the REDCap server with regard to data collection.

  • Regardless of the user’s API export/import rights and Data Export rights, when the user uses the mobile app, their mobile app privileges will automatically give the user 'Full Data Set' rights for Data Exports (if they have 'download data' privileges for the mobile app) and will give the user both API export and API import rights - ONLY FOR REQUESTS MADE BY THE MOBILE APP.



Using Mobile App



  



Set Up Mobile Project

  • Scan QR Code or Enter Initialization code

  • Downloading the project. In addition to the data collection instruments, you can choose whether you want to download data from the project or not.



Data collection

  • Tap the Collect Data button and choose an instrument and a record. Enter data and set the form status at the bottom as needed.

  • Records can be renamed on the first form. Note that renamed records will appear as new records when uploaded to the main database, so you will need to delete the original record there to complete the replacement process.

  • Instruments can be secured so that participants/users will only have the option of entering data (and not traversing the rest of the app, which can jeopardize confidentiality). They can be unlocked via the primary user's pin.

          

  • All data collection can be offline – without Internet access.

 

Sending Data

When back ONLINE, you can send data to the project’s REDCap server.

New Records

  • They will be added to the main REDCap project immediately if no conflicts exist.

  • If auto-numbering is enabled and there is a record name conflict, REDCap will automatically update the record numbers to the next numerical series of numbers before uploading and provide details on the app page.

Existing Records

  • An option to send the data to the server for each modified record appears, as well as the opportunity to view details of the differences between server data and app data for that record.

  • If a record is deleted from the app, it will not be deleted from the server after data syncing. You may only delete records from the main project on the server.

Two options after data is sent

There are two options after data files are sent to server successfully.

    

It is recommended to click “Refresh Setup & Data” to remove old mobile data and replace with the most current project information from the main REDCap project.



Send Emergency Data Dump

When something prevents the app from sending data back to the server normally, you can use “Send Emergency Data Dump” option to send data to the server as a CSV. The file will show up under Mobile App File Archive tab.

  



Remote Lockout

  • Revoke “REDCap Mobile App” user privilege on the User Rights page in the project to prevent users from accessing the project on their mobile devices. It will protect data stored on mobile devices

  • Delete API token to perform remote lockout. In this way, the lockout will be permanent and will cause all data currently stored in the app to be lost.



Mobile App Activity Log

Mobile App Log

  • Project log for activity on the REDCap Mobile App is stored in the database’s Mobile App File Archive. These can be transmitted to the server (for one given project) via the Send Project Logs button on the Project menu.

  • It records data creation, modifications, and uploads; renaming, deletion, and viewing of records; and downloads of project instruments and records

  • All project log files sent from the mobile app are listed under the Mobile App File Archive tab in the main REDCap project.




Mobile App Dashboard

It displays a log of all mobile app related activity.