1. When should I use the app?
Use the app when you need offline data collection, particularly in environments with poor internet connectivity. With REDCap and the REDCap Mobile App, users have new options for electronic data capture for studies that under previous circumstances would have dictated pen and paper.
2. What devices are supported?
3. What type of device is best for what projects?
Since these devices are supported by the same code, the user experience is almost the same on any device. Users have provided some feedback, however, related to their particular projects that may be helpful. The Android devices have better global reach, so they are better with global health projects. The Android devices also seem slightly better with extremely large projects (1000+ records). Apple delivers better quality of device in their iPads, which is generally recognized as the best device on the market.
4. What features of REDCap are supported?
5. What noteworthy features of REDCap aren’t supported?
6. How are surveys and forms handled?
Normal REDCap Survey features are not used for Mobile App data collection. They are treated as entire forms without the pagination. Instruments can be secured with a pin so that participants/users will only have the option of entering data when the device is handed over to them. The instrument can be locked/unlocked via the primary user’s pin.
7. What are the weaknesses of the app?
If you have online access, REDCap Mobile is a better platform because it inputs data directly into REDCap. Sending data simultaneously from multiple devices is not supported. Sending data is, at present, a complicated process.
8. How are bugs reported?
9. What if a bug keeps me from accessing my data?
10. What is the workflow of the app?
11. Can I limit users of my app so that they cannot do all functions?
User access can be restricted through the administrator interface. An administrator on the app can assign users the appropriate level of data access rights.
12. Can I use multi-tablet setups?
Yes, so far (September 2015) the record is 80 tablets.
13. Can I use data access groups?
Yes, Data Access Groups (DAGs) are supported by the app. Whichever REDCap user supplies the download code – this user’s DAG is used.
14. Can I restrict access to data?
Access to data can be restricted by using DAGs. You can also restrict all data via the user rights.
15. What happens if the app hangs (i.e., does not do anything for a long time)?
Email help-redcap@bmi.cchmc.org with detailed instructions. If you can provide a QR code without jeopardizing patient information, please do so.
16. What happens if the app crashes (i.e., closes unexpectedly)?
This is a memory problem and probably occurred while sending data. It is probably best to perform an Emergency Data Dump. This will send a CSV to the Mobile App’s File Repository. This CSV can then be used to feed the Data Import Tool. This only works while the device is online, of course.
17. Are non-English languages supported?
We are exploring how to do this. Your instruments can be displayed in any UTF-8 (Unicode-8) character set. We hope to provide the actual text of the app for translation, but the mechanism’s design is still under work.
18. What action tags are supported?
@HIDDEN
@HIDDEN-APP
@READONLY
@READONLY-APP
@LATITUDE
@LONGITUDE
@PASSWORDMASK
@NOW
@TODAY
@BARCODE
@BARCODE-APP
19. What types of barcode/QR-code encodings are supported by @BARCODE and @BARCODE-APP?
20. What security features are used by the app?
21. How do I get this approved by my IT security folks?
22. How do I get this approved by my IRB? (See previous question.)
23. What happens if a tablet or phone is stolen?
Go to REDCap and revoke the API token – unless there is more than one device distributed with this token. If there is only one device, revoking the API token will not allow the thief to send data, download new data, or refresh the project. Further, when online, the thief cannot access any existing data. If there are multiple devices, revoking the API token will disable ALL devices. Use with care. Either way, access is protected with a PIN.
24. Is GPS supported by the app?
Yes, via action tags in field annotations: @LONGITUDE and @LATITUDE.
25. What issues are involved with projects with a large amount of records?
The amount of data collection is only restricted by what your device’s hard drive will allow. Sending a large amount of records to REDCap could cause a memory crash on certain devices.
26. My QR code isn’t showing up in REDCap. What should I do?
Contact the system administrators for your server and ask them to check that libgd and php-gd are both installed.
27. What happens if I cannot initialize a project? (As in “Cannot get form rights!”)
You are either having trouble accessing your server (perhaps because of low signal or a firewall) or because you do not have proper user rights setup. Try enabling your user’s rights for the REDCap Mobile App and for API Import/Export.
28. Are you having any sort of trouble?
Upgrade to the latest version via the app store. If you’re still having trouble, then send us a bug report.