What is electronic data exchange?
Electronic data exchange is a connection between systems exchanging data with one another. For the Texas Immunization Registry, electronic data exchange occurs between organizations, such as physician’s offices, hospitals, and local health departments, utilizing their EHR systems to exchange patient and immunization information with the registry.
Registry eligibility
Ensure that your organization’s information is up to date with the registry as follows:
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The main headquarters or stand-alone facility is:
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Registered with the Texas Immunization Registry and the site agreement is not expired; or
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Renewed (i.e., site agreement) with the registry.
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All associated facilities are registered as sub-sites of the main organization (i.e., not as separate or stand-alone facilities) with the registry.
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Organization staff have active ImmTrac2 user accounts to log into the registry.
Identify staff at your organization who will be the lead contacts and/or team for establishing and overseeing the data exchange connection with the registry. These staff will collaborate with the registry throughout the data exchange process.
Suggested staff members include, but are not limited to, staff who oversee other types of data exchange for the organization, senior or lead clinical staff, subject matter experts, trainers, or IT support staff.
For assistance with ImmTrac2 registrations, renewals, or user accounts, contact the Texas Immunization Registry’s Customer Service at 800-348-9158. Also available for detailed information on site renewals is the publication stock #11-15252 ImmTrac Site Renewal Guide (PDF) on the provider materials page.
Data exchange eligibility
To engage in electronic data exchange, your organization must have an EHR system that meets the Texas Immunization Registry standards and requirements as follows:
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Through its EHR system, your organization must submit patient and immunization information in Health Level Seven (HL7) 2.5.1 Release 1.5 files to the registry.
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Your organization, through your EHR system, must submit immunization data to the registry according to the uni or bi-directional requirements.
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Uni-directional: Batch files mean data is combined into one file that is submitted via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) on a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or yearly basis.
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Bi-directional: Real-time means data is submitted via web services (SOAP) as they are administered.
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Your organization’s patient and immunization data does not have data quality issues or errors. Your organization must take responsibility for the patient and immunization data it submits to establish a data exchange connection with the registry. To ensure your organization is submitting great data quality, it must identify any data quality errors and correct them in a timely fashion.
Please contact your EHR vendor for any questions about EHR compatibility, requirements, or formatting.
Note: The registry verifies that the above qualifications have been completed before establishing a data exchange connection with an organization.
Establish data exchange
You can find the following steps in the publication stock #11-15231 Electronic Data Exchange Resource Guide (PDF).
1. ImmTrac2 Registration/Renewal Information
Your organization must have an up-to-date ImmTrac2 Site Agreement for all your sites.
2. Registration of Intent
Organizations must fill out a Registration of Intent (ROI). The processing time is two to five business days after submission.
3. Gaining Access to Registry Data Exchange Methods
The steps to gain data exchange access to the registry are as follows:
- Your organization receives login credentials to a data exchange account from the registry
- The account allows your organization to send data to the registry
- The registry sends data quality information back to your organization
4. Testing
The organization follows a test plan provided by the registry to ensure it can:
- Connect to the registry
- Send data in the correct formats
- Receive data quality reports, such as error and consent notification files
- Correct data quality issues
- Regularly check the data reported
5. Production
After successful testing, your organization is promoted to production.
6. Ongoing Submission of Data
Once your organization is promoted to production, further actions by your organization and EHR vendor may be necessary to correct any data errors. Organizations should continue to monitor for data errors.
Important: Organizations in production must regularly submit data, check the data reported, and correct data quality issues.
Promoting Interoperability (PI) for Public Health Overview
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched an incentive program to encourage Eligible Providers, Eligible Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals to transition to Electronic Health Record systems.