The SMPH REDCap upgrade to version 15.0.7 will occur on Monday, Feb 24th 2025.

Content Menu

Improvements

Bug Fixes

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Improvements

There are several major improvements available with this upgrade:

• Updates to field editing within the Online Designer
• e-Consent Framework 2.0 
• Multiple Randomizations and Logic Based Randomization
• Bulk Record Delete
• Descriptive Pop-ups
• Draft Preview Mode
• New Action Tags
• MyCap Longitudinal Capabilities
• ... and More!

Online Designer Updates:

New Features

• General user interface update that now uses newer icons. 
  
  
• New "Go to field" feature (invoked via Ctrl-G or Cmd-G) allows you to search for a variable by name and then navigate directly to its location in the Online Designer.
  • This is available even if the field is on a different instrument than the current one. 
    
    
• Expanded "Quick modify field(s)" popup will appear when users Ctrl-click (or Cmd-click) one or more fields or check the new checkboxes located on the far right of each field. Additions to this popup include the ability to edit the following for multiple fields:
  • • branching logic
    • action tags/field annotation
    • custom alignment
    • required status 
    • identifier status
    • multiple choice options
      
      
  • The "Quick modify field(s)" popup also includes an additional, large selector popup to allow you to select many fields on the current instrument that match certain criteria by clicking one or more icons (e.g., clicking the slider icon and then clicking the "add new selections" button will automatically select all slider fields on the page to use for the "Quick modify field(s)" popup). 
    
    
  • When updating actions tags for one or more fields via the "Quick modify field(s)" popup, there is a new action tag named @DEACTIVATED-ACTION-TAGS (See more below under New Action Tags).

• Change: The drag-field feature to "drag-n-drop" a field to a new location on the instrument now operates differently. Instead of clicking and holding anywhere on a field, you must now click and hold specifically on the Move icon for the given field in order to ready the field for being moved.

Improvements:

• The variable name for each field on the page is clickable, and when clicked, will copy the variable name to the your clipboard. 
  
  
• When you attempt to click into the variable name field in the Edit Field popup while the project is in production, the dialog that notes that the variable name is not editable when in production will now also display the variable name as clickable in the dialog's text, and when clicked, will copy the variable name to your clipboard.
  
  
• When you click on the green button "Field is embedded elsewhere on this page" on an embedded field in the table, the page will scroll up to where the field is embedded and flash a red border around the container field. This will make it easier to find where a field is embedded.
  
  
• More user experience improvements for the Online Designer, including a new dismissible popup that alerts you about the new "drag-n-drop" behavior for moving fields in the Online Designer. Additionally, users can now limit the deactivation/reactivation to certain action tags in the Quick Modify Field(s) popup. In previous versions, you could only deactivate/reactivate all action tags for the selected fields, but now users may provide specific actions tags that will be deactivated/reactivated.
  
  
• In the "Move Field" dialog in the Online Designer, you may now choose "Insert at top of this form" or (if the field is part of a matrix) "Insert at the top of the matrix group" from the field drop-down.
  
  
• When Ctrl-clicking multiple checkbox or radio fields to display the "Modify multiple fields" options, a new option to "Convert to matrix group" will appear, allowing you to merge the selected fields into a matrix. When merging fields into a matrix, the confirmation dialog will note that only the choices for the first field selected will be preserved (in case the selected fields have different choices). Additionally, the action will remove all field notes from the fields and will also remove all section headers (except for the first field's section header, if it exists).
  
  
• When editing a matrix of fields, a new button will appear at the bottom left of the "Edit Matrix of Fields" dialog that says "Save & split matrix into separate fields". When clicked, it will convert the matrix into separate fields.
  
  
• When moving one or more fields in the Online Designer, a new option will appear at the end of the field selection drop-down to allow the you to auto-create an instrument while moving the field(s) to that new instrument.
  • Note: The new instrument will be named "New Instrument" by default, although you can always rename it after the fact.

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e-Consent Framework 2.0 - https://kb.wisc.edu/smph/informatics/142489:

New features: Enhanced e-Consent Framework and PDF Snapshot Functionality

• Overview - A new page named "Settings for e-Consent & PDF Snapshots" (linked from the Online Designer) serves as the new location where users can enable and set up the e-Consent Framework for a given survey and also set up triggers for storing PDF Snapshots. In previous versions, the e-Consent Framework and PDF Snapshot settings all existed on the Survey Settings page as several disparate options, but now they have been consolidated on this new page as two separate tabs. While these two exist as separate features, there is some overlap of functionality since the e-Consent Framework does ultimately store a copy of the PDF Snapshot for the e-Consent response. In addition to moving these features to the new page, both have several improvements, which are listed below.
  
  
• View a 5-minute overview video of the new features: https://redcap.link/econsent2vid
  
  

The new e-Consent process simplifies and enhances the electronic consent process for both researchers and participants.

Existing projects will not need to make changes.  Any existing e-Consents will be automatically moved to the new e-Consent section and no settings will be changed. 

e-Consent Improvements

• Improved Data Integrity: 
  • Ensure secure and organized storage of consent forms and survey responses.
    
    
• Enhanced Compliance:
  • Meet regulatory standards such as ICH and FDA requirements with robust version control and audit trails.
  • Audit Trails: Improved, detailed audit trails for consent form completions and PDF snapshot generations. 
    
    
• Enhanced e-Consent Framework:
  • When a user views a completed/signed e-Consent response on a data entry form, near the top of the page will be displayed the version of the consent form that was used. Also, the consent form itself displayed on the page will always be the consent form under which the participant originally consented. For example, if a participant consented using consent form v2.0, then even though a new consent form (v3.0) has been added to the project at some point afterward, the data entry form for that participant's response will always display consent form v2.0.
    
    
  • When using MLM together with the e-Consent Framework, downloading an instrument PDF of a completed e-Consent survey response (or if the e-Consent survey response is included in a generated PDF that contains non-e-Consent instruments), the e-Consent survey response itself in the PDF will always be rendered in the language in which the participant originally consented.

• Custom Headers and Footers:
  • Add custom headers and footers to PDF snapshots created via the e-Consent Framework, including the use of text fields, smart variables, and piping.
• Custom Notes:
  • An optional custom notes field can be utilized for each e-Consent survey for bookkeeping purposes. The custom notes are neither displayed on the survey nor anywhere else in REDCap. 
• Customizable Consent Forms:
  • During the setup process for consent forms, their location can be set in relation to a single Descriptive field on the survey. A consent form can exist as an inline PDF or as rich text. A consent form can be associated with a specific MLM language and/or a Data Access Group if the project users wish to have the consent form be used for a specific language.

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Multiple Randomizations and Logic Based Randomization - https://kb.wisc.edu/smph/informatics/148483

There are several new options available for REDCap's Randomization feature, including the ability to set multiple different randomization fields with unique randomization allocation tables or automatically randomize based on specified logic / field values.

Multiple Randomizations

• Multiple randomizations in a project - You may now define more than one randomization model in a single project. Each randomization model has its own settings (e.g., strata, randomization field, allocation table), and is completely independent of the other models.

• Blinded randomization support - You may now create a randomization model that is blinded/concealed as a means of hiding the randomization value from users. You may still choose to create an "open" randomization model by choosing a single-select multiple choice field (e.g., drop-down or radio) to be the randomization field.
  • Alternatively, users may now choose any text field to represent the "randomization number". The randomization number can be uploaded as part of the allocation table, and when a record is then randomized, the field is given the randomization number as its value.

• New Randomization Specific Smart Variables
  • [rand-number] -  The randomization number assigned to the record.
  • [rand-time] - The server date and time at which a record was randomized.
  • [rand-utc-time] - The UTC date and time at which a record was randomized.

Existing projects will not need to make changes.  Any existing Randomization setups will be automatically listed at the top of the Randomization page and will continue as usual.  

Real-Time Trigger Logic

Randomization can be automated to occur in real time when an instrument is saved and a specified logic expression becomes True, in which all required stratification information must be present. At the bottom of the randomization setup page for a given randomization model, the following options are displayed.

• - Manual only (default) - A user with "Randomize" user permissions must click the "Randomize" button on the data entry form where the randomization field is located.
• - Trigger logic, for users with Randomize permissions only - When the Save button on a specified data entry form is clicked, if the logic expression provided evaluates to True and the current user has "Randomize" user permissions, the record will automatically be randomized (i.e., without clicking a "Randomize" button).
• - Trigger logic, for all users (including survey respondents) - When the Save button on a specified data entry form or survey page is clicked, if the logic expression provided evaluates to True (despite the user's permissions if on a data entry form), the record will automatically be randomized.

There is also a new "Randomize Record" API method - This method allows an API user to randomize a record using the API.

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Bulk Record Delete - https://kb.wisc.edu/smph/informatics/142362:

Users may use the Bulk Record Delete page to delete multiple records from the project or alternatively to delete data for multiple instruments or a specific instrument across multiple records.

To perform either of those two actions, a user must have "Delete Records" privileges, and for the partial delete option, a user must additionally have "View & Edit" instrument-level privileges for the instrument that they select.

• The Bulk Record Delete page can be accessed from two different locations in a project:

1. 1. On the Other Functionality page
   2. On the Record Status Dashboard via the new Multi-Record Actions drop-down.

• If the "Require reason for change" option is enabled in the project, users will be prompted to enter a reason that will get logged when performing a partial delete of one or more instruments.

Note: If a user is performing a partial delete, the instrument's data cannot be deleted in the following situations:

1. If the form is locked
2. If the user does not have form-level rights to modify survey responses for the selected instrument(s) and the data of the selected instrument(s) is a completed survey response
3. If the selected instrument(s) is a completed e-Consent response and e-Consent responses are not allowed to be edited per the survey's e-Consent settings

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Descriptive Pop-ups - https://kb.wisc.edu/smph/informatics/148478:

REDCap now allows you to create and manage inline descriptive popups. Descriptive popups are custom popups of text that become visible after hovering over a specific word or phrase on a data entry form or survey.

They have two main components:

1. The link text, which should match a word or phrase used on a form or survey
2. The custom text for the popup content.

You may set a descriptive popup to work on all instruments/surveys (default) or on specific ones. Descriptive popups are a great way to convey extra information on a form or survey without the text taking up space on the page. 

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Draft Preview Mode

Draft Preview Mode allows you to preview your data entry forms with your current drafted changes as if they were live. This allows you to fully test the changes you have made in Draft Mode, including all branching logic, calculations, action tags, and embedded fields, before submitting your drafted changes for approval.

Additionally, Draft Preview Mode will simulate live data entry on data entry forms, thus allowing you to enter testing data for real records that is stored only in your session; however, no data will actually be saved to the project. Once you leave Draft Preview Mode, all testing data that has been entered will vanish.

While in Draft Preview Mode, the following limitations exist:

• No new records can be created
• No data can be changed or stored in the project (all data changes are transient and are bound to your login session)
• Only changes to already existing forms can be previewed
• Delete operations (deleting whole records or deleting data for forms/events) are disabled
• Record locking and form-level locking/unlocking are disabled
• Randomization of a record and access to the Randomization module are disabled
• Field Comments/Data Resolution Workflow and the Data History Popup are disabled
• No Alerts, ASIs, or Data Entry Triggers will be triggered
• Form Display Logic is disabled
• Note: Draft Preview Mode only operates on data entry pages, the Record Status Dashboard, and the Record Home Page. It does not impact any other pages, and it currently does not work on survey pages.

Note that Draft Preview Mode is active only for you. It will remain active until turned off or until your current REDCap session ends.

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New Action Tags - https://kb.wisc.edu/smph/informatics/88613:

• @CONSENT-VERSION

  • The version of the consent form being used by e-Consent for the current context (current record, event, survey, data access group, MLM language, etc.). This can be used to capture the consent form version when a survey participant is providing their informed consent.

    NOTE: This action tag only adds a new value to the field when its field value is blank and only when the instrument is being completed as a survey

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MyCap - https://kb.wisc.edu/smph/informatics/130328:

Longitudinal Support

MyCap now supports repeating instrument functionality for longitudinal projects. In previous versions, repeating instruments were only supported for class/non-longitudinal projects. 

New MyCap specific Action Tags:

• @MC-PARTICIPANT-JOINDATE-UTC

  • This is a MyCap annotation used with text fields. This field captures install date (in UTC format) of MyCap participant when participant joins project from MyCap mobile app.

• @MC-PARTICIPANT-TIMEZONE 

  • This is a MyCap annotation used with text fields. This field captures timezone of MyCap participant when participant joins project from MyCap mobile app.

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Miscellaneous

Mosio and Multi-Language Management - https://kb.wisc.edu/smph/informatics/133747

• When using Multi-Language Management, the Mosio text messaging text ("To begin the survey, visit [link]" and voice call text ("To begin the phone survey, call [phone]" are now available for translation on the MLM setup page.
  
  

Background Data Import

• Similar to using the Background Data Import on the Data Import Tool page, you may now utilize the feature when making a call to the Import Records API method. 
  • You can simply pass the API parameter "backgroundProcess" with a value of 1 (for Yes) or 0 (for No, which is the default) to invoke this option. The API will return a "success" message with "true" or "false" regarding if the data was successfully accepted.
    
    
• The button text was changed from "Cancel import" to "Halt import" for greater clarity for Background Data Imports that are still processing on the Data Import Tool page. 
  
  

Improved PDF Snapshot Functionality

• Custom Logic-based Triggers
  • Create custom triggers for generating PDF snapshots based on specific conditions using conditional logic. Whenever data is being saved for a record, if the logic of the snapshot trigger evaluates as True, then a PDF snapshot will be saved to whatever location is specified.
    
    

Project XML File Export

• When exporting the Project XML file for a project that has alerts, there is now a new checkbox "Leave Alerts enabled (unless disabled)" on the Other Functionality page below the "Alerts & Notifications" checkbox. 
  • Going forward, all alerts in the Project XML file will be disabled by default unless the user checks the new checkbox to keep them enabled.

New Links Directly from Record Home Page

Additional direct links are provided for a record from the Record Home Page.  The new direct link includes direct copy of record specific Survey Queue link, Notification and Survey Invitation logs, and general project logging.  Links may only become available for users with the appropriate access to the given features within the project. 

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Notable Bug Fixes - Issues addressed with this upgrade

Bug fix: When attempting to resize the Choices textbox (for a multiple choice field) inside the Edit Field dialog in the Online Designer, the elements below the textbox would not move in response to the resizing, thus allowing the textbox to be stretched and mistakenly appear underneath the other elements

Bug fix: When opening REDCap Messenger while in a project, and then attempting to create a new conversation, the project's left-hand menu would mistakenly cover over the "Create new conversation" dialog.

Bug fix: Data Import Tool Issues / Errors:

• When performing a data import on the Data Import Tool page, in some rare situations and in some situations when using the Background Data Import, the import process might mistakenly fail due to a fatal PHP error.
• In some cases a fatal PHP error may have occurred when using the Background Data Import option when you are not assigned to a Data Access Group.
• In some cases, the Background Data Import process might mistakenly fail to finalize itself even after all records appear to have been successfully imported.

Bug fix: In very specific situations, a user exporting data for a report might mistakenly fail with a PHP error.

Bug fix: The special function isnumber() would mistakenly return True when provided with a number with a leading zero (e.g., "02"). It now returns False for any text strings that are numbers with leading zeros.

Bug fix: If a multiple choice field has one or more non-integer numeric codings (e.g., 0.5), in which the field is used in a calc or CALCTEXT field that utilizes mathematical addition (e.g., [field1]+[field2]), the resulting calculation might not always be mathematically correct in certain situations, such as if some fields used in the calculation have a blank/null value. 

Bug fix: When modifying a matrix of fields in the Online Designer, in which the variable names of some fields are changed, the fields would mistakenly not be saved correctly, and attributes of some fields in the matrix might get merged into other fields in the matrix.

Bug fix: When using Multi-Language Management and translating field labels, in certain cases some text in the field label might not align horizontally with other text that should be displayed on the same line.

Bug fix: When using Multi-Language Management, if a field has the @LANGUAGE-SET action tag, the language-switching functionality will not work for it if the field is embedded.

If you have a UW-Madison REDCap project and have questions about the REDCap Version Upgrade, please send them to REDCap@ictr.wisc.edu