Configure and query the REDCap API to support a decentralized clinical trial with survey-based patient-reported outcomes
domain: project-redcap.org (REDCap API documentation / Survey Module) · 6 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
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Steps
Enable the REDCap Survey module for the relevant instruments and configure survey settings: auto-continue, save-and-return, response limit, and expiration date; set the survey access level to require respondent authentication using participant-specific survey links
Generate unique participant survey links via the API by calling content=generateSurveyParticipantList or retrieving survey queue links using the content=surveyLink endpoint, passing the record ID and instrument name as parameters
Distribute survey links to participants via the site's preferred channel (email, patient portal, or SMS); log the distribution timestamp and method in a separate REDCap instrument or external system for GCP compliance (ICH E6(R3) requires documentation of ePRO instrument delivery)
Monitor survey completion status via the API by polling content=surveyQueueLink or exporting the survey completion timestamp field (automatically added by REDCap for each survey-enabled instrument) on a scheduled basis
Export patient-reported outcomes data using the standard records export API (content=record) with rawOrLabel=label to obtain human-readable response labels; for statistical analysis, use rawOrLabel=raw to preserve coded values
Implement data completeness validation by checking for missing required survey fields after the completion timestamp is populated; flag incomplete ePRO records for site coordinator follow-up before the protocol-defined data cutoff
Known gotchas
REDCap survey links are long-lived by default and do not expire unless an expiration date is set; for longitudinal ePRO with visit-specific instruments, set instrument-level expiration to the visit window end date to prevent out-of-window data entry
Survey responses submitted via the participant-facing link are not immediately available in the API export until the participant clicks submit; partial saves that the participant abandons do not appear in the export, creating an apparent data gap that must be distinguished from a true non-response
HIPAA and ICH E6(R3) require that ePRO data transmitted electronically is protected in transit and at rest; confirm that the REDCap instance's SSL configuration and institutional data use agreement cover the participant-facing survey URL domain, particularly for self-hosted REDCap deployments
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