Supporting rapid innovation in research data capture and management: the REDCap external module framework

Establishing a robust and secure framework allowing creation and sharing of custom features within the REDCap electronic data capture platform.

In partnership with REDCap Consortium members, we developed a framework for creating external modules enabling project-specific REDCap custom functionality (EM Framework). The EM Framework includes guidance and standard processes for developers to ensure basic functionality, compatibility, and security across REDCap instances. The EM Framework also includes an optional dissemination mechanism, the REDCap Repository of External Modules (Repo), for developers to easily share their work with other institutions in the REDCap Consortium.

From the EM Framework's launch in 2017 through 2024, 356 external modules have been published to the Repo by software developers at 59 institutions. These modules have been used on 29 485 projects at 2107 institutions in 67 countries. Over time, features from 22 of these external modules have been integrated into the core REDCap code serving 7700+ REDCap Consortium members in 160 countries.

The EM Framework permits developers to create, test, and deploy custom features to their local REDCap platform. It further enables a process to distribute these features to other REDCap administrators across the Consortium.

The EM Framework has enhanced innovation in electronic data capture and dissemination of those innovations to a global research community.