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Application: RRate
See our research website for more information about this project, including links to download the app, our publications, information on the algorithm used, and the study data.
RRate - an app for measuring and confirming respiratory rate.
This version of RRate ensures data security by keeping the REDCap settings password-protected. If you are using RRate as part of an ongoing research project, please contact the Institute for Global Health at [email protected] to gain access to the password.
You will need a REDCap project with an instrument with exactly the following text fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
rrate_rate |
The recorded respiratory rate, rounded to the nearest integer. The rrate_rate field can have validation integer. |
rrate_time |
The time at which the data was uploaded to REDCap. The rrate_time field can have validation Datetime w/ seconds (Y-M-D H:M:S) |
rrate_taps |
A list of tap times separated by semicolons. The first value is the date and time of the first tap; the remaining values are the seconds elapsed since the first tap. This field should be a Notes field. |
Remember that if your project is longitudinal, you will need to designate the instrument for the event you wish to record in Project Settings > Define your events and designate instruments for them > Designate Instruments for My Events.
You will find all REDCap settings in the configuration settings, which can be accessed using an admin password via the general settings. In the configuration settings, there is an option to save data to upload to REDCap. Checking the top checkbox will reveal a form that needs to be filled out. Below are descriptions of the required fields.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| URL | The path to your REDCap application API with slashes. For instance, if your REDCap application frontend can be found at https://rc.bcchr.ca/redcap/, then the URL is likely to be at https://rc.bcchr.ca/redcap/api/. |
| API Token | The token that can be found on the API page under Applications in the project sidebar. It is a string of 32 alphanumeric characters. If you do not see "API" listed in the sidebar, you do not have User Rights to use it. If you do see API listed, you may still need to request for a token on the API page. |
| Longitudinal project? | If your REDCap project is longitudinal, as set in Project Setup > Main project settings > Use longitudinal data collection with defined events?, please check this checkbox. |
| Event | The event for which you wish to record data. The instrument containing the three rrate fields must be configured for this event. This textbox is required only for longitudinal projects. Event names can be viewed at Project Setup > Define your events and designate instruments for them > Define My Events, and often follow the format example_event_name_1_arm_1 (if the event is named "Example Event Name" and has one arm). |
| Repeatable events? | If the event for which you are recording is repeatable, please check this checkbox so that all data will be recorded to separate instances of this event. Repeatable events or instances can be turned on at 'Project Setup > Enable optional modules and customizations > Repeatable instruments and events'. |
| Repeatable instruments? | If the instrument containing the three rrate fields is repeatable in the event for which you are recording, please check this checkbox so that all data will be recorded to separate instances of the instrument in the event. |
| Instrument | The instrument containing the three rrate fields. Because field names are unique across a project, there is no need to provide the name of the instrument; however, if your instrument is repeatable, the name is required to find the next available instance index. This textbox is therefore required only when repeatable instruments has been checked. The instrument names can be viewed at Project Setup > Design your data collection instruments > Online Designer and follow the format example_instrument_name (if the instrument is named "Example Instrument Name"). |
| Upload all on save? | If checked, you will be able to upload individual records after taking a measurement when pressing save (see below for screenshots). Otherwise, once you have saved some data, a red Upload button will appear in the general settings, and can be pressed to upload the data and erase it from local memory once the upload succeeds. |
For example, with the following settings, if I want to upload to Evaluation 1, I will need to provide the event name evaluation_1_arm_1 and check the repeatable events box; if I want to upload to Evaluation 2 or 3, I will need to provide the event name, check the repeatable instruments box, and provide the instrument name rrate_test. Of course, it is not possible to check the repeatable instruments and events checkboxes simultaneously.
If you have checked the upload to REDCap box, after you have taken a respiratory rate measurement and pressed the yes button, you will be taken to the REDCap save page. Here, enter a numerical record number (i.e. study ID, patient number, etc.) and press the Save button to save your data to disk. If you have checked the upload on save option in the settings, you will have the option to upload your data to REDCap.
When you press the Upload button, the screen will display a response displaying the status of the upload. If the upload was successful, you will see the message in the first screenshot below; if the upload had failed, the message in the second screenshot will appear, in addition to a specific description of the error in the console; if there are no saved measurements in the local device storage, then the message in the third screenshot will appear. There are many reasons why an upload may have failed; make sure that your fields are all correct and properly formatted (no trailing spaces, URL begins with a leading forward slash, correct name of the repeatable instrument, etc.), and that you have checked the appropriate checkboxes in terms of being a longitudinal or repeatable project.
Note that if you don't check repeatable events or instruments when your event or instrument is repeatable, it will upload only the latest data for each record number to the very first instance and overwrite it, and if you check repeatable events or instruments when it is not repeatable, the upload will fail.
This version of RRate seeks to comply with the SMART on FHIR standards that currently define best practices in medical data exchange. This ensures that data from RRate is interoperable with different platforms. When sending data to an external app, RRate will log the measured respiratory rate as a Respiratory Rate Vital Signs Observation. This is a published FHIR profile with designated parameters.