Inter-State Sharing of an Immunization Registry Application

1
Inter-State Sharing of an Immunization Registry
Application

• The Wisconsin-Minnesota Experience

Thomas Maerz Wisconsin Department of Health
Family Services Wisconsin Immunization Registry
(WIR)
Karen White Minnesota Department of
Health Minnesota Immunization Information
Connection (MIIC)
2
Session Objective

• For participants to learn about practical issues
  faced in inter-state sharing of a registry
  application, including
• legal and other policy issues
• identifying and sharing costs on future
  enhancements
• testing and deployment

3
Main Points

• Sharing of publicly funded applications is needed
  and generally desirable
• Differences between projects make it unlikely an
  application can be imported and deployed without
  changes
• The opportunities are there for projects to work
  together on ongoing enhancements
• Such collaboration takes thoughtful planning and
  implementation, usually more time than working
  alone, and regular communication

4
Issues in Making WIR Available

• Time commitment
• Immunization functionality questions and is it
  really free
• Technical question regarding architecture and
  platform
• Providing documents (user manual, technical
  documentation, license), license discussion and
  negotiation
• Creation and distribution of software CD with
  updated documentation
• CDC enhancement requests

5
License Agreement Provisions

• Current version of the WIR software is provided
• Licensee cannot sell or give away any of the
  licensed materials
• Possibility of sharing in code enhancements
• Acknowledgement in publications of Wisconsins
  development efforts

6
Minnesota as Recipient

• Chose WIR because of its functionality, privacy
  protections, and potential benefits to border
  providers and families
• Problems with old applications
• Considered 11 vendors
• Regional registry staff made the choice

7
Minnesota Immunization Information Connection
A statewide network of regional immunization
services
Community Health Information Collaborative (CHIC)
Communities Caring for Children (CCC)
Not yet affiliated with an immunization registry
Cass
Crow Wing
North Central Immunization Connection (NCIC)

Central Minnesota Immunization Connection (CMIC)
Southwest Minnesota Immunization Information
Connection (SW-MIIC)
71
ImmuLink
Immtrack
Southeast Minnesota Immunization Connection
(SEMIC)

8
Minnesota as Recipient

• Needed small change to license agreement because
  of our data practices law
• Install and manage in-house or source out?
• Choosing a vendor

9
Sharing in Enhancements

• Each state has a list of priorities
• Identify mutually beneficial items
• Divide enhancement list
• Develop and approve change definitions
• Testing both sets of enhancements
• Deploying in each environment

10
Challenges

• Requires more definition time than working alone
• Differences in models (e.g., centralized vs.
  decentralized) can lead to differences in
  priorities and even differences in definitions
  (e.g., historical data).

11
Benefits

• More enhancements in a shorter period of time
• Cost savings to partners

12
Summary Effective sharing requires

• Reasonable expectations
• Commitment to finding mutual benefits
• Understanding that an application must reflect
  the needs of each project and they may not be
  identical
• Realization that we can learn from each other

13
Questions?

• Thomas Maerz
• WIR Project Manager
• 608-261-6755
• maerztr_at_dhfs.state.wi.us
• Eloise Gelner
• MIIC Project Manager
• 612-676-5471
• eloise.gelner_at_health.state.mn.us