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ATHNreport Spring 2010 - Preparing For WebTracker

Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/28/2010 - 2:33pm

Preparing for WebTracker 

The national WebTracker rollout is underway. You will need to take the following three steps to get your clinic up and running:

  1. Execute a Signed DUBAA

  2. Participate in a Readiness Assessment

  3. Complete Data Migration and Training

 

Rollout Process

 

The following is a step-by-step breakdown of key action items and other things your HTC can do to ensure a smooth and timely transition. 

 

Step 1: Execute a Signed DUBAA 

Executing the ATHN Data Use and Business Associate Agreement (DUBAA) is the first step towards WebTracker adoption. Currently, 63 Affiliates have submitted a signed DUBAA to ATHN. The ATHN DUBAA is the formal legal document required to use WebTracker. The DUBAA outlines ATHN’s obligations in providing stewardship of the secure national web-based information and data collection infrastructure. It also defines permitted uses and disclosures by ATHN for the limited data set—known as the ATHNdataset—compiled from the non-identifiable data submitted by HTCs on behalf of those patients who sign a Patient Authorization. The DUBAA is required by the HIPAA Privacy Rule and formalizes ATHN’s legal relationship with Affiliates. It includes and holds ATHN responsible for all HIPAA requirements related to data privacy, security and data sharing for research, public health or health care operations in the form of a limited data set. Specifically, these relate to the following items:

  • ATHNdataset As a HIPAA-defined Limited Data Set, the does not include the sixteen (16) categories of data elements that could potentially identify an individual patient.

  • The data use provisions within the DUBAA appropriately limit the scope and purposes for which ATHN will use or disclose the data. Specifically, this means making the ATHNdataset accessible to approved researchers for research into the specific causes, prevention, treatment and social and economic impact of blood disorders.

  • All researchers with whom data is ultimately shared will be required to sign a Data Use Agreement and be bound by the same terms and limitations.

  • The DUBAA includes appropriate safeguards to protect against unauthorized disclosure and/or use and assurances that ATHN will not attempt to identify or contact individuals whose health information is part of the ATHNdataset.

For the majority of Affiliate institutions, ongoing IRB review and approval will not be necessary for sharing data through the ATHNdataset. If your institution requires consideration or review by your IRB, ATHN strongly encourages you to work with Tami Wood-Lively prior to submitting the project to your IRB. Please direct questions about this or any aspect of executing the DUBAA to Tami at twood-lively@athn.org.

For a copy of the DUBAA or background materials, click here.

 

Step 2: Participate in a Readiness Assessment 

The Readiness Assessment is the HTC’s ticket to entering the queue for migration to WebTracker. Once ATHN has received and reviewed an executed a DUBAA from an HTC, it will conduct a Readiness Assessment conference call with key HTC staff (e.g., Medical Director, Nurse Coordinator, WebTracker Administrator). During the call, ATHN will outline the data migration process and address the following topics:

  • confirm DUBAA completion, including resolution of any institutional legal/regulatory issues;

  • identify the number of patient records to be migrated and the diagnostic mix;

  • determine the completeness of data elements needed to create the unique patient identifier (UID) (for a template to help with assembling UID Elements for non‐Lab Tracker users, click here);

  • establish the current state of hardware/software;

  • determine the availability of key staff in the coming months;

  • identify training needs and

  • discuss the initiation/status of the ATHNdataset Patient Authorization process.

Information gathered during the Readiness Assessment will help determine a start date for each HTC’s migration to WebTracker. HTCs not currently using Lab Tracker will require more extensive training and preliminary data gathering to create Unique Patient Identifiers (UID’s). As a result, scheduled WebTracker start dates will be staggered and begin in June to allow sufficient time for initial preparation and to ensure that ATHN can provide individualized training and support.

 

Have you designated your WebTracker Administrator? 

To prepare for the Readiness Assessment, each Affiliate will be asked to identify a WebTracker Administrator. The WebTracker Administrator will assume primary responsibility for WebTracker and should be prepared to manage the following responsibilities and tasks:

  • designate and train an Alternate WebTracker Administrator;

  • prepare HTC data for migration; this will require a good working knowledge of Lab Tracker and full access to the data;

  • serve as the HTC communications gatekeeper with Ground Zero Software and ATHN during the migration process and

  • develop and maintain a master list of staff members and other individuals authorized to access WebTracker, either as a full user or with read-only privileges.

In addition to serving as an on-site resource, the Administrator should also be prepared to assist with staff training related to the use of WebTracker.

 

Have you assembled data to fulfill start-up requirements? 

To prepare for migration from Lab Tracker to WebTracker, the HTC should

  • review the active patient list in Lab Tracker;

  • ensure that, at a minimum, every person with a bleeding and clotting disorder receiving care in your clinic has an established patient record in Lab Tracker;

  • ensure that each record was created using the correct first and last name of the patient and

  • ensure that the correct diagnosis has been assigned in each patient record.

A careful review of patient record data will help ensure that the data elements required for the generation of the UID are correct and complete. (For a detailed template for assembling UID Elements, click here.)

 

Step 3: Complete Data Migration and Training

“The process is initially intimidating, but less so when you get into it, and there is plenty of support from ATHN staff who help with every step along the way,” Ann Forsberg, MA, MPH, Region I Administrator, Hemophilia Treatment Center Program, New England Hemophilia Center, UMASS Memorial Hospital and member of the ATHN Board of Directors.

“Data clean-up and mapping requires concentrated focus and occasional access to clinical staff to clarify medical questions, but the quality and consistency of the data in the end is worth it,” Julie Slagter, Data Manager, Helen DeVos Pediatric Coagulation Disorders Program.

Once the HTC completes the Readiness Assessment, ATHN will provide a start date for data migration. The majority of HTCs will be migrating data from Lab Tracker to WebTracker. Mapping your data from Lab Tracker to the standardized data fields in WebTracker is a highly automated process, but it requires the active involvement and focused attention of the WebTracker Administrator or data manager, with some input and involvement of clinicians to ensure the accuracy of clinical data interpretation. This process is estimated to take eight weeks, but is highly dependent on the unique needs and motivation of the clinical site and the number of patient records to be mapped and migrated.

During the migration process, the ATHN Technology Services team will work closely with the HTC to provide training, support and assistance with mapping Lab Tracker data to the standardized codes in WebTracker. In addition to Crystal Watson, ATHN Director of Operations, and Lew Parker, ATHN Director of IT Support, ATHN is expanding its capacity for rollout through the addition of two new part-time team members: Moses Miles and Brenda Riske. Moses and Brenda have extensive, hands-on experience with technical support and data migration and will be supporting HTCs during the migration process.

HTCs currently using Lab Tracker will continue to access Lab Tracker data as they would normally until the process is completed. For non-Lab Tracker HTCs, ATHN will use this time to provide additional training and support based on the Readiness Assessment.

Data migration is an iterative process. In general, it proceeds through the following steps:

  • The HTC exports a copy of its Lab Tracker database to Ground Zero Software (GZS).

  • GZS loads the data into the data-mapping program that matches the clinical information in Lab Tracker with the standardized fields in WebTracker.

  • ATHN conducts a webinar with the HTC to review the data as it has been automatically mapped and to resolve as many issues as possible in real time. Some issues, such as misspelled words, abbreviations or different naming for the same provider, will be easy to resolve on the spot. Others will take more careful consideration.

  • GZS sends a detailed discrepancy report of unresolved data issues to the HTC.

  • The HTC reviews the report and makes corrections to data in Lab Tracker (it’s best to schedule concentrated time at this step to focus on these issues without interruption); this step may also require involvement of clinicians at the HTC to resolve ambiguities in clinical data elements.

  • Once the HTC feels that significant progress has been made with data clean up, it sends a copy of the cleaned-up data to GZS.

  • This process repeats until the mapping is complete. Throughout each cycle, ATHN will provide assistance to the HTC and GZS. ATHN estimates that each HTC will require three cycles to complete data mapping

  • Once data mapping is complete, a copy of the data will be loaded into WebTracker. The HTC will conduct a side-by-side comparison or audit of patient records to confirm that the data was transferred appropriately from Lab Tracker to WebTracker.

  • A go-live date for the HTC will be scheduled. At this time, a final copy of the HTC’s data will be sent to GZS. The HTC will discontinue use of Lab Tracker as of its go-live date.

  • GZS will load the final copy of the HTC’s data into WebTracker and the HTC will resume database operations with WebTracker. This final step will be scheduled with the HTC in advance to minimize interruption.

You’re Off!

You are now ready to reap the benefits of the new web-based infrastructure. Start now to

  • register all of your patients with blood disorders;

  • collect clinical, demographic and contact information using the new standardized fields in WebTracker;

  • use the new reports writer to generate comprehensive clinic reports for your patients, generate your UDC reports, produce HDS reports, automatically create the ATHNready Personal Health Reports on USB flash drives and query your database to support research and grant-writing activities.

Many of the data elements apply to a wide range of bleeding and thrombotic disorders, including sickle cell disorder. Feel free to use the system to keep information about your patients’ diagnoses, medications, allergies, surgeries, diagnostic laboratory tests and so on neatly stored in one, easily accessible place. 

To view a list of the WebTracker data elements click here.

 

 

 

 

 

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