Application of the research electronic data capture (REDCap) system in a low- and middle income country– experiences, lessons, and challenges

O. Odukoya; D. Nenrot; H. Adelabu; N. Katam; E. Christian; J. Holl; A. Okonkwo; M. Kocherginsky; K. Y. Kim; S. Akanmu; F. B. Abdulkareem; R. Anorlu; J. Musa; O. Lesi; C. Hawkins; O. Okeke; W. L. Adeyemo; S. Sagay; R. Murphy; L. Hou; F. T. Ogunsola; F. H. Wehbe

doi:10.1007/s12553-021-00600-3

Application of the research electronic data capture (REDCap) system in a low- and middle income country– experiences, lessons, and challenges

O. Odukoya^*, D. Nenrot, H. Adelabu, N. Katam, E. Christian, J. Holl, A. Okonkwo, M. Kocherginsky, K. Y. Kim, S. Akanmu, F. B. Abdulkareem, R. Anorlu, J. Musa, O. Lesi, C. Hawkins, O. Okeke, W. L. Adeyemo, S. Sagay, R. Murphy, L. HouF. T. Ogunsola, F. H. Wehbe

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

The challenges of reliably collecting, storing, organizing, and analyzing research data are critical in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa where several healthcare and biomedical research organizations have limited data infrastructure. The Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) System has been widely used by many institutions and hospitals in the USA for data collection, entry, and management and could help solve this problem. This study reports on the experiences, challenges, and lessons learned from establishing and applying REDCap for a large US-Nigeria research partnership that includes two sites in Nigeria, (the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos (CMUL) and Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH)) and Northwestern University (NU) in Chicago, Illinois in the United States. The largest challenges to this implementation were significant technical obstacles: the lack of REDCap-trained personnel, transient electrical power supply, and slow/ intermittent internet connectivity. However, asynchronous communication and on-site hands-on collaboration between the Nigerian sites and NU led to the successful installation and configuration of REDCap to meet the needs of the Nigerian sites. An example of one lesson learned is the use of Virtual Private Network (VPN) as a solution to poor internet connectivity at one of the sites, and its adoption is underway at the other. Virtual Private Servers (VPS) or shared online hosting were also evaluated and offer alternative solutions. Installing and using REDCap in LMIC institutions for research data management is feasible; however, planning for trained personnel and addressing electrical and internet infrastructural requirements are essential to optimize its use. Building this fundamental research capacity within LMICs across Africa could substantially enhance the potential for more cross-institutional and cross-country collaboration in future research endeavors.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1297-1304
Number of pages	8
Journal	Health and Technology
Volume	11
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s12553-021-00600-3
State	Published - Nov 2021

Funding

REDCap was selected as the uniform data collection system for this ongoing collaborative study funded by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (U54 CA221205). Our goal is to understand the epigenetic determinants of two common HIV-associated cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cervical cancer, in Nigeria. The project seeks to collect clinical data from HIV-positive and negative patients with or without liver and cervical cancer including: patients’ socio-demographic information, clinical and health history, laboratory results, and specimen tracking status. The bioinformatics team uses the information collected in REDCap to create datasets that are used for project analysis. Northwestern University (NU) in Chicago, Illinois, USA serves as the lead institution and is joined by two Nigerian partners, the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos (CMUL) and Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award number U54CA221205, and by the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health under award number D43TW009575. The protected time for the contribution of Oluwakemi Odukoya towards the research reported in this publication was supported by the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health under the Award Number K43TW010704. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Keywords

Data capture
LMIC
Redcap
Research collaboration

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Biotechnology
Bioengineering
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
Biomedical Engineering

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10.1007/s12553-021-00600-3

Cite this

Odukoya, O., Nenrot, D., Adelabu, H., Katam, N., Christian, E., Holl, J., Okonkwo, A., Kocherginsky, M., Kim, K. Y., Akanmu, S., Abdulkareem, F. B., Anorlu, R., Musa, J., Lesi, O., Hawkins, C., Okeke, O., Adeyemo, W. L., Sagay, S., Murphy, R., ... Wehbe, F. H. (2021). Application of the research electronic data capture (REDCap) system in a low- and middle income country– experiences, lessons, and challenges. Health and Technology, 11(6), 1297-1304. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12553-021-00600-3

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title = "Application of the research electronic data capture (REDCap) system in a low- and middle income country– experiences, lessons, and challenges",

abstract = "The challenges of reliably collecting, storing, organizing, and analyzing research data are critical in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa where several healthcare and biomedical research organizations have limited data infrastructure. The Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) System has been widely used by many institutions and hospitals in the USA for data collection, entry, and management and could help solve this problem. This study reports on the experiences, challenges, and lessons learned from establishing and applying REDCap for a large US-Nigeria research partnership that includes two sites in Nigeria, (the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos (CMUL) and Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH)) and Northwestern University (NU) in Chicago, Illinois in the United States. The largest challenges to this implementation were significant technical obstacles: the lack of REDCap-trained personnel, transient electrical power supply, and slow/ intermittent internet connectivity. However, asynchronous communication and on-site hands-on collaboration between the Nigerian sites and NU led to the successful installation and configuration of REDCap to meet the needs of the Nigerian sites. An example of one lesson learned is the use of Virtual Private Network (VPN) as a solution to poor internet connectivity at one of the sites, and its adoption is underway at the other. Virtual Private Servers (VPS) or shared online hosting were also evaluated and offer alternative solutions. Installing and using REDCap in LMIC institutions for research data management is feasible; however, planning for trained personnel and addressing electrical and internet infrastructural requirements are essential to optimize its use. Building this fundamental research capacity within LMICs across Africa could substantially enhance the potential for more cross-institutional and cross-country collaboration in future research endeavors.",

keywords = "Data capture, LMIC, Redcap, Research collaboration",

author = "O. Odukoya and D. Nenrot and H. Adelabu and N. Katam and E. Christian and J. Holl and A. Okonkwo and M. Kocherginsky and Kim, {K. Y.} and S. Akanmu and Abdulkareem, {F. B.} and R. Anorlu and J. Musa and O. Lesi and C. Hawkins and O. Okeke and Adeyemo, {W. L.} and S. Sagay and R. Murphy and L. Hou and Ogunsola, {F. T.} and Wehbe, {F. H.}",

note = "Funding Information: REDCap was selected as the uniform data collection system for this ongoing collaborative study funded by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (U54 CA221205). Our goal is to understand the epigenetic determinants of two common HIV-associated cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cervical cancer, in Nigeria. The project seeks to collect clinical data from HIV-positive and negative patients with or without liver and cervical cancer including: patients{\textquoteright} socio-demographic information, clinical and health history, laboratory results, and specimen tracking status. The bioinformatics team uses the information collected in REDCap to create datasets that are used for project analysis. Northwestern University (NU) in Chicago, Illinois, USA serves as the lead institution and is joined by two Nigerian partners, the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos (CMUL) and Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). Funding Information: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award number U54CA221205, and by the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health under award number D43TW009575. The protected time for the contribution of Oluwakemi Odukoya towards the research reported in this publication was supported by the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health under the Award Number K43TW010704. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021, The Author(s).",

year = "2021",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1007/s12553-021-00600-3",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "11",

pages = "1297--1304",

journal = "Health and Technology",

issn = "2190-7188",

publisher = "Springer Verlag",

number = "6",

}

Odukoya, O, Nenrot, D, Adelabu, H, Katam, N, Christian, E, Holl, J, Okonkwo, A, Kocherginsky, M , Kim, KY, Akanmu, S, Abdulkareem, FB, Anorlu, R, Musa, J, Lesi, O, Hawkins, C, Okeke, O, Adeyemo, WL, Sagay, S, Murphy, R , Hou, L, Ogunsola, FT & Wehbe, FH 2021, 'Application of the research electronic data capture (REDCap) system in a low- and middle income country– experiences, lessons, and challenges', Health and Technology, vol. 11, no. 6, pp. 1297-1304. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12553-021-00600-3

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AU - Katam, N.

AU - Christian, E.

AU - Holl, J.

AU - Okonkwo, A.

AU - Kocherginsky, M.

AU - Kim, K. Y.

AU - Akanmu, S.

AU - Abdulkareem, F. B.

AU - Anorlu, R.

AU - Musa, J.

AU - Lesi, O.

AU - Hawkins, C.

AU - Okeke, O.

AU - Adeyemo, W. L.

AU - Sagay, S.

AU - Murphy, R.

AU - Hou, L.

AU - Ogunsola, F. T.

AU - Wehbe, F. H.

N1 - Funding Information: REDCap was selected as the uniform data collection system for this ongoing collaborative study funded by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (U54 CA221205). Our goal is to understand the epigenetic determinants of two common HIV-associated cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cervical cancer, in Nigeria. The project seeks to collect clinical data from HIV-positive and negative patients with or without liver and cervical cancer including: patients’ socio-demographic information, clinical and health history, laboratory results, and specimen tracking status. The bioinformatics team uses the information collected in REDCap to create datasets that are used for project analysis. Northwestern University (NU) in Chicago, Illinois, USA serves as the lead institution and is joined by two Nigerian partners, the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos (CMUL) and Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). Funding Information: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award number U54CA221205, and by the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health under award number D43TW009575. The protected time for the contribution of Oluwakemi Odukoya towards the research reported in this publication was supported by the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health under the Award Number K43TW010704. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).

PY - 2021/11

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N2 - The challenges of reliably collecting, storing, organizing, and analyzing research data are critical in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa where several healthcare and biomedical research organizations have limited data infrastructure. The Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) System has been widely used by many institutions and hospitals in the USA for data collection, entry, and management and could help solve this problem. This study reports on the experiences, challenges, and lessons learned from establishing and applying REDCap for a large US-Nigeria research partnership that includes two sites in Nigeria, (the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos (CMUL) and Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH)) and Northwestern University (NU) in Chicago, Illinois in the United States. The largest challenges to this implementation were significant technical obstacles: the lack of REDCap-trained personnel, transient electrical power supply, and slow/ intermittent internet connectivity. However, asynchronous communication and on-site hands-on collaboration between the Nigerian sites and NU led to the successful installation and configuration of REDCap to meet the needs of the Nigerian sites. An example of one lesson learned is the use of Virtual Private Network (VPN) as a solution to poor internet connectivity at one of the sites, and its adoption is underway at the other. Virtual Private Servers (VPS) or shared online hosting were also evaluated and offer alternative solutions. Installing and using REDCap in LMIC institutions for research data management is feasible; however, planning for trained personnel and addressing electrical and internet infrastructural requirements are essential to optimize its use. Building this fundamental research capacity within LMICs across Africa could substantially enhance the potential for more cross-institutional and cross-country collaboration in future research endeavors.

AB - The challenges of reliably collecting, storing, organizing, and analyzing research data are critical in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa where several healthcare and biomedical research organizations have limited data infrastructure. The Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) System has been widely used by many institutions and hospitals in the USA for data collection, entry, and management and could help solve this problem. This study reports on the experiences, challenges, and lessons learned from establishing and applying REDCap for a large US-Nigeria research partnership that includes two sites in Nigeria, (the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos (CMUL) and Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH)) and Northwestern University (NU) in Chicago, Illinois in the United States. The largest challenges to this implementation were significant technical obstacles: the lack of REDCap-trained personnel, transient electrical power supply, and slow/ intermittent internet connectivity. However, asynchronous communication and on-site hands-on collaboration between the Nigerian sites and NU led to the successful installation and configuration of REDCap to meet the needs of the Nigerian sites. An example of one lesson learned is the use of Virtual Private Network (VPN) as a solution to poor internet connectivity at one of the sites, and its adoption is underway at the other. Virtual Private Servers (VPS) or shared online hosting were also evaluated and offer alternative solutions. Installing and using REDCap in LMIC institutions for research data management is feasible; however, planning for trained personnel and addressing electrical and internet infrastructural requirements are essential to optimize its use. Building this fundamental research capacity within LMICs across Africa could substantially enhance the potential for more cross-institutional and cross-country collaboration in future research endeavors.

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Application of the research electronic data capture (REDCap) system in a low- and middle income country– experiences, lessons, and challenges

Abstract

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Keywords

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