REDCap as an accreditation tool for academic programs in clinical research: A case study.

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Clinical Research Administration
• Data Management in Academia

Background:

• The Master of Science in Clinical Research Management program at Rutgers underwent restructuring to align with funding parameters.
• Accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs was required for formal program evaluation.
• Collecting course learning outcomes data aligned with accreditation standards presented significant challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the rationale for pursuing accreditation for clinical research degrees.
• To detail data collection challenges encountered during the accreditation process.
• To present a viable solution for streamlining data collection and reducing administrative burden.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) software to develop a data collection tool.
• Implemented REDCap to address existing university metric data gaps.
• Conducted a SWOT analysis to evaluate REDCap's strengths and weaknesses for accreditation data collection.

Main Results:

• REDCap effectively enabled faculty to self-report three years of course outcomes data for accreditation.
• User satisfaction with REDCap was higher compared to alternative data collection methods.
• SWOT analysis highlighted REDCap's strengths in customizability, data validation, and regulatory compliance, with limited reporting as a key weakness.

Conclusions:

• REDCap proved effective in streamlining the accreditation process for clinical research degrees.
• The advantages of REDCap, including customization, data security, and user-friendliness, outweigh its limitations.
• Leveraging REDCap offers a practical solution for managing accreditation data collection in academic programs.