{"id":4733,"date":"2026-04-07T14:49:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T18:49:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/?page_id=4733"},"modified":"2026-04-07T14:49:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T18:49:30","slug":"longitudinal-project-design","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/longitudinal-project-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Longitudinal Project Design"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"in-page-tabs\"><ul id=\"menu-redcap\" class=\"menu nav nav-tabs\"><li id=\"menu-item-4436\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children dropdown\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/\" class=\"dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\">REDCap Usage<b class=\"caret\"><\/b><\/a>\n<ul class=\"dropdown-menu\">\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-4437\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/uch-redcap-user-agreement\/\">REDCap User Agreement<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-4439\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/redcap-project-eligibility\/\">REDCap Usage &amp; 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External Users Login Issues<\/a><\/li><!--.dropdown-->\n<\/ul>\n<\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4442\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/redcap-training\/\">REDCap Training<\/a><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4443\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/guides-how-tos\/\">REDCap Guides &amp; How-to<\/a><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4449\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children dropdown\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/scheduled-maintenance\/\" class=\"dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\">REDCap Maintenance<b class=\"caret\"><\/b><\/a>\n<ul class=\"dropdown-menu\">\n\t<li id=\"menu-item-4678\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/scheduled-maintenance\/\">REDCap Maintenance<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-4450\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/scheduled-maintenance\/new-features-improvements\/\">REDCap Upgrade Details<\/a><\/li><!--.dropdown-->\n<\/ul>\n<\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4451\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/redcap-systems\/\">REDCap Systems<\/a><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4452\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/using-redcap-for-nih-data-sharing\/\">Using REDCap for NIH Data Sharing<\/a><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4453\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/citing-redcap\/\">Citing REDCap<\/a><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-4455\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page\"><a href=\"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/services\/informatics-core\/redcap\/redcap_news\/\">REDCap News You Can Use<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div id=\"top\" class=\"redcap-longitudinal-guide\" style=\"max-width: 1100px;margin: 0 auto;line-height: 1.7;color: #1f2937\">\n<h1 style=\"margin-bottom: 6px\">REDCap Longitudinal Projects Guide<\/h1>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.08em;margin-top: 0\">Longitudinal projects in REDCap allow you to collect data across multiple time points, visits, or repeated occurrences for the same participant.<\/p>\n<p>This structure is ideal for studies involving follow-up visits, repeated measures, or ongoing participant tracking.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background: #eff6ff;border-left: 6px solid #2563eb;padding: 14px 16px;margin: 22px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Core Concept:<\/strong> One Record \u2192 Multiple Events \u2192 Repeated Data Over Time<\/div>\n<div style=\"background: #fef2f2;border-left: 6px solid #dc2626;padding: 14px 16px;margin: 22px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Important:<\/strong> Longitudinal structure should be enabled <strong>before<\/strong> production whenever possible. Converting after data collection has begun can be complex and may impact existing data.<\/div>\n<div style=\"background: #f0f9ff;border: 1px solid #bae6fd;padding: 16px 18px;margin: 24px 0;border-radius: 6px\">\n<h2 style=\"margin-top: 0\">On this page<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0;padding-left: 20px\">\n<li><a href=\"#when-to-use\">When to Use Longitudinal Design<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#enable\">Enable Longitudinal Mode<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#events\">Define Events<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#arms\">Use Arms (When Needed)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mapping\">Assign Instruments to Events<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#repeating\">Repeating Events &amp; Instruments<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#surveys\">Surveys in Longitudinal Projects<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#design-tips\">Design Best Practices<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#common-pitfalls\">Common Pitfalls<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#resources\">Additional Resources<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"when-to-use\" style=\"background: #329EB8;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">When to Use Longitudinal Design<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Multiple visits (baseline, follow-up, discharge)<\/li>\n<li>Repeated measures over time<\/li>\n<li>Ongoing participant tracking<\/li>\n<li>Data collected at scheduled intervals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background: #eff6ff;border-left: 6px solid #2563eb;padding: 14px 16px;margin: 20px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Best practice:<\/strong> Use longitudinal design when the <strong>same participant<\/strong> has multiple time-based data points\u2014not for grouping different participant types.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right\"><a href=\"#top\" style=\"background: #eef6f8;padding: 6px 12px;border-radius: 20px;text-decoration: none\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"enable\" style=\"background: #329EB8;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">Enable Longitudinal Mode<\/h2>\n<p>Enable longitudinal data collection in <strong>Project Setup \u2192 Additional Customizations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Once enabled, you will define events and assign instruments accordingly.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background: #fff7ed;border-left: 6px solid #ea580c;padding: 14px 16px;margin: 20px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Best practice:<\/strong> Enable this early in development. Structural changes later are more complex and require careful review.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right\"><a href=\"#top\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"events\" style=\"background: #329EB8;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">Define Events<\/h2>\n<p>Events represent time points or visits in your study.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Baseline<\/li>\n<li>Visit 1, Visit 2, Visit 3<\/li>\n<li>Follow-up (e.g., 30-day, 6-month)<\/li>\n<li>Ad hoc or unscheduled visits<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background: #eff6ff;border-left: 6px solid #2563eb;padding: 14px 16px;margin: 20px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Best practice:<\/strong> Name events clearly and consistently to reflect real study workflows.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right\"><a href=\"#top\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"arms\" style=\"background: #329EB8;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">Use Arms (When Needed)<\/h2>\n<p>Arms are used to separate different study groups or workflows.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Treatment vs Control groups<\/li>\n<li>Different study cohorts<\/li>\n<li>Distinct protocols within one project<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background: #fef2f2;border-left: 6px solid #dc2626;padding: 14px 16px;margin: 20px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Important:<\/strong> Do not use arms simply to separate survey types or user groups. This often creates unnecessary complexity.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right\"><a href=\"#top\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"mapping\" style=\"background: #329EB8;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">Assign Instruments to Events<\/h2>\n<p>Each instrument must be mapped to the appropriate event(s).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Baseline forms \u2192 Baseline event<\/li>\n<li>Follow-up surveys \u2192 Follow-up events<\/li>\n<li>Shared instruments \u2192 Multiple events<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background: #fff7ed;border-left: 6px solid #ea580c;padding: 14px 16px;margin: 20px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Best practice:<\/strong> Map only what is needed per event to keep data entry clean and intuitive.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right\"><a href=\"#top\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"repeating\" style=\"background: #329EB8;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">Repeating Events &amp; Instruments<\/h2>\n<p>Repeating functionality allows multiple entries within the same event.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Repeating instruments (e.g., medications, adverse events)<\/li>\n<li>Repeating events (e.g., multiple unscheduled visits)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background: #eff6ff;border-left: 6px solid #2563eb;padding: 14px 16px;margin: 20px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Best practice:<\/strong> Use repeating instruments for lists and repeating events for full visit-level duplication.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right\"><a href=\"#top\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"surveys\" style=\"background: #329EB8;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">Surveys in Longitudinal Projects<\/h2>\n<p>Surveys can be enabled per instrument and tied to specific events.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use Survey Queue for sequencing<\/li>\n<li>Use Automated Invitations for timing<\/li>\n<li>Use logic to control survey availability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background: #fef2f2;border-left: 6px solid #dc2626;padding: 14px 16px;margin: 20px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Important:<\/strong> REDCap supports only <strong>one public survey link per project<\/strong>. Use Survey Queue and logic to direct participants appropriately.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right\"><a href=\"#top\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"design-tips\" style=\"background: #329EB8;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">Design Best Practices<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Align events with real-world workflow<\/li>\n<li>Keep naming consistent (Visit 1, Visit 2, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Minimize unnecessary arms<\/li>\n<li>Use repeating instruments thoughtfully<\/li>\n<li>Test full participant flow across all events<\/li>\n<li>Use clear form and event descriptions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background: #eff6ff;border-left: 6px solid #2563eb;padding: 14px 16px;margin: 20px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Best practice:<\/strong> Build for usability first\u2014complex designs increase data entry errors and user confusion.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right\"><a href=\"#top\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"common-pitfalls\" style=\"background: #329EB8;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">Common Pitfalls<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Using arms instead of events<\/li>\n<li>Overcomplicating event structure<\/li>\n<li>Mapping all instruments to all events unnecessarily<\/li>\n<li>Not testing full workflows<\/li>\n<li>Converting to longitudinal after production<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"background: #fef2f2;border-left: 6px solid #dc2626;padding: 14px 16px;margin: 20px 0;border-radius: 4px\"><strong>Important:<\/strong> Most longitudinal issues stem from overengineering. Keep the structure as simple as possible.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right\"><a href=\"#top\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<hr style=\"margin: 30px 0\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"resources\" style=\"background: #329EB8;color: white;padding: 12px 16px;border-radius: 6px\">Additional Resources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#\">REDCap Training Center<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#\">REDCap Best Practices Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#\">Project Development Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"text-align: right\"><a href=\"#top\">Back to top \u2191<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>REDCap Usage REDCap User Agreement REDCap Usage &amp; Project Eligibility REDCap User Eligibility REDCap Usage Fees REDCap Account RequestREDCap Login Issues UCHC User Login Issues UConn &amp; External Users Login Issues REDCap TrainingREDCap Guides &amp; How-toREDCap Maintenance REDCap Maintenance REDCap Upgrade Details REDCap SystemsUsing REDCap for NIH Data SharingCiting REDCapREDCap News You Can Use REDCap [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4679,"featured_media":0,"parent":914,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-01 13:30:37","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4733"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4679"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4733"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4733\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4734,"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4733\/revisions\/4734"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/health.uconn.edu\/clinical-research-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}