Custom electronic data capture software development
Appfront builds custom electronic data capture (EDC) software for the structured collection of research and study data: electronic case report forms (eCRF), data validation with edit checks, query management, roles and permissions, a complete audit trail, form version control and export to your analysis environment. Designed to work across multiple sites and investigators, with pseudonymisation and strict authorisation as starting points. Built for clinical research, life sciences, universities and academic medical centres, research institutes and medical registries that need to capture data reliably, traceably and in line with the GDPR.
What is electronic data capture software?
Electronic data capture software enables research teams to collect, validate and manage study data electronically, rather than on paper forms. At its core is the electronic case report form (eCRF): a digital form for each participant and each study visit in which investigators enter data. Built-in data validation and edit checks verify that input immediately, query management resolves any ambiguities, and an audit trail records every change. The result is a reliable, traceable dataset that is ready for analysis.
Off-the-shelf packages often force your study into a fixed mould. Research, however, varies considerably from protocol to protocol: in the forms, the validation rules, the division of roles between investigators, data managers and monitors, and the way data is gathered across multiple sites. Custom EDC software is built around your study design rather than the other way round, and can adapt when a protocol is amended. This prevents shadow administration in loose spreadsheets and keeps your dataset complete and traceable.
Because research data often contains personal data and sometimes special category data concerning health, we build pseudonymisation, role-based access and logging into the architecture from the outset. This page is about collecting and validating study data. If you want to set up audit and quality processes with findings and re-assessment, see building audit software. If you need to administer tests or questionnaires with scoring, building assessment software is a better fit. Also read more about our broader approach to custom software development.
One eCRF per participant
All data for each participant and each visit in one coherent electronic form. Investigators enter data in a single place, with fields that match your protocol, without retyping from loose lists or documents.
Built-in validation and queries
Edit checks safeguard data quality at the source: mandatory fields, permitted values, range checks and logical relationships. Discrepancies trigger a notification or a query, so you spend less time cleaning data afterwards.
Fully traceable
Every entry, change and query is recorded with timestamp and user in the audit trail. This makes it possible to trace at any time how a value came about, supporting data integrity and accountability.
How we build your electronic data capture software
We work in clear stages and involve your investigators, data managers and privacy specialists early on. From a thorough review of your protocol, forms and roles through to go-live and ongoing management, every step aims at software your team understands, trusts and can demonstrably use with care.
We map out your study: the forms and fields, the validation rules, the visit schedules, the roles and the sites. Together we determine which data is required, how pseudonymisation will be set up and what can be left out.
We design the data model, the eCRF forms, the edit checks and the authorisation model, along with the approach to the audit trail, form version control, retention periods and export for analysis.
We build in short iterations with automated tests, structured logging and monitoring. You see working versions along the way and help set priorities and alignment with the protocol and the practice at the sites.
Controlled go-live with data validation and a safety net, followed by ongoing management, monitoring and further development whenever a protocol is amended or your working methods change.
What electronic data capture software does in practice
We tailor every application specifically to your protocol, forms and roles. Below are the features we most often deliver for organisations that want to record research and study data in a structured way.
Electronic case report forms
Digital forms per participant and per visit, built from fields that match your protocol. Researchers enter data in a structured way, with an overview per participant and per site, and without duplicate administration.
Data validation & edit checks
Rules that check input as it is entered: required fields, permitted values, range checks and logical relationships between fields. This keeps data quality under control at source and limits clean-up afterwards.
Query management
Unclear or inconsistent data is assigned as a query to the site or investigator, with status tracking and turnaround time. The full exchange is recorded, so it remains clear how a value was clarified.
Roles, permissions & audit trail
Role-based access determines who can see and edit which participants and fields. Every view and change is logged with timestamp and user, so it is fully traceable who did what.
Form version control
When a protocol is amended, you update forms and fields without losing data already collected. The software records which version was used, so earlier and later entries remain traceable side by side.
Export for analysis
Export in common formats such as CSV and formats for statistical environments like R or SAS, and CDISC standards such as ODM where required. You can export a complete study or selected forms, with pseudonymisation retained.
Who we build electronic data capture software for
Research data is collected by a wide range of organisations, each with its own protocol and division of roles. For each of them we build software that suits their research, their sites and the care that working with personal data requires.
Clinical research
Research teams running clinical studies, including investigator-initiated research in university medical centres and hospitals. The software supports eCRF entry, validation, queries and an audit trail, in line with the principles of Good Clinical Practice.
Life sciences
Life sciences companies and organisations that want to record study data in a structured and traceable way. With a multi-site set-up, form version control and export for analysis, they keep control over data quality and accountability.
Universities and research institutes
Academic groups and institutes that want to standardise data collection across multiple researchers and locations. Roles and permissions, edit checks and an audit trail keep the dataset consistent and traceable.
Medical registries
Quality and patient registries that collect standardised data across multiple participating centres. The software ensures separation per source, complete logging and export for analysis, with pseudonymisation as the starting point.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Technology and integrations
We build with a modern, maintainable web stack and connect where needed to the systems you already use, from authentication via single sign-on to export to your statistical environment. We design every integration with data minimisation and pseudonymisation as the starting point, so only what the research requires is exchanged. If you want to know how we approach this kind of custom work, see custom software development.
Why choose Appfront for your electronic data capture software?
Appfront builds custom software and always begins with a thorough analysis of your protocol, forms and roles. Software for data collection must not only work technically, but also match the care and the framework in which your research takes place.
We build pseudonymisation, role-based access and a watertight audit trail into the architecture from the outset, and write clear documentation so that your own team or a future supplier can understand and manage the software. No black box, but transparent code and clear agreements on authorisation, logging, monitoring and management.
You work with a fixed point of contact who understands both the technology and the practice of structured data collection. This keeps lines short, prevents miscommunication and speeds up decisions when choices need to be made during the build.
Do you have questions about your specific situation? Get in touch with us, and we'll think along with you, no strings attached.
- Custom software for structured data collection
- Pseudonymisation and data minimisation as a starting point
- Custom eCRF, edit checks and query management
- Role-based access control and a watertight audit trail
- Form version control for protocol amendments
- Working across multiple sites and researchers
- Export for analysis, aligned with CDISC standards where required
- Clear documentation your team can read and manage
- A fixed point of contact, no account managers passed around
- Ongoing maintenance and further development
Security and privacy in electronic data capture software
Research data often contains personal data and sometimes special category data concerning health. That is why privacy by design is central to what we do. We apply pseudonymisation so that directly identifying information stays separate from the study data, and we set up authorisation based on role and need-to-know. Every access and change is recorded in the audit trail, so it is always traceable who viewed or modified which data.
We build with encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access and retention periods that match your research and the GDPR. Where a study requires electronic signatures and records, we incorporate that functionality appropriately. This setup supports data integrity in line with the principles of Good Clinical Practice (GCP). We document data flows and authorisations, so your processing register remains complete and you can demonstrably stay in control.
Would you like to first discuss legal basis, pseudonymisation or information security? Discuss your situation with us, no obligation, via our contact form.
- GDPR-compliant data processing and data minimisation
- Pseudonymisation and separation of identifying data
- Encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest
- Role-based access and least-privilege principles
- Separation of data by site and by client
- Watertight audit trail of access and changes
- Retention periods tailored to your research
- Support for data integrity in line with GCP principles
Frequently asked questions about electronic data capture software
Answers to the questions we are asked most often about custom EDC software.
Electronic data capture software is software that allows research teams to collect, validate and manage study data electronically rather than on paper forms. At its core is the electronic case report form (eCRF): a digital form per participant and per visit in which researchers enter data. Built-in data validation and edit checks verify entries immediately, query management resolves ambiguities, and an audit trail records every change. This produces a traceable dataset that is ready for analysis. Custom EDC software lets you set this up according to your own protocol and way of working.
An eCRF (electronic case report form) is the digital form in which data is recorded for each participant and each study visit, built from fields that align with your protocol. Data validation and edit checks verify entries at the point of input: mandatory fields, permitted values, range checks and logical relationships between fields. If something deviates, the person entering the data receives a notification or a query is raised automatically. This means data quality is safeguarded at source, so less clean-up is needed afterwards.
Query management is the process by which unclear, missing or inconsistent data is clarified. A query can be raised automatically by an edit check or created manually by a data manager or monitor. It is assigned to the relevant site or investigator, who responds or corrects the data. The software tracks status and turnaround time, and records the full exchange in the audit trail. This makes it traceable which questions were asked, who responded and how a value came to be.
We build custom solutions. Every study has its own protocol, forms, validation rules and division of roles between investigators, data managers and monitors. Custom EDC software is designed around your study set-up rather than the other way round, and can adapt when a protocol is amended. After an intake meeting, we agree together which functionality matters most and in what order we will develop it, without promising a fixed timeline or price we cannot yet substantiate.
Research data often contains personal data and sometimes special category data concerning health. We therefore build pseudonymisation, role-based access and a complete audit trail into the architecture from the outset, so that directly identifying data is kept separate from study data and every access and change is traceable. This set-up supports data integrity in line with the principles of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and helps you demonstrate compliance with the GDPR. Where a study requires electronic signatures and records, we incorporate that functionality appropriately.
Yes. EDC software is typically multi-site: several centres and investigators enter data for the same study at the same time. Through roles and permissions, you determine who sees which participants and which fields, and with site-level separation each centre retains oversight of its own enrolments. Data managers and monitors work across sites on validation and queries. This allows you to gather structured data from multiple sources without losing oversight or data segregation.
Yes. We deliver exports in common formats such as CSV and formats compatible with statistical environments like R or SAS, and where required in CDISC standards such as ODM for the exchange of clinical data. You can export at the level you need, from a full study export to selected forms, with pseudonymisation preserved. The source remains in the EDC software, and your statistician or researcher works with a consistent, traceable dataset.
Yes. We regularly take over existing applications, even where they were built by another party. We review the architecture, data model, validation rules, access model, audit trail and security, document the current set-up and propose improvements. From that point on we can take care of forms, integrations and monitoring, or modernise step by step towards a maintainable situation.
Ready to build your electronic data capture software?
Tell us how your study is set up and where you run into trouble: from eCRF and validation through to queries, multi-site working and export for analysis. We are happy to think along about the data model, integrations, pseudonymisation and information security. In a no-obligation first conversation you will get a clear picture of what custom software can do for your study.