Welcome to the NMI Evaluation Workgroup Basecamp! We will use this site as a repository for meeting and workgroup documents, and also to share ideas about evaluating and identifying improvements in processes related to MMG implementation, MMG onboarding, MMG maintenance, and Technical Assistance (TA).
MMG Implementation/ Onboarding issues for STD/ CS MMG
Engaging with CDC STD program areas for STD/ CS MMG
Comments & Events
Nancy Barrett,Epi 4/PH Informatics Specialist
The CS MMG has an OR statement in the question to collect information on the mother's treponemal or non-treponemal testing over the course of the pregnancy. This OR violates HL7 standards and is impossible to build correctly in the HL7 message and even in our surveillance systems. This needs to be changed.
Notified 27 people
Nancy Barrett,Epi 4/PH Informatics Specialist
1. I agree with others that the STD program at CDC, although lovely to work with, are still living in their old data mindsets. This is particularly true when it comes to lab results. STD staff do not "interpret" lab results -- syphilis is the exception for when tests are categorized by the reactor criteria matrix and that is for the purposes of follow up of cases. And I'm aware that the syphilis case classifications are tricky. BUT the CDC's adamant refusal to take actual lab results is distressing. We have done a great deal of work to build these into our systems and use the actual lab tests as the gold standard for lab results. It seems like CDC is still in the dark ages of using lab data. Even if they would expand the PHINVADS code set so we can more accurately code from our lab results to a common value set and retain more of the data value, that would be helpful. 2. STD onboarding encountered a lot of the same issues as others have reported with "scope creep" and "data quality". Thus the STD program is questioning at onboarding why state programs are not collecting certain data or why the data is not "complete". This discussion should be held much earlier in the process, as we have proposed. And how CDC interprets data variables and how they are used differs for some key variables. 3. CS MMG is still wrong for capture of mother's treponemal and nontreponemal testing during pregnancy. This results in an OR statement which is invalid in coding in HL7.
Notified 27 people
Grace Oguntebi
Nancy, I agree with your point #1 above regarding the lab interpretive section. NC spent a lot of time and resources in coding and troubleshooting the mapping for the lab template, so we were extremely disappointed to learn that the STD program would no longer be using it. As you said, it's not possible for us to "interpret" the lab results for all of our gonorrhea and chlamydia cases, so we are now trying to determine next steps.
2. STD onboarding encountered a lot of the same issues as others have reported with "scope creep" and "data quality". Thus the STD program is questioning at onboarding why state programs are not collecting certain data or why the data is not "complete". This discussion should be held much earlier in the process, as we have proposed. And how CDC interprets data variables and how they are used differs for some key variables.
3. CS MMG is still wrong for capture of mother's treponemal and nontreponemal testing during pregnancy. This results in an OR statement which is invalid in coding in HL7.