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

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.