Research and comparison of electronic data capture systems used in clinical researches / 中华医学科研管理杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To provide a reference for the choice of electronic data capture system used in clinical research, the function and performance of some tool software were expounded and compared.Methods:We selected three freely available systems of REDCap, Commcare, and OpenEDC as research objects, describing and comparing their user license acquisition path, data capture related functions, and information security assurance measures. This article reflected how the three kinds of tool software ensure research data privacy and scientificity, and presented the consideration of system security and accessibility.Results:REDCap was the most mature system of the three, which had a fairly comprehensive design in functional integrity, data security, user friendliness, and system scalability. Commcare system featured in the mobile collection, and supported the most abundant types of collected data, while OpenEDC was characteristic of low threshold and flexible deployment.Conclusions:REDCap system is widely applicable to small and medium scale medical research, including clinical trials, retrospective studies, cohort studies, and translational research. Commcare system is the preferred option for medical investigations represented by epidemiologic surveys, while OpenEDC is particularly suitable for investigator initiated studies.