Promoting Interoperability/Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) supports the exchange of data between health care providers and DSHS consistent with programs such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) Promoting Interoperability (PI) programs.
This web page includes a table with information about DSHS programs’ support for exchanging data. This web page serves as DSHS’ Declaration of Readiness to exchange information consistent with PI programs guidance. PI program participants may save a copy of this page and submit it to CMS as documentation of DSHS' status.
Public Health Reporting Options and DSHS' Declaration of Readiness
The table below presents opportunities to collaborate with public health entities to assist the provider in meeting PI program requirements.
PI program participants should contact other public health agencies serving their area and professional societies serving their specialties for additional options for exchange to meet PI program requirements.
Opportunities for PI Program Participants to Exchange Data with DSHS and other Public Health Agencies
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Exchange Options Available for Eligible Clinicians (ECs) |
Exchange Options Available for Eligible Hospitals (EHs) and/Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) |
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|---|---|---|
| Electronic Case Reporting (eCR) |
DSHS has not declared readiness for eCR reporting for ECs at this time. |
On September 1st, 2023 DSHS declared readiness to receive eCR submissions from all EHs and CAHs in Texas, consistent with federal Promoting Interoperability requirements. To submit data, EHs and CAHs must first register with DSHS and complete onboarding and validation activities. Data exchange will occur through the Association of Public Health Laboratories Informatics Messaging Services (AIMS) platform. Please see complete program information on the Electronic Case Reporting webpage. |
|
Reporting to an Immunization Registry |
DSHS declared readiness for ImmTrac2 on June 26, 2020. Please see the Immunization Bidirectional Data Exchange page for additional information. |
DSHS declared readiness for ImmTrac2 on June 26, 2020 Please see the Immunization Bidirectional Data Exchange page for additional information. |
|
Syndromic Surveillance (TxS2) Reporting |
DSHS declared readiness for syndromic surveillance for practitioners in urgent care settings on May 5, 2016. DSHS is accepting data from registered TxS2 program participants who have successfully completed onboarding activities. Please see the syndromic surveillance detail page for additional information. |
DSHS declared readiness for syndromic surveillance for EHs and CAHs on May 5, 2016. DSHS is accepting data from registered TxS2 program participants who have successfully completed onboarding activities. Please see the syndromic surveillance detail page for additional information. |
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Specialized Registry Reporting |
DSHS' Texas Cancer Registry is currently accepting information from providers who diagnose or treat cancer. DSHS is able to accept messages compliant with 2015 Edition Health IT Certification Criteria standards, including support for the HL7 Implementation Guide for CDA© Release 2: Reporting to Public Health Cancer Registries from Ambulatory Healthcare Providers, Release 1. The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) conducts national health care surveys and is accepting registrations from EPs and ECs to participate in the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. ECs should contact relevant specialty medical societies for other options. |
DSHS has not declared readiness for any system for specialized registry reporting.
National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Antimicrobial Use (AU) and Antimicrobial Resistance (AR) (AUR) reporting have been identified as an option for public health registry reporting. Please see CDC's Promoting Interoperability Program. EHs and CAHs should contact relevant specialty medical societies for other options. |
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Clinical Data Registry Reporting |
DSHS provides no connections to clinical data registries in support of the Promoting Interoperability programs. |
DSHS provides no connections to clinical data registries in support of the Promoting Interoperability programs. EHs and CAHs should contact relevant specialty medical societies for other options. |
|
Electronic Reportable Laboratory Results Reporting |
Not applicable. |
Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR), is operated by DSHS. DSHS supports the 2015 Edition Health IT Certification Criteria currently accepting messages consistent with the HL7 2.5.1 Implementation Guide, Electronic Laboratory Reporting to Public Health, Release 1. |
If a PI program participant determines that they meet exclusion criteria specific to any applicable measure, or any available alternate exclusions identified by CMS, they may claim an exclusion with CMS during the attestation/data submission process.
Federal regulations do not authorize DSHS to grant exemptions or exclusions from Interoperability Program requirements.
Active Engagement
To attest to meeting any of the above measures, the program participant must be actively engaged with the public health authority (PHA) or, where applicable, the clinical data registry (CDR) operating the registry. “Active Engagement” means that the EC, EH, or CAH is in the process of moving towards sending "production data" to a PHA or clinical data registry (CDR), or is sending production data to a PHA or CDR.
Production data refers to data generated through clinical processes involving patient care, and it is used to distinguish between data and “test data” which may be submitted for the purposes of enrolling in and testing electronic data transfers.
Active Engagement Option 1: Pre-production and Validation: The EC, EH, or CAH registered to submit data with the PHA or, where applicable, the CDR to which the information is being submitted; registration was completed as prescribed by regulation; and the EC, EH, or CAH is awaiting an invitation from the PHA or CDR to begin testing and validation. Upon receipt of an invitation to onboard, the EC, EH, or CAH begins the process of testing and validation of the electronic submission of data according to the instructions provided by the PHA. The EC, EH, or CAH remain in testing and validation until the PHA’s requirements are satisfied, the EC, EH, or CAH withdraws from testing/onboarding, or any time limits for participating in testing or onboarding expire.
Note: This option allows eligible hospitals or CAHs to meet the measure when the PHA or the CDR has limited resources to initiate the testing and validation process. ECs, EHs, or CAHs that have registered in previous years do not need to submit/resubmit an additional registration to the PHA to meet this requirement for each EHR reporting period.
Active Engagement Option 2: Validated Data Production: The eligible hospital or CAH has completed testing and validation of the electronic submission and is electronically submitting production data to the PHA or CDR.
ECs, EHs, and CAHs must respond to requests from the PHA or, where applicable, the CDR within 30 days; failure to respond twice within an EHR reporting period results in that eligible hospital or CAH not meeting the measure.
Questions
Questions about public health reporting should be sent to MeaningfulUseTX@dshs.texas.gov.
Information about Medicare's Quality Payment Program is available at CMS’ website.
DSHS Program-Specific Information
- ImmTrac2, the Texas Immunization Registry
- Electronic Laboratory Reporting
- Cancer Registry
- Syndromic Surveillance
Contact
For more information email MeaningfulUseTX@dshs.texas.gov.