Digital Research Toolkit

Lurie Children's Research Tools

These tools are approved for use by all Lurie Children’s researchers, are independent of live electronic health records, and can be used for a variety of functions including data-collection, recruitment, secure communication, and content creation. 

Organizational Owner:

  • Devices with Wi-Fi Only: Lurie Children’s– ServiceNow and IT  
  • Devices with Data Capabilities: Lurie Children’s ServiceNow - in partnership with Quantitative Science Pillar and Research IT team 

HIPAA Compliant: ✔    |   Part 11 Compliant: N/A

Description/Function

Apple iPhones or iPads with either Wi-Fi capabilities or data capabilities can be purchased through the Lurie Children’s Service Catalog to be owned by your research team and used for varying needs throughout the duration of your research study. Apps like MyChart can be pre-downloaded onto the tablet in collaboration with the IT team to allow participants to use a specific app or communication platform.  

  • Devices with Wi-Fi Only: can be provided to participants if a participant does not have their own device compatible with the specific app or required technology for the study, or if participant does not have consistent access to a device with Wi-Fi capabilities. Devices with Wi-Fi capabilities can also be used by research staff to complete research activities such as enrollment and consent or data collection.
  • Devices with Data Capabilities: can be provided to research participants as needed to support their ability to be a part of a study. This may be necessary when Wi-Fi is not available in the participants home, or when they are required to fill out surveys throughout the day or when away from Wi-Fi services (i.e. when using MyCap services for randomly timed survey collecting capabilities). This may also be necessary if there is a specific app or website that requires cellular connection to be utilized throughout the study. 

Limitations or Considerations

Devices with Wi-Fi Only

  • The original PO# from the device purchase must be maintained to have the device maintained/updated by Lurie Children's IT.  

Devices with Data Capabilities

  • The original PO# from the hardware purchase must be saved by the research team to have the hardware maintained/updated by Lurie Children's IT. Lurie Children's IT will only provide maintenance to hardware with data capabilities when it is on site with a research staff. The Lurie Children's IT team members are not available to troubleshoot hardware with research participants over the phone.
  • Hardware with data capabilities will be available for Research Only use cases.

How to Obtain Access

Cost

Devices with Wi-Fi Only

Prices vary depending on size and storage of hardware items. As of FY25, prices for an iPad tablet range from $499 (iPad Mini) to $1,199 (full size with extra storage). Cost range can be viewed by accessing the Service Catalog without submitting an official ticket.  
 
Devices with Data Capabilities

There is an associated cost for purchasing a device with data capabilities. This cost will be a two-year minimum data contract for the individual hardware item, including the cost of the device along with a monthly payment for the service. The cost of the data contract varies based on hardware and may be limited by cellular provider determined by the IT team. Early cancellation of the two-year contract will incur an additional fee.

Resources

Visit Device Tracking Template for Research Staff to keep track of devices within your lab. 

Protocol Considerations

Example of device return language that could be included in consent document for studies where participants are receiving devices that are intended to be returned to the study team at the end of participation:

“Research Device Return Agreement:

Thank you for agreeing to participate in the [name of study] study. We are excited to have you take part in this research. As part of the study, you have signed a consent form that discussed the requirements of participating. The consent form included information about some devices that will be provided to you by Lurie Children’s, for use in the study only. The device(s) are for you to take home to complete your data collection.  

Device Return Information

We will need your help to return the following valuable devices: [list out devices to be returned]. We will work with you to make the return of the equipment as easy as possible.  

After you enroll in the study, you will be given a box and prepaid shipping label that can be dropped off at any FedEx location. If you misplace the box and need a new one, the study team would be happy to give you another one. After you complete or withdraw from the study, we request the return of the devices within thirty (30) days. By using the pre-paid box, returning the devices is free to you. Alternatively, if you would like to return the devices at an appointment at Lurie Children's, the study team can arrange to meet you.  

As part of your commitment to the study, we now ask you to review these terms and agree:  

    • I understand that these devices are property of Lurie Children’s, and I may use them only for the length of my enrollment in the study.  
    • I will take good care of all devices that I am given by Lurie Children’s. If I have a problem using the devices or if the devices are broken, I will contact the study team as soon as possible.  
    • I agree that I will do my best to return all devices in good working condition.  
    • I understand and agree that these devices are critical to the research Lurie Children’s conducts, and I need to return them once I am done using them as part of the research study.  

We appreciate your help and understanding. By signing this form, I agree with the above terms, and will return the devices using one of the methods described above.

Signature: ______________________________________________________ "

Organizational Owner: Quantitative Science

HIPAA Compliant: ✔   |   Part 11 Compliant: ✖

Description/Function

Mosio is a HIPAA-compliant communication service integrated with Lurie’s REDCap instance. Mosio allows researchers to communicate with and collect data from study participants using text messaging. The service can be used in any of the following ways: send REDCap survey invitations, alert and notify participants (through scheduled messages or reminders), send SMS surveys (“reply 1 for yes, 2 for no”), two-way text messaging, appointment reminders or medication reminders, group alerts, and automated messaging functions including out of office or holiday autoreplies.  

Limitations or Considerations

  • Message Length: SMS and MMS texts are usually limited to 160 characters. If a message is too long, it may get split into several texts, which can make it harder to read and follow.
  • Survey Links: When sending REDCap survey links through Mosio, check that the links work and aren’t broken into parts, especially if the link is long. Short links and .bitly links are compatible with Mosio texting functions.  
  • Automatic Messages: Mosio can send automatic messages like survey invites and reminders. Make sure the timing of these messages matches what participants expect and follows your study plan.
    • Sending reminders, updates, or motivational messages can help keep participants engaged and improve retention rates throughout the study.
  • Text Formatting: SMS messages cannot use bold, italics, underlines, or bullet points. Keep your messages clear and easy to read using plain text and simple punctuation.
  • Opt out: Participants can text back “STOP” or “START” to unsubscribe/resubscribe from receiving surveys via text message.  

How to Obtain Access

For support regarding Mosio, reach out to Lurie Children's REDCap Team.

Cost

The cost for 1 year for a project is $150. Additional fees will be incurred for exceeding the texting limit. As of FY25 the limit is 3,000 outbound texts per year per project. All inbound messages are free.

Resources

Protocol Considerations

Text messaging as a form of first contact with participants must be justified for the research population, as it is considered cold calling.

Additionally, the plan for any messages to be sent to participants must be outlined in your IRB application including what information will be included in the messages, how often messaging will be used, the times of day messaging may occur, etc

Example protocol language when considering utilizing text messages to communicate with participants:  

"Text messages will be sent by research coordinators using Mosio, a text messaging application integrated with REDCap and approved for research use."

Example text to submit to IRB for review:

"You are receiving this text message as a follow-up to your enrollment in the ________ study at Lurie Children’s. Please click the link below to fill out your week 1 survey. The previous message will be sent to participants one week following their completion of enrollment in the study and will be scheduled to send at 2:00 p.m."

Organizational Owner: Smith Child Health Catalyst

HIPAA Compliant:  ✔   |   Part 11 Compliant: ✖

Description/Function

Qualtrics is a web-based survey platform designed for creating and conducting comprehensive online surveys, as well as sending and receiving text messages with survey respondents.

Key features include

  • Public survey links or individualized participant-specific survey links.
  • Participant recruitment and engagement via text messaging.
  • Reminder messages can be pre-programmed and sent to non-respondents.  
  • Advanced bot and false-user prevention tools, such as response limits, duplicate submission prevention, and required response enforcement.
  • Secure media upload capability, allowing participants to submit PDFs, documents, and videos (one file per question, up to 50MB).
  • Sophisticated conjoint survey design option, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and reporting tools. 

Limitations or Considerations

  • Texting capabilities, including one-way and two-way messaging, can be purchased with specific operational conditions.
  • Supports fraudulent participant protections (see resources section). 
  • Supports data collection methods such as:  
    • Electronic consent
    • Survey distribution via text message
    • Two-way text messaging capabilities
    • Tango gift card integration for automated incentives
    • Built-in analytics and reporting
    • Sending reminders, updates, or motivational messages can help keep participants engaged and improve retention rates throughout the study. 
  • Qualtrics is not part 11 compliant. 

How to Obtain Access

Smith Child Health Catalyst serves as the administrator of the Lurie Children's Institutional Qualtrics account. If Qualtrics is something you would like to pursue, please visit Smith Child Health Catalyst and fill out the Catalyst Service Request Form. The team will reach out with more information regarding next steps. 

Cost

Fees are associated with use; typically users incur a one-time charge for each initiated survey, and a charge per each incoming and outgoing text message. Reach out to the Smith Child Health Catalyst team to learn of current rates. The Catalyst team will send you invoices and bill your fund for the total incurred charges quarterly. For reference, in FY25, usage of Lurie Children's Institutional Qualtrics account incurred a $1.50 charge per initiated survey and $0.01 charge per incoming and outgoing text message.   

Resources

The Qualtrics basecamp website and Community Support platform are excellent resources for learning the Qualtrics system. Researchers may take advantage of many protective measures offered by Qualtrics to protect against fraudulent respondents, including survey expiration dates, force question response, referral websites, and response limits. Review the Protecting Your Research from Fraudulent Participation resource.

Catalyst consultation is available to research teams who are seeking help with designing survey questions. Researchers can engage with Catalyst team members to support studies that utilize survey methods through Service Provision or Team Science services at a blended hourly rate. Visit Smith Child Health Catalyst.

Please refer to WELL--Artera--Messaging-Guidelines-and-Best-Practices for guidance on appropriate content of messages to participants.

Protocol Considerations

Researchers utilizing Qualtrics for participant recruitment, survey distribution, or data collection should ensure their protocol includes appropriate wording regarding data safety and survey administration. Please consult with your team to confirm compliance with existing IRB protocols.

Additionally, the plan for any messages to be sent to participants must be outlined in your IRB application including what information will be included in the messages, how often messaging will be used, the times of day messaging may occur, etc. 
 
Below is example language regarding considerations for human subject’s research protocols:  

"For those approached through direct outreach, we will send an initial recruitment e-mail which will include a link to a Qualtrics screening survey to confirm basic eligibility, basic demographic information about the potential participant for purposive sampling and confirming their best contact information."

"Participants will be screened for eligibility status using an online Qualtrics survey. The public survey link will be attached to public recruitment flyers and will collect basic demographic and eligibility data from interested participants. Only the PI and study staff will be granted access to the project within Qualtrics. Any information related to the study that is viewed outside of Qualtrics, including data exports, reports, and stats, will be saved to password protected folders on a password protected secure server."

Example text to submit to IRB for review:

"You are receiving this text message as a follow-up to your enrollment in the ________ study at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Please click the link below to fill out your week 1 survey." The previous message will be sent to participants one week following their completion of enrollment in the study, and will be scheduled to send at 2:00 p.m."

Organizational Owner: Quantitative Science Pillar

HIPAA Compliant: ✔   |   Part 11 Compliant: ✖

Description/Function

REDCap is a secure, web-based application for building & managing online data captures for research studies. REDCap provides user-friendly web-based case report forms, real-time data entry validation (e.g. for data types and range checks), audit trails, and the ability to set up a calendar to schedule and track study events such as participant visits.

Researchers can share links to data collection surveys on public platforms or in direct communication to participants. Participants can upload photos, documents, and videos in REDCap surveys, if the file size is smaller than 32 MB.

Additional functionalities or changes may be made July 2025. For the most up to date information, please reach out to the Quantitative Science team.  

Limitations or Considerations

Lurie Children’s REDCap does not allow for texting as an individual platform. Lurie Children's REDCap has an integration with Mosio as of summer 2025 to facilitate texting features Mosio allows for texting of links or communication with research participants. Researchers are responsible for the costs associated with Mosio.

Because Lurie Children’s REDCap instance is not Part 11 compliant it cannot be used for obtaining consent for FDA regulated studies.

On use of Lurie Children’s REDCap vs. NU REDCap

Starting in June 2025, funded research projects that include Northwestern University as a performance site (prime or subaward) and have the appropriate data use agreements in place are eligible to be hosted in the Northwestern University REDCap instance.  

All other new projects should be hosted in the Lurie Children’s REDCap instance.

If you have questions, reach out to the Lurie Children’s REDCap team.

How to Obtain Access

All Lurie Children's faculty and staff have access to REDCap using their Lurie Children's single sign on. Project owners must complete the REDCap Project Owner Form before they can request a new project for the first time. Please note this form must be completed only once to receive access.  

Once you have filled out this form, please go to REDCap and click on the + New Project icon at the top of the page. This will take you to the REDCap Project Intake Form. Fill out this form in its entirety and hit submit (Please note, you will need supplemental information to submit this form, including the project’s IRB number, copy of the project's IRB approval form, and additional project details). Please allow three (3) business days for a REDCap administrator to review your request. You will receive an email confirmation when your project is approved, or if additional information is needed. Please reach out to  Lurie Children's REDCap team if you have questions on the intake process. 

Cost

Free to Lurie Children's researchers and teams. Custom project development is available as a recharge service from the Quantitative Science team. 

Resources

  • REDCap Research Professionals Guide: SharePoint -> Research Resource Hub -> Human Subjects research -> REDCap guide. This guide includes a section on survey design and related features.
  • REDCap Teams Channel: For further assistance and collaboration, visit our REDCap Teams channel.
  • REDCap Training Resources: Refer to the REDCap training resources.
  • Contact REDCap Admin: If you have any questions, you can reach out to the REDCap administrator.
  • Custom Project Development: submit a request through the Quantitative Science Service Request form
  • Catalyst Support: Catalyst consultation is available to research teams who are seeking help with designing survey questions. Researchers can engage with Catalyst team members to support studies that utilize survey methods through Service Provision or Team Science services at a blended hourly rate. Visit Smith Child Health Catalyst for details.

Researchers may take advantage of protective measures offered by REDCap to protect against fraudulent respondents including password protected surveys, survey expiration dates, and response limits. Additional security measures may be added in the summer of 2025. Refer to Protecting Your Research from Fraudulent Participation Resource.

Please refer to WELL--Artera--Messaging-Guidelines-and-Best-Practices for guidance on appropriate content of messages to participants.

The Office of Research Development and Quantitative Science staff will be hosting REDCap office hours for guidance on programming or survey build help starting in the summer of 2025. Please contact the Quantitative Science team with any further questions or for support.

Protocol Considerations

Researchers utilizing REDCap for participant recruitment, survey distribution, or data collection should ensure their protocol includes appropriate wording regarding data safety and survey administration. Please consult with your team to confirm compliance with existing IRB protocols.

Additionally, the plan for any messages to be sent to participants must be outlined in your IRB application including what information will be included in the messages, how often messaging will be used, the times of day messaging may occur, etc
 
Below is example language regarding considerations for human subject’s research protocols:  

"For those approached through direct outreach, we will send an initial recruitment e-mail which will include a link to a REDCap screening survey to confirm basic eligibility, basic demographic information about the potential participant for purposive sampling, and confirming their best contact information."

"Participants will be screened for eligibility status using an online REDCap survey. The public survey link will be attached to public recruitment flyers and will collect basic demographic and eligibility data from interested participants. Only the PI and study staff will be granted access to the project within REDCap. Any information related to the study that is viewed outside of REDCap, including data exports, reports, and stats, will be saved to password protected folders on a password protected secure server."

Organizational Owner: OCCT

HIPAA Compliant: ✔   |   Part 11 Compliant: ✔

Description/Function

Study Tracker functions as Lurie Children’s comprehensive clinical trial management system, which assists with participant tracking, financial management, reporting, and research recruitment. It plays a crucial role in facilitating research billing processes. All study teams are required to enter and track their participants in Study Tracker for all studies involving participant visits with clinically billable items. All study teams may use participant tracking regardless of study type.

Limitations or Considerations

Study Tracker must be opened in Chrome or Edge and is only accessible via a Lurie Children’s network onsite, VPN, or Global Protect.

How to Obtain Access

Access can be requested through the Central Operations Service Request Form. Access is granted based on IRB approval of the related study.  

Cost

Free to Lurie Children's researchers with IRB approval of the related study.

Resources

Protocol Considerations

Use of Study Tracker does not need to be included in IRB Submissions. 

Organizational Owner: Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute

HIPAA Compliant: N/A   |   Part 11 Compliant: N/A

Description/Function

Tango card is an e-gift card solutions vendor that can be used for payments to research study participants. Tango has no fees associated with their services and decreases the need to order physical gift cards. Once participants are sent a Tango gift card link, they can choose an e-gift card from hundreds of vendors such as Target, Starbucks, Amazon. These e-cards are available in denominations from $5 to $1,000 and have no expiration. Studies will be charged after the gift card links have been sent to participants based on a monthly usage report sent directly from Tango to Research Administration.  

Requests for funding a Tango study account are made through the Tango e-card request form. Request forms will route to Research Administration for processing, and the requested amount should be based on study budget and anticipated activities (i.e., monthly or quarterly enrollment and anticipated participant reimbursement). 

Limitations or Considerations

  • Only active studies with a fund or cost center number and approved IRB# are eligible for e-gift card distribution. 
  • Distributing e-gift cards may not be appropriate for all studies and research populations.  
  • There is a replenishment funding cap of $2,000 at a time. Gift cards can be given from $5 to $1,000 to one participant at one time.  
  • Funding can only be requested for three (3) months of anticipated research activity at a time, and will require justification (i.e. "20 participants will be recruited within [time frame] and will receive $50 for enrollment. Requesting $1,000 to be added to Tango account _____ for Study with IRB number ____"). 

How to Obtain Access

Users and accounts will be set up by Research Administration. Complete the Tango e-card request form to request an account, to add or remove a user from a Tango account, to request replenished funding to an account, or to close a Tango account and have the excess money returned to the original fund.  

Cost

No charge or added fees from Tango when utilizing for virtual gift card distribution outside of the cost of the gift cards.

Fees will be charged to the study team if they are seeking to utilize Tango for monetary gift card or cash payouts to participants (e.g. $0.25 per transaction if sending money through PayPal or Venmo). Additionally, fees will be charged to the research team if they are seeking to utilize Tango in order to give physical Visa gift cards, other physical gift cards, or printed reward links with physical gift cards (e.g. $2 per transaction for physical Visa gift cards, $1.50 per transaction for printed reward links and physical gift cards, and $1 per transaction for all other physical gift cards).  Read more about Tango pricing.

Resources

Overview and FAQ about Tango.

Protocol Considerations

Example of protocol language when considering use of Tango Gift Card Distribution: 

"You and your child together will be paid $[INSERT AMOUNT] in gift cards if you complete all the study tasks. This will be given as Tango electronic gift cards that can be used at hundreds of different retailers and restaurants".

"Research coordinators will use Lurie Children’s Tango system to securely send electronic gift cards to participants for completed sessions and surveys, as compensation for their time and effort."

Organizational Owner: Smith Child Health Catalyst

HIPAA Compliant: N/A   |   Part 11 Compliant: N/A

Description/Function

The telehealth implementation survey library is a starting point for investigators looking to conduct survey-based research or evaluation on telehealth initiatives or programs at Lurie Children’s. It is categorized by respondent/intended audience and further sub-categorized by domains of interest. The items were developed and compiled by individuals with survey design and telehealth expertise. Please note questions in this library have not been formally validated. 

Limitations or Considerations

Please include the following in the acknowledgement if you publish work that utilizes items from this survey library and the journal allows for an acknowledgements section as an academic courtesy to credit the work of the team who developed the original survey items:

"Some of the questions utilized in this survey were provided by the Telehealth Survey Library developed by investigators and evaluators from Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Children’s Hospital of Chicago."

How to Obtain Access

Please complete the Smith Child Health Catalyst intake form to request access to the survey library and learn more about the resource. 

Cost

Free to Lurie Children’s researchers for use. Please include the above acknowledgement statement if use of the items leads to publication. 

Resources

Reach out to the Catalyst Team or complete the Catalyst intake form

Protocol Considerations

There are no additional protocol considerations for this tool at this time.  

Organizational Owner: OCCT

HIPAA Compliant: ✔   |   Part 11 Compliant: ✔

Description/Function

Veeva SiteVault is a 21 CFR 11 and HIPAA compliant platform for healthcare and life sciences, simplifying regulatory compliance and study management with electronic regulatory binders. This system allows research teams to save time and reduce risk by establishing consistent version control and record-keeping processes that allow for easy exchange of information with study monitors. For all new studies with an IRB approval date on or after September 20, 2024, it is mandatory to utilize this platform. There is no limit on the number of studies, documents, or users that you can have in Veeva SiteVault.  

Limitations or Considerations

  • A single file size has an upload limit of 4GB. Read Veeva SiteVault FAQs for more information.
  • Veeva is only accessible via a Lurie Children’s onsite network, VPN, or Global Protect. 

How to Obtain Access

Newly hired research professionals will be granted access upon completion of the Workday module. For technical or access issues, please complete the Central Operations Service Request Form 

Cost

Free to use, no fees for any features.  

Resources

Visit Veeva SiteVault for resources and a link to login.

Protocol Considerations

There are no additional protocol considerations for this tool at this time.  

Organizational Owner: OCCT

HIPAA Compliant: ✔   |   Part 11 Compliant: ✔

Description/Function

Veeva eConsent provides a digital way to consent participants in person or remotely. Veeva eConsent is 21CFR Part 11 compliant, making it appropriate to use for obtaining consent for FDA regulated studies.

Limitations or Considerations

eConsent must be enabled on a study-by-study basis in Veeva Site Vault and requires some edits to the standard consent templates. 

How to Obtain Access

Reach out to the Office of Clinical and Community Trials (OCCT) prior to submitting to the IRB if this is a function you plan to utilize in your study. 

Cost

Free to use, no fees.

Resources

Please reach out to OCCT before utilizing this feature.

Protocol Considerations

Study staff should outline the process of obtaining consent using Veeva in the study protocol.   

Organizational Owner: Office of Research Development

HIPAA Compliant: N/A   |   Part 11 Compliant: N/A

Description/Function

Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute’s Office of Research Development (ORD) manages online researcher profiles, research lab webpages, and research program- or project-specific webpages for Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. All webpages created on Manne Research Institute’s website will adhere to the hospital and research institute branding guidelines and the style format of the host site. Approved pages will be linked appropriately within the research website infrastructure.  

Limitations or Considerations

  • ORD’s Research Communications team reviews all research institute webpage development and website content requests and directs researchers to the most suitable online solution for their content. 
  • The development of new program- or project-based webpages requires an intake meeting with the Research Communications team. Researchers should submit requests early to allow sufficient time for review and integration into research dissemination plans. 
  • All webpage content must align with institutional guidelines and policies. Protocol and IRB considerations should be factored into content development where applicable. 
  • New researcher profiles and lab requests are submitted via an online intake form; however, eligibility for these pages is conditional to the guidelines posted on the form.

How to Obtain Access

Requests for research institute webpages can be submitted through the Research Communications Request Form found on the Submit Website Content and Feedback page.  

Cost

Standard researcher profile and lab page creation on the research institute website is free for Lurie Children’s researchers. Project- and program-based webpages are generally free, but the development of any new page design elements or tools may incur a cost.  Contact ORD for a quote on costs related to customized websites for budgeting purposes.  

Resources

Protocol Considerations

Webpage Creation

  • When creating a webpage for an individual research lab or researcher profile, no protocol considerations exist.  
  • If you are planning to post recruitment or participant-facing information on your webpage, that content must follow the guidelines for media creation listed below.

General Guidelines for Media Creation

When creating media content for either recruitment or intervention purposes, you are required to submit any wording to be included, a description of the intended graphics, and an overview of the media’s objectives for approval by the Institutional Review Board.  

Submission Process
  • Initial Script Submission: Submit the English-language content (wording, script, information) to the IRB during the initial review process. Wait for approval before proceeding with media creation and translation. If the IRB suggests edits, address them before moving forward.
  • Final Media Submission: Once the media content is finalized, submit a modification in RASCAL to request review of the final version. The final submission should include either access to the product, screenshots, or a PDF version of the materials for IRB review.