Immunization Registry: Updates | Timelines
As required by law (Act 432 of 1995), immunization providers in Arkansas must report immunizations given to persons under the age of 22 years to the statewide immunization registry, the Immunization Network for Children (INC). Per Arkansas Code Annotated §§20-15-1201 – 1203, after receiving consent, adult immunization records are voluntarily reported to the registry by the immunization provider. This public health option allows Eligible Professionals (EP) or Eligible Hospitals (EH) to electronically submit immunization records using Health Language Seven (HL7) to send the data.
HL7 is a standard messaging language that allows clinical systems to communicate with each other. This language also allows your electronic health record system (EHR) to communicate with the INC and will reduce your staff’s workload by electronically sending the immunization record that was previously hand-keyed into the INC.
Please note the following information has changed
Steps for Testing an HL7 Transmission
- Each physician planning on attesting for Meaningful Use stage 2 will need to enroll with the Immunization Registry. Enrollment includes the following steps:
- Ensure that each physical location that you (physician) practice at is enrolled as a “site” in the registry
- Ensure that you (physician) are enrolled as an active user in the registry
- Prepare a test file based on the Arkansas WebIZ 2.3.1 or 2.5.1 specifications (see links at the bottom of this document).
- Run test file through the PHIN Message Quality Framework to test the structure of the HL7 file. This can be accomplished by:
- Accessing the website at https://phinmqf.cdc.gov/default.aspx
- Selecting the appropriate link for testing Meaningful Use-Immunization HL7 2.3.1/2.5.1
- Viewing validation summary report
- Correcting any necessary errors
- Repeating the process until a validation report shows no errors.
- Saving this validation report
- Contact the Meaningful Use Coordinator for the Immunization Registry to coordinate a test. (You will be required to show proof of successfully passing the PHIN Message Quality Framework prior to being allowed to test).
- Once the test has been completed, the provider will be placed in queue for data quality testing prior to being placed in the production environment.
- The Information Network for Children (INC) is being replaced by Arkansas WebIZ, a more robust and comprehensive Immunization Information System.
All Providers, Regardless Of Current Registry Status Will Be Required To Re-Enroll In The New Registry System.
- Arkansas WebIZ will “go-live” on June 3, 2013, and will start accepting only HL7 2.5.1 messages for provider testing purposes in May, 2013 (exact timeline is being configured).
- Stage 2 of Meaningful Use will begin in 2014. The new registry will require a pre-certification process before an HL7 interface will be migrated to production. The pre-certification process will require a test HL7 interface between the registry and the facility with on-going transmission to test the data quality. The facilities that received a successful Stage 1 Meaningful Use acknowledgment will be migrated into the testing environment to begin data quality assessments. The facility will be migrated to production after satisfactory results for data quality have been received. The pre-certification documentation will be posted soon. Facilities that have previously expressed interest in HL7 interfaces will be contacted.
Due to the registry updates and other needed enhancements, new HL7 interfaces in production will be temporarily suspended. The Immunization Registry Staff will only be validating a test message as defined by Stage I criteria for Meaningful Use only.
Once registry upgrades and enhancements are in place, the Arkansas Department of Health will resume activities to verify that provider interfaces with the registry are operational and in production. Production messages will resume in time for EP’s and EH’s to meet Stage 2 Meaningful Use.
Disclaimer - In Arkansas, the immunization record is part of the medical record and therefore covered under HIPPA. The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) cannot directly work with any EHR vendor to approve the HL7 message unless there is a provider partner. If you are a vendor, please contact Arkansas’ Regional Exchange Center (REC) to locate a provider partner.
Contact
The contact for the Immunization Meaningful Use testing option is Jonathan Schultz. Please note that only questions and files pertaining to the Immunization Registry (Immunization Information System or IIS) should be sent to Jonathan Schultz.