Data Exchange with CAIR
Electronic import/export of immunization data via flat file (text file) to and from the California Immunization Registry (CAIR) is available to participating health care providers. See who's already sharing data with CAIR. In addition to flat-file exchange, CAIR is also conducting a pilot project to receive immunization data in HL7 format. See below for discussion of the pilot project and meeting the HITECH meaningful use requirements. To discuss data exchange options, contact your local CAIR Data Exchange Specialist (contact info below). If you are not sure which CAIR region you belong to or which CAIR Data Exchange Specialist to consult, consult the CAIR regions page.
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CAIR Data Exchange Specialist |
CAIR Regions Covered |
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Phone/Fax |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Victoria Daher |
Northern Cal |
Ph:510-620-5847 |
|
|
Eric Dansby |
Central Valley |
Ph:559-228-5816 |
Why participate in data exchange with CAIR?
If you have an electronic health record system (EHR), data exchange is an efficient way to share patient immunization information with CAIR without the added burden of doing double data entry into your EHR system and CAIR. Sharing patient immunization information with the registry assures that it is ready and available any time a patient or health care provider, school, daycare, or other authorized user needs to access it. You have the option of entering immunization data in both your EHR and CAIR, in CAIR only and exporting data to your EHR, or in your EHR only and importing the data to CAIR. Learn more about which option is right for you.
How does electronic data exchange with CAIR work?
1. Working with your clinic IT staff or your Electronic Health Record (EHR) vendor, your practice must develop an export process that retrieves immunization data from your clinic’s EHR system and exports it as a ‘flat file’ formatted according to the CAIR Flat File Data Exchange Specifications (see link below). Click here to see a list of vendors who have already developed data exchange capability with CAIR. If your EHR is capable of exporting HL7-formatted files, you may also qualify for participation in our HL7 pilot project. See link below for the CAIR HL7 Data Exchange Specifications. Please contact the CAIR Data Exchange Specialist in your area to discuss this option.
2. The formatted data file(s) is sent to CAIR via secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). Once your test files have been validated, CAIR staff will work with you to automate the process so your data is loaded into the CAIR system on a regular basis. You also have the option of having immunization data extracted from CAIR into a file that can be uploaded to your EHR. Exports are currently supported in flat-file format only; HL7 exports are not supported at this time.
Getting Started with the Flat-file Data Exchange Option
1. If you feel your clinical practice is a good candidate for data exchange and you can extract data from your EHR in flat-file format, call your local CAIR Data Exchange Specialist to discuss how to proceed.
2. Download and review the following documents with your IT support staff. Complete any of the following forms that require approval and return to CAIR via the method listed on the form:
- CAIR Flat File Data Exchange Specifications
- CAIR Data Translation Tables (Excel Format)
- CAIR FTP Server Access Request Form
- CAIR Provider/Agency Access Agreement (If your clinic is not currently participating in CAIR, this document will need to be signed and returned before your clinic can begin exchanging data with the registry)
Getting Started with the HL7 Data Exchange Option
1. If you feel your clinical practice is a good candidate for data exchange and you can extract data from your EHR in HL7 format, call you local CAIR Data Exchange Specialist to discuss next steps.
2. Download and review the following documents with your IT support staff. Complete any of the following forms that require approval and return to CAIR via the method listed on the form:
- CAIR HL7 Data Exchange Specifications
- CAIR FTP Server Access Request Form
- CAIR Provider/Agency Access Agreement (If your clinic is not currently participating in CAIR, this document will need to be signed and returned before your clinic can begin exchanging data with the registry)
HITECH Meaningful Use Immunization Data Exchange: Currently, only the CAIR San Diego and CAIR San Joaquin regions are able to receive immunization data that qualifies for HITECH meaningful use (MU by CA county). However, because the other registries in CA are not yet able to receive qualifying immunization data, providers in those counties can still receive Stage 1 incentive payments. For an explanation, go to the CDPH meaningful use website. Currently, this limitation still applies to those participating in our HL7 pilot project.
HEDIS (for Health Plans and MCOs)
Health plans and managed care organizations (MCOs) can request flat-file exports to determine immunization coverage levels within participating provider practices.
How does HEDIS data exchange with CAIR work?
Following the specifications outlined in the HEDIS Data Request Process document, Managed Care Organizations (MCO) and/or Health Plans upload a patient list to CAIR in pipe-delimited format. CAIR downloads the submitted patient list and matches it with the patient names in the CAIR database. When the matching process is completed, two output files are returned in pipe-delimited format. The first file contains the patient demographic information and the second file contains the vaccination information on the matched patients.
Getting Started
Download and review the following documents. Complete any of the forms that require approval and return via the method listed on the form:
