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https://github.com/drpedapati/easy-double-entry

REDCap External Module for simplified double data entry using repeating instances
https://github.com/drpedapati/easy-double-entry

data-quality double-data-entry php redcap redcap-external-module

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REDCap External Module for simplified double data entry using repeating instances

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README 

          
# Easy Double Entry for REDCap



A REDCap External Module that provides double data entry verification without the complexity of REDCap's built-in DDE system. No duplicate records, no `--1`/`--2` suffixes, no special user roles.



![DDE Dashboard](docs/images/tut-01-dashboard.png)



## Installation



No special server permissions required — just standard REDCap admin access.



### Requirements



- REDCap 13.0+ with PHP 8.0+

- REDCap admin access (Control Center) to install the module



### Steps



1. **Download** — clone or download this repo

2. **Copy to server** — place the folder in your REDCap `modules/` directory as `easy_double_entry_v1.0/`

3. **Enable server-wide** — go to **Control Center > External Modules** and enable Easy Double Entry

4. **Enable on your project** — go to your project > **External Modules** > enable the module

5. **Configure instruments** — in module settings, choose which instruments need double data entry and optionally list fields to exclude from comparison

6. **Enable repeating** — in **Project Setup > Repeating Instruments**, enable repeating for those same instruments

7. **Done** — open the **DDE Dashboard** from the project sidebar



> **Only the instruments you select become repeating.** All other instruments (demographics, scheduling, consent, etc.) remain normal single-entry forms and are completely unaffected. No automation is re-triggered, no scheduling forms need to be re-entered.



## How It Works



### Easy Double Entry vs. REDCap's Built-in DDE



| | Built-in DDE | Easy Double Entry |

|---|---|---|

| **Record structure** | Duplicates the entire record (`101--1`, `101--2`) | Single record, repeating instances on selected instruments only |

| **Which instruments** | All instruments are duplicated — every form must be entered twice | You choose which instruments need DDE; everything else is entered once |

| **Which fields** | Every field is compared | You choose — optionally skip clinician-scored or validity fields |

| **Scheduling/intake forms** | Second entry person must re-enter scheduling, demographics, consent — re-triggering ASIs, alerts, and automation | Non-DDE instruments are untouched; no automation is re-triggered |

| **User assignments** | Each record copy is locked to a specific user role; admin must reassign when staff rotate | Any authorized user can enter any round — no role assignments needed |

| **Comparison** | Built-in side-by-side comparison tool | Built-in comparison with one-click merge and custom value entry |

| **Data exports** | Two separate records per participant; must merge `--1`/`--2` rows in analysis | One record per participant; filter to the merge target instance for clean data |

| **Admin overhead** | High — role management, permission changes for staff turnover | Low — enable module, pick instruments, done |



### This Module's Approach



Easy Double Entry works within a single record using repeating instances on only the instruments you choose:



| Instance | Purpose |

|----------|---------|

| **Instance 1** | Round 1 — first data entry pass |

| **Instance 2** | Round 2 — independent second pass |

| **Instance 3** | Final merged record (verified data) |



**Key point:** A record can have a mix of regular instruments (entered once) and DDE instruments (entered via instances). Your scheduling form, demographics, consent — anything not selected for DDE — works exactly as before.



### Typical Workflow



1. **Staff A** opens Record 101 > "Cognitive Exam" > Instance 1 > enters data

2. **Staff B** opens Record 101 > "Cognitive Exam" > Instance 2 > enters data independently

3. **Reviewer** opens the DDE Comparison page > compares field-by-field > resolves discrepancies > merges to Instance 3

4. Instance 3 now contains the verified, final data



Meanwhile, Record 101's scheduling form, demographics, and any other non-DDE instruments were entered once, normally, with no repeating instances involved.



## Data Export & Analysis



Since DDE instruments use repeating instances, your data exports will include `redcap_repeat_instrument` and `redcap_repeat_instance` columns for those instruments. Here's how to get clean data:



### Getting Only Final (Verified) Data



The merge target instance depends on your module settings:



| Merge Target Setting | Final data lives in | Filter to |

|---------------------|--------------------|-----------|

| **Instance 3** (default) | Instance 3 | `redcap_repeat_instance = 3` |

| **Instance 1** (overwrite Round 1) | Instance 1 | `redcap_repeat_instance = 1` |



Check your module settings to confirm which mode you're using, then apply the appropriate filter.



**REDCap Reports:** Add a filter where `[redcap_repeat_instance]` equals your merge target instance.



**API Exports (R, Python, etc.):**

```r

# R — default merge target (Instance 3)

final_instance <- 3  # change to 1 if merge target = "Overwrite Round 1"

clean <- data %>% filter(redcap_repeat_instance == final_instance | is.na(redcap_repeat_instance))

```

```python

# Python — default merge target (Instance 3)

final_instance = 3  # change to 1 if merge target = "Overwrite Round 1"

clean = df[(df['redcap_repeat_instance'] == final_instance) | (df['redcap_repeat_instance'].isna())]

```



The `is.na()` / `isna()` clause keeps rows from non-repeating instruments (which have no instance number).



### What Each Instance Means (Default: Merge to Instance 3)



| Instance | What it contains | Keep for analysis? |

|----------|-----------------|-------------------|

| 1 | Round 1 raw entry | No (audit trail only) |

| 2 | Round 2 raw entry | No (audit trail only) |

| 3 | Final merged/verified data | **Yes** |



> If your merge target is set to "Overwrite Round 1", Instance 1 contains the final data and Instance 2 is the audit trail. There is no Instance 3 in that mode.



### Non-DDE Instruments



Instruments not selected for DDE have no `redcap_repeat_instance` value — they export exactly as they always have. No filtering needed.



## Module Pages



The module adds three pages to your REDCap project sidebar:



### DDE Dashboard



Project-wide overview showing every record with color-coded instrument badges and overall DDE status (Pending, Partial, Ready to Compare, Merged).



![DDE Dashboard](docs/images/tut-01-dashboard.png)



### DDE Task List



Prioritized action items — records ready for comparison appear at the top, followed by instruments still awaiting data entry. Each task links directly to either the data entry form or the comparison page.



![DDE Task List](docs/images/tut-02-tasklist.png)



### DDE Comparison & Merge



Side-by-side field comparison with match/discrepancy detection:



![Comparison View](docs/images/tut-04b-comparison-full.png)



**Discrepancy filtering** — click "Show Discrepancies Only" to focus on fields that need attention. Toggling back to "Show All Fields" preserves any fields you've already merged:



![Discrepancies Only](docs/images/tut-05-discrepancies-only.png)



**Resolving discrepancies** — click Keep R1 or Keep R2 to accept a value, or use the edit button to enter a custom merged value. Resolved fields turn blue:



![Resolving Discrepancies](docs/images/tut-07-resolve-clinician.png)



**All resolved** — every field shows either Match (green) or Merged (blue):



![All Resolved](docs/images/tut-08-all-resolved.png)



After merge, Instance 3 contains the verified data alongside the two original entries:



![Merged Record](docs/images/tut-09-record-merged.png)



## Settings



Configure the module from **External Modules > Manage > Configure**.



### Which instruments need double data entry?



Add each instrument that requires DDE. For each instrument, you can optionally list variable names to skip during comparison (e.g., clinician-only validity items that don't need double entry).



| Field | Description |

|-------|-------------|

| **Instrument** | Select from the project's form list |

| **Skip these variables** | Comma-separated variable names to exclude from comparison (leave blank to compare all fields) |



### Who sees which instruments on the dashboard?



Optional. Use filter rules to show different instruments for different participants based on a field value. Leave blank to show all instruments for everyone.



| Field | Description |

|-------|-------------|

| **When this field** | A project variable to check (e.g., `cohort`, `age_group`) |

| **equals this value** | The value to match (e.g., `asd`, `child`) |

| **then show these instruments** | Comma-separated form names, or `all` |



### Merge settings



| Setting | Description |

|---------|-------------|

| **Where should merged values be saved?** | Overwrite Round 1 (Instance 1) or Save to a new Final instance (Instance 3, default) |

| **Require a comment when resolving discrepancies** | Forces a comment on each merge for audit trail |

| **Send email when both rounds are complete** | Email address for notification (leave blank to disable) |



## Compatibility



- REDCap 13.0+, PHP 8.0+, Framework Version 14

- Works with: classic projects, longitudinal, repeating instruments, DAGs

- Upgrade-safe: no core modifications, pure External Module



## FAQ



**Q: Will this mess up my existing data exports?**

A: Only DDE-enabled instruments get repeating instances. Filter to Instance 3 for clean verified data. All other instruments export exactly as before.



**Q: Does the second data entry person need to fill out our scheduling/intake forms again?**

A: No. Only the instruments you select for DDE use repeating instances. Scheduling, demographics, consent, and any other forms are entered once, normally.



**Q: Can I skip certain fields from comparison (e.g., clinician validity questions)?**

A: Yes. In the module configuration, each instrument has an optional "Skip these variables" field. List the variable names (comma-separated) and they will be excluded from the comparison table entirely.



**Q: Can I use this on a longitudinal project?**

A: Yes. The module tracks event IDs and works across multiple arms/events.



**Q: What permissions do users need?**

A: Standard REDCap "View & Edit" or "Edit survey responses" rights on the instrument. No special DDE roles or user assignments required. The module checks per-instrument edit rights before allowing any merge.



**Q: What happens if I disable the module later?**

A: Your data remains in REDCap as repeating instances. Your merge target instance (Instance 3 by default, or Instance 1 if configured) still holds the verified data. You just lose the dashboard, task list, and comparison UI.



**Q: What happened to the "Auto-Merge Matching Fields" button?**

A: It was removed. All merges now require field-by-field review to ensure data quality. Matching fields (green rows) need no action — only discrepancies (red rows) require resolution.



## File Structure



```

easy_double_entry_v1.0/

├── EasyDoubleEntry.php      # Core module class (hooks, AJAX, comparison, merge)

├── config.json              # Module metadata and settings schema

├── README.md

├── LICENSE                  # MIT

├── pages/

│   ├── dashboard.php        # DDE Dashboard — record status overview

│   ├── tasklist.php         # Task List — prioritized action items

│   └── compare.php          # Compare & Merge — side-by-side with one-click merge

└── docs/

    ├── tutorial.html        # Visual walkthrough (self-contained HTML)

    └── images/              # Tutorial screenshots

```



## Tutorial



A complete visual walkthrough is available at [docs/tutorial.html](docs/tutorial.html) covering the full workflow from dashboard to merged record.



**Hosted version:** [https://report.cincibrainlab.com/ede-tutorial/](https://report.cincibrainlab.com/ede-tutorial/)



## License



MIT — see [LICENSE](LICENSE)



## Author



Ernest Pedapati — Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center