REDCap data may be collected through a mobile app on an iPhone, iPad, or Android phone or tablet. This app is available for download in the App Store or Google Play. The mobile app provides a tool for offline data collection and is meant to be used in situations with no Internet access or unreliable Internet access, but does not replace your REDCap at USA account. NOTE: Google Play cannot be accessed when logged in with a South Alabama gmail account. If you have a personal gmail account, you should be able to access Google Play.
Note: You DO NOT need to use the Mobile App to enter data into REDCap from a mobile device. If you have an internet connection, you can simply use a browser to log in to REDCap at USA and collect data through surveys or data entry forms using the web interface.
Once you have downloaded the REDCap mobile app, you will be prompted to create two accounts.
These accounts are not associated with your REDCap at USA account. They are associated with the device you have downloaded the mobile app onto. If you install the mobile app on multiple devices, each device will have unique accounts to log in to the app, but can be associated with the same REDCap project.
If you lose your log-in information for a mobile app Admin Account, you must delete the mobile app and reinstall in order to create a new account.
Admin Account
With the admin account, you can set rights for data collectors, reset data collector passwords, send data, delete records, and view and modify existing records. The admin account will not have any projects associated.
Data Collector
The data collector account can setup/remove projects, send data, delete records and view/modify existing records.
To set up your project, open your project on REDCap at USA and look on the menu at the left of the screen. Click on User Rights and grant mobile app rights to associated users that should have access.
Then, return to the left-hand menu and click on the Mobile App link.
You will see an option to request a mobile app API Token. Click this button and an email will be sent to REDCap support for approval and you will be notified via email when your request is approved.
Then, you will see a QR code that will link your project to your mobile app account when scanned.
Go back into the REDCap mobile app data collection account and click “Set Up Mobile Project”. Then, use your mobile device to scan the code.
If you experience any issues you may click “Can’t get the QR code to work” and then enter the Initialization code in the code box on your mobile project.
Collecting Data
To begin collecting data offline, go to My Projects.
If you have Internet access, click on, "Check for Other Records on the Server" to make sure your mobile app records are current. Then, click on, "Collect Data."
Select an instrument and then either click “Create New Record” or click on an existing record. Enter the data and then click, "Save Record" or "Save and Continue" or "Save and go to Next Instrument."
Sending Data to your REDCap at USA Project
When you have finished collecting data, and have a reliable Internet connection, you may send your data to your REDCap at USA project. Once new records have been entered, a button to “Send Data to Server” will appear under, "Collect Data."
Click this button and then click “Begin Send”. You will receive a message letting you know if your data was successfully sent to the REDCap server. Check your project on the REDCap server to ensure data was transferred correctly.
If there is some reason the app does send data to your REDCap at USA project during this process, you may click, "Send Emergency Data Dump," to send data to the server as a CSV file.
Refreshing and Deleting Data
If you would like to sync your REDCap at USA project records with your mobile device, click “Refresh Setup and Data." Please note that this deletes your mobile app copy of the project data and configurations as well as data you have collected and not transferred to the server. If you have collected offline data through the app, you must send this data to the server before using the button for, "Refresh Setup and Data" or you will lose those records. There will be two messages asking you to confirm that you want to delete your data.
If you would like to delete ALL the data from your mobile app project, you may do so through the Project Admin button. Click “Clean All Project Data”. This will only delete the records on your Mobile App and will not affect your project on the REDCap server.
