POPS Appendix E - STD-MIS System Maintenance

Maintenance Recommendations

Activity	Schedule	Description
Confirm System Date & Time	Daily	All data are saved with the date and time info written to the disk. Many exports and reports use the date field to select the correct records.
Process “Review Pending” records	As needed	Data entry staff may not be able to process all records, pending decisions that must be made by someone else (more experienced). Also, supervisor notice to review interview records is available here. Access this feature in Review Pending, Data Management.
File Re-Index	Weekly	Problems with the file indexes are not uncommon. While the data bases are usually not affected, what is seen on the screen may look wrong. Re-indexing can be done within the system or from the DOS prompt. Re-indexing requires exclusive access to the databases.
Duplicate Patient Merge	As needed	Identify possible duplicate patient records using various duplicate searching requirements to ensure that patients are in the system only once. This is a 3-step process. The last step, Process Merge File, requires exclusive access to the databases.
Back up data files	Daily	Ensure that all data (.dbf and .fpt) files are backed up to a tape drive or diskette. File encryption is recommended. Periodic off-site storage of backed up and encrypted files, along with daily rotation of back up media, is suggested. Periodically test the backed up data to ensure proper functioning. Exclusive access to the databases is required.
Export NETSS file	Weekly	At the central office, create a NETSS export file every week (Monday or Tuesday). This file is delivered to the state Epi reporter for inclusion with the weekly CDC/EPO transmission of all notifiable diseases from the state. Access this export feature by selecting NETSS File Export, Custom Format, Export Data, System Utilities.
Export remote STD*MIS site files	Frequency determined locally	Each remote site using STDMIS should export newly entered records. These files are then delivered to the central office for import into the central office STDMIS data base. Access this export feature by selecting STD*MIS Upload Format, Export Data, System Utilities. Exclusive access to the databases is required.
Import remote STD*MIS site files		Files that were exported from remote sites should be imported into the central office STDMIS database. Access this import feature by selecting STDMIS Uploaded Data, Import Data, System Utilities. Exclusive access to the databases is required.
HARS file export		Export the HARS registry-matching file so that patient registry matching between STD*MIS and HARS can be completed. Access this export feature by selecting HARS Format, Export Data, System Utilities. Deliver this file to HARS staff to process.
HARS file import		Import the file that has been processed by HARS. This step will add the HARS ID number to the STD*MIS patient records that were matched to HARS patient records. Access this import feature by selecting HARS Data, Import Data, System Utilities.
System Files Date/Time Check	Monthly	This 2-step process alerts you to the availability of new or updated system and report files. First, download CURRENT.DBF from the STDMIS web page, or request this file from Atlanta via Email. Copy this file to your STDMIS directory before running System Files Data/Time Check, System Maintenance, System Utilities.
Import lab records (ELR)		This new feature is an adjunct to data entry of lab results. User decisions that determine test follow up are still required. Access this import feature by selecting Lab Records, ASCII Data, Import Data, System Utilities. Importing the electronic lab records requires exclusive access to the databases.
Import morbidity records		This new feature is a mechanism by which morbidity data from other sources can be electronically imported into STD*MIS. Access this import feature by selecting Morbidity Records, ASCII Data, Import Data, System Utilities. Importing the electronic morbidity records requires exclusive access to the databases.
Check System ID Numbers	Monthly	This System Maintenance, System Utilities program ensures that the number-assigning process in STD*MIS is working properly.
CHECKEYS	Monthly	This report, Check for Blank/Duplicate Keys, is located in Database QA Reports, System Maintenance, System Utilities. Run this report to identify records that are blanks or duplicates. Removal or repair of these records is recommended after CDC-provided training. Exclusive access to the databases is required.
SEEKKEYS	Monthly	This report, Referential Integrity Check, is located in Database QA Reports, System Maintenance, System Utilities. Run this report to identify records that have broken linkages to related files. Removal or repair of these records is recommended after CDC-provided training.
Purge records		Two record purging options are available in System Utilities: patient records with no related events, and closed field records more than one year old where the name was either blank or “Unk”. NOTE: purging records is a permanent action, there is no un-purge utility in STD*MIS. Exclusive access to the data bases is required.
Reference file maintenance	Monthly	All reference files, located in Update Reference Files, System Utilities, should be periodically reviewed for content and duplicate entries because individual users may be able to add new records to these files. This recommendation most relates to the Geo_Area, Lab, Provider, and Treatment reference files.
Missing values in morbidity data	Monthly	This report, Check for Missing Values, is located in Morbidity Reports, Reports Menu. Periodically run this report to ascertain the number and percentage of morbidity records in the database that are missing age, race, gender, county, or zip code information. Individual provider results are provided so that targeted intervention to improve key value reporting completeness is possible.
Missing pregnancy info on female interview records	Monthly	This report, Pregnancy Status Report for Interview Records, is located in Quality Assurance Reports, Reports Menu. Run this report to identify records of interviewed females in which the pregnancy status (current or recent) is either missing or unknown, or where the entered data identifies a current or recent pregnancy. This report may be run for selected diseases.
Check for duplicate morbidity reports	Monthly	In this Patients With Multiple Morbidity Records report it is possible to identify morbidity records that have been inadvertently duplicated. This report is located in Quality Assurance Reports, Reports Menu. For the purpose of identifying duplicate records, the easiest way would be to select only one disease at a time when running the report. This report can also be used to identify individuals who have an unusually high number of selected STD infections, based on a user-defined threshold of the number and diagnoses of cases.
Identify positive lab tests not linked to a morbidity record	Monthly	This report, Positive Lab Tests w/o Morbidity, is located in Quality Assurance Reports, Reports Menu. Run this report to identify, by selected disease and test types, those positive lab tests that are not linked within STD*MIS to a morbidity record.
Identify interview records not linked to a morbidity record	Monthly	This report, Interview Records w/o Morbidity, is located in Quality Assurance Reports, Reports Menu. Run this report to identify, by selected disease, those interview records that are not linked within STD*MIS to a morbidity record.
Identify field records where infection is documented that are not linked to a morbidity record	Monthly	This report, Infected FRs Without Morbidity, is located in Quality Assurance Reports, Reports Menu. Run this report to identify, by selected disease, those closed field records that have a disposition (C or D) indicating current infection that are not linked within STD*MIS to a morbidity record.
Identify morbidity records that are missing a positive lab test or treatment record	Monthly	This report, Morbidity Missing Lab and/or Treatment Record, is located in Quality Assurance Reports, Reports Menu. Run this report to identify morbidity records, by selected disease, that do not have a linked positive lab tests for the index disease or any linked treatment record. NOTE: This report cannot discern whether treatment linked to a morbidity record is correct and adequate.