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| EDRS Statwide Rollout Has Started! |
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EDRS completed a successful pilot testing phase from August 7th until September 8th. Among our three pilot counties (Lane, Tillamook and Washington) we had four funeral homes, five medical certifiers (all but one of these was in Tillamook) and the county registrars’ offices. We want to express our sincere thanks to the pilot testers! Your assistance was invaluable in assessing the project’s readiness for statewide use.
During pilot, 74 cases were started, of which 4 were fully electronic, with both funeral director and medical certifier completing their portions online. The first fully-electronic record took 1.5 days from when the death occurred until the certificate was registered, much quicker than the current process. The biometric devices used to sign the records generally worked well, and the few glitches that came up were usually easy to remedy and avoid in the future.
We were not able to enroll as many medical certifiers for pilot testing as we would have liked. However, we did determine that medical certifiers are more interested in using the system when personal training sessions are offered. CHS will attempt to keep our training schedules flexible to meet medical staff needs. Getting medical certifiers enrolled is a key factor to a successful EDRS rollout. Within the next two to three months we expect to have a full-time (temporary) staff person whose primary duty will be to enroll medical certifiers in the system. We will also be targeting those medical personnel who sign the most death certificates, as well as large medical organizations.
Timeline
Statewide rollout began on September 19th with the training of additional funeral directors in the pilot counties. In early October, we trained staff in Clatsop and Columbia counties and the initial trainings in Multnomah County are just about complete. The State Medical Examiner’s Office will be trained in mid-November and then we pause training for busy holiday season schedules. Trainings will resume in mid-January with Clackamas County and the other counties will follow over the next several months. Please see our website (listed on the last page) for more information on the rollout schedule and other EDRS features.
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| OVERS/EDRS System Requirements |
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The OVERS software is called DAVE, which stands for Database Application for Vital Events. It is a web-based application that does not require the installation of any standalone software, except for biometric device drivers for those who sign death certificates. Most modern business computers should meet the minimum system requirements without further modification. Here’s what you will need to use the system.
To perform the basic functions of logging into the system, entering cases and printing forms – such as working copies of files or disposition permits – you will need:
- A high-speed internet connection
- One of the following versions of Microsoft Windows: 98SE; ME; 2000 with Service Patch 2 or higher; XP with Service Patch 1 or higher
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x (support for 7.x is forthcoming)
- Microsoft .NET 1.x Framework (we will provide if needed; support for 2.x forthcoming)
- Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0 or higher
If you are a user who will legally sign the death certificate – funeral director or medical certifier– you will also need an APC fingerprint reader. During the first rounds, these readers will be provided to you free of charge during your training session. These devices require a USB port on your computer and Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
Users who wish to take advantage of the correspondence feature of the EDRS software will need to have Microsoft Word 2003. (Word 2003 also requires Windows 2000 or XP.) The correspondence feature allows you to access pre-made documents directly from EDRS, with pre-filled information from the current record automatically added. An example of this might be a cover letter that accompanies a death certificate, with the name and address information automatically included.
Finally, county registrars will need to have a printer connected to their computer for printing certified copies directly from the system. You will not be required to purchase a new printer. We will send you information containing our recommendations for the types of printers to use with the system.
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| The CHS Nosologist |
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One of our very important – but least well known – staff positions is the nosologist. The nosologist is the person who ensures that cause of death information is recorded in a standard format. This process is vital in ensuring that health researchers have accurate cause of death information.
Nosology is the science of disease classification, using the cause of death, injury and other pertinent information from the death certificate. The World Health Organization has developed a standard coding system called the International Classification of Diseases. It is now in its 10th version and is commonly known as ICD-10. There are over 2,600 different classification codes and the full ICD-10 comprises two dictionary-sized volumes.
The nosologist used to code ICD information manually but now computer software performs the initial coding. However, each of our 33,000 annual records still requires a manual review, as there is about a 5% error rate in the software coding.
The nosologist frequently needs to contact medical certifiers and funeral directors to clarify information on the death certificate. For example, if someone died in a vehicle accident, there is a different code used if they were in an SUV versus a “regular” passenger car, which may not be clear on the death certificate. Therefore our nosologist has developed close relationships with the State Medical Examiner’s Office, county registrars and numerous medical and funeral home staff around the state.
CHS has been fortunate to have Terrie Bollinger as our nosologist for the last 22 years. She began at CHS in late 1975 and worked in our certification and registration sections until becoming the nosologist in 1984. Terrie became well-known in national nosology circles and in 1998 was one of six nosologists asked to review proposed national training plans for the then-new ICD-10 coding system.
On September 30th, Terrie officially retired after over 30 years of service to CHS. We extend our heartfelt thanks for her dedication and service and wish her a very happy retirement! Terrie agreed to work part-time until her replacement is trained.
Stepping up to meet the high standards set by Terrie is Melissa Franklin. Melissa has been at CHS since 1996, when she was hired to perform desktop publishing. Her responsibilities included producing our annual reports which gave her familiarity with cause of death information. She is well-qualified for her new position and we are very happy to have her onboard.
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| Upcoming EDRS Features |
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The EDRS system works well for the basic processes of entering and registering a record and issuing certified copies, but the technology will soon be capable of much more. Here are some of the upgrades we have planned.
- Online Social Security Number verification. We have received funding for this feature and are working with our vendor on implementation plans.
- Replacement of the 24-hour Notice of Death cards. For funeral homes that are using EDRS, starting a case in the system will meet the requirement for notification of death. County registrars will not have separate cards to deal with and they can print death abstract reports directly from the system.
- Automatic public health messaging for unusual or rare causes of death. This will more quickly alert public health officials to situations that may require investigation, such as a potential epidemic.
We believe these upgrades will provide significant benefits to all users of the EDRS system.
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| PDF Version of OVERS News |
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The sections above contain all of the articles in OVERS News, Issue 4. You can also get a pdf file of the original printed newsletter.
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