MO Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Missouri Immunization Information System (IIS) Update

June 23, 2011 2:16 pm admin Announcements/Information

MO HIT

Columbia, MO-The Department of Health and Senior Services provided an update on the status of the Missouri Immunization Information System (IIS) during an educational session for the Missouri Health Information Technology (MO HIT) Assistance Center on June 15. The MO HIT Assistance Center is sharing this updated information with providers.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is developing electronic interfaces that will allow providers to exchange immunization data directly with the state from their certified electronic health record (EHR.) Enabling transmission of data (as opposed to manually entering data as is now required through “ShowMeVax”) holds the best promise for building a comprehensive statewide database.This electronic exchange will also allow providers to meet the meaningful use requirement, “Capability to submit electronic data to immunization registries or Immunization Information Systems and actual submission in accordance with applicable law and practice.” Providers are required to select one of the two public health measures from the menu set of meaningful use objectives. (The other public health measure concerns submission of syndromic surveillance data-currently, Missouri is only capable of accepting syndromic surveillance data from hospitals.) The state is using funds provided through the Health Care Reform law to make the Missouri Immunization Information Systems HL7-compliant.

The State began this work with providers who contacted them to enable HL7 data messaging with their EHR systems and has successfully enabled HL7 data messaging with the first two providers. The EHR systems used by these providers are Insight (used by a Public Health Service) and Cerner (being built as a custom interface by a Kansas City hospital). An additional provider using Epic is beginning work on an interface, and a practice in Joplin is testing an interface using e-MDs. More than 40 applicants, representing various EHRs, are “in the cue” waiting for assistance with the development of an interface between their systems and DHSS. DHSS is looking for providers willing to work with DHSS and their vendor to develop and test interfaces.

Providers must “perform at least one test of certified EHR technology’s capacity to submit electronic data to immunization registries and follow-up with submission if the test is successful” to meet meaningful use criteria. To meet this requirement, providers should do the following:

1. Contact Lori Sprock, MSN, APRN, Missouri Public Health Information Exchange (MoPHIE) Project, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services at lori.sprock@oa.mo.gov (573) 526-3021. This request must come from the provider, not the vendor.

2. The provider should state they are preparing to apply for Meaningful Use and want to test an exchange with the Immunization Information System.

3. Lori will provide information on conducting the test.

4. The provider will need to contact their vendor to enable their system to transmit HL7 messages. The vendor should be able to provide instructions on how to do this.

5. The test should then be conducted with the vendor and DHSS assistance.

6. It is highly unlikely that the test will be successful. However, DHSS will send a letter to the provider stating they completed the test. This should satisfy the Meaningful Use requirements for 2011.

7. DHSS will continue working with providers and their vendors to eventually get everyone participating in successful IIS exchange.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact either Lori Sprock, as listed above, or your implementation specialist.

For information on the Medicaid and Medicare EHR incentive programs, EHR adoption, or how the MO HIT Assistance Center helps health care providers adopt and achieve meaningful use of certified EHRs, please visit the Missouri Health Information Technology Assistance Center Web site http://www.EHRhelp.missouri.edu, E-mail us EHRhelp@missouri.edu, or call us toll-free 1-877-882-9933.

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Limited Number of Subsidized MO HIT Assistance Center Memberships Available!

A federal subsidy is currently available to cover $5,000 of the $5,750 fee for eligible Missouri priority primary care providers. Missouri Health Information Technology Assistance Center is quickly approaching Missouri’s maximum number of 1,167 subsidized memberships. Interested providers are encouraged to contact the MO HIT Assistance Center as soon as possible.

Get weekly news advisories on electronic health records and health information exchange in Missouri in your email. Just send us your name and email address to: woelfelr@missouri.edu

The Missouri Health Information Technology (MO HIT) Assistance Center is an independent, non-profit organization, providing technical assistance, guidance, and information on best practices to support and accelerate providers’ efforts to become meaningful users of certified EHR technology. This regional extension center is funded through an award from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Department of Health and Human Services Award Number 90RC0039/01.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Missouri Medicaid EHR Incentive State Registry

Provider Demonstration Webinars

Each session open to first 25 participants

For connectivity details, visit http://www.dss.mo.gov/mhd/ehr/pages/webinars1106.shtml

Eligible Provider Demos

5:00 pm, Wednesday, June 22

Eligible Hospital Demos

Noon, Friday, June 24