Planning and Implementing PA NEDSS Business Transformation Imperatives

Pennsylvania Department of Health Planning and Implementing PA-NEDSS: Business Transformation Imperatives 2004 Public Health Information Network Conference Topics • PA-NEDSS Overview • Transformation Considerations and Challenges •Three-tiered Transformation Approach •Training and Outreach •Regulatory Approach •Business Process Redesign Overview of Pennsylvania’s National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (PA-NEDSS) PA-NEDSS Overview Pennsylvania National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (PA-NEDSS) is an online public health disease reporting and case management system for the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH). • Replaces card and form-based reporting methods • Consolidates systems from multiple program areas into one system • Tuberculosis (TIMS) • Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD*MIS) • Infectious Diseases (PETSS) • Lead (STELLAR) PA-NEDSS Timeline Jul 2002: PANEDSS Launch Release 2.0. IDE./VPD public health staff began using the system Nov 2003: Analysis & Reporting functionality released for all public heath staff. Nov 16, 2003: All hospitals, labs, and physicians are now required to report via PA-NEDSS Mar 2004: PA-NEDSS symposium event at the National STD Conference Oct 2002: PANEDSS Release 3.0. Oct 31, 2002 Apr 2003: TIMS data converted into PA-NEDSS Apr 2004: PANEDSS is designated as a Computer World Honors Laureate R AP V AY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NO DEC AN EB M J F 2002 AR PR AY UN UL UG EP CT A M M J A J S O 2003 V C B N NO DE JA FE AR PR AY UN M M A J 2004 Apr 2002: Pilot hospitals and health depts. begin using PANEDSS Jan 2003: Electronic lab reports are fed directly into PANEDSS. Jan 15, 2003: Release 4.0 contains TB, STD, and Lead case management. Jul 2003: STD data converted in PA-NEDSS Aug 2003: PA-NEDSS wins GCN Agency Award Dec 2003: PANEDSS Release 5.0 Dec 10, 2003: PA-NEDSS wins Grace Hopper Government Technology Leadership Award Jun 2004: PANEDSS Release 6.0 PA-NEDSS Status • PA-NEDSS currently has over 2,000 users • Since its implementation in 2002, over 208,594 distinct disease reports have been submitted in PA-NEDSS Public Health Investigator 511 PA-NEDSS Users Hospital 340 Laboratory 202 Transformation Considerations and Challenges : Three-tiered Transformation Approach Training and Outreach Pennsylvania utilized a statewide training and outreach approach to overcome training challenges and keep costs at a minimum. • Training plan included reaching over 2000 PA-NEDSS users across the state • Users fell into four different groups each with special training needs • Investigators, Laboratories, Hospitals, and Physicians The DOH employed multiple methods to meet training challenges • Instructor-led, hands-on, computer based training • Video conferencing • Self-guided computer based training • Information circulars (InfoBytes) Regulatory Approach As of November 16th, 2003, PA-NEDSS became the mandatory electronic disease reporting application for Pennsylvania. • Ownership by all parties • Phase-in approach over six months • Go-live notice Business Process Redesign The DOH utilized a “team approach” to successfully accomplish the redesign. This approach involved establishing three functional and two cross-functional PA-NEDSS teams. Team Development Tasks PA-NEDSS Requirements and Testing PA-NEDSS Development PA-NEDSS Operations Support Analysis & Reporting Analysis & Reporting Requirements and Testing Analysis & Reporting Development Analysis & Reporting Support Electronic Laboratory Reporting CDESS ELR Support PA-ELR Requirements and Testing PA-ELR Development Technical Team Configuration and Release Management System Operations Implementation Support Capacity Planning and Performance Support Software Development Lifecycle Support Implementation Team Helpdesk Management User Education and Training Implementation Strategy and Planning Awards and Recognition Business Process Redesign The new electronic reporting process, designed to speed reporting by eliminating paper required significant technical upgrades and support. • Software: Provided Windows 98 to district, county, and municipal health departments. • Hardware: Developed a technical bulletin that informed business partners of minimum computer requirements necessary to use PANEDSS • Infrastructure: Performed assessments to determine if network at health department sites were capable of supporting a web-based application such as PA-NEDSS. • Support: Trained PA-NEDSS helpdesk staff dedicated to resolving PA-NEDSS related issues. Business Process Redesign Paper free disease reporting with PA-NEDSS Patients and Reports Physicians Patients and Investigations Patients and Reports PA-NEDSS Public Health Staff Patients and Reports Hospitals Patients and Reports Laboratories Internet Internet Business Process Redesign PA-NEDSS performs the functions of several legacy computer systems (TIMS, STELLAR, STD*MIS, PETSS). • Business processes were redesigned to allow functions previously accomplished in legacy systems to be accomplished in PA-NEDSS. • Information Standardization • Data Entry Flow • Data was converted from the legacy systems into PA-NEDSS Business Process Redesign Information Standardization: Information collected for patients, reports, investigations, and providers was standardized as much as possible. • Allows screens to be reused across program areas and keeps the system design simple • Only 5 mandatory data elements required to create a patient: First Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, Gender, and Race Data Entry Flow: The order in which data was collected and stored on paper records was modified. • Data is entered in a way that maximizes user and system efficiency • PA-NEDSS collects information in a set order, but users can also manually using menus Data Conversion: Data was cleansed and migrated into PANEDSS. • Data prior to 2002 is only available in legacy systems • Over 200,000 records (investigations) were migrated Presenter Biographies—Joel Hersh Joel H. Hersh, B.S., M.Ed., M.P.A. Director, Bureau of Epidemiology Pennsylvania Department of Health A career public health professional, Joel has directed the Commonwealth’s multifaceted epidemiology program, which includes efforts in Infectious and Chronic Diseases, Environmental Health and Maternal and Child Health since 1993. He is directly responsible for developing and maintaining a reportable disease system that allows public health staff throughout Pennsylvania to investigate cases of disease and intervene to reduce morbidity caused by those diseases. He is the epidemiology project officer for Pennsylvania’s electronic disease reporting initiative (PA-NEDSS) and its pilot projects in syndromic surveillance. Previously, he directed the Division of Chronic Disease Intervention and the Preventive Health Block Grant within the department. He currently serves as a member of the Department of Agricultures’ Farm Safety and Occupational Health Advisory Board. He has been an Adjunct Professor of Public Administration, Marywood University, Scranton, PA since 1976, and has served on the Board of the Pennsylvania Public Health Association (PPHA). He is a member of PPHA and the American Public Health Association (APHA). Presenter Biographies—Debbie Sills Debbie Sills Principal Public Sector Deloitte Consulting LLP Debbie has more than 15 years experience as an information systems and services professional. She is an expert in technology enabled, cross channel Client Relationship Management solutions. As a Principal with Deloitte Consulting, LLP, Debbie provides strategic planning, project management, and technical oversight to Deloitte professional staff and client projects. Debbie is the Project Partner for PA-NEDSS and CDC projects. She has extensive knowledge of CDC projects and NEDSS requirements. Her experience includes more than 20 years in the information systems and services industry including leading large, complex systems development and implementation projects for Public Sector clients.