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Electronic data exchange is one of three ways organizations can report immunization data to MIIC. Electronic data exchange involves the automatic transmission of Health Level 7 (HL7) messages via Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) Web Services from your source system (e.g., EHR) to MIIC. This is the nationally recognized standard for transmitting health care data between electronic systems.
There are two types of HL7 messages your source system can send to MIIC:
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Unsolicited Vaccine Update (VXU) messages: These types of messages are used to send updated demographic and immunization information to MIIC.
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Query By Parameter (QBP) messages: These types of messages are used to request a client’s immunization history, with or without immunization forecasting recommendations, from MIIC.
There are two types of HL7 messages that MIIC responds to your messages with:
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Acknowledgement (ACK) messages: These types of responses will tell your system that:
- A VXU message has been processed, OR
- A QBP message has been processed but there is not a single match for that client in MIIC.
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Segment Pattern Response (RSP): These types of responses will tell you system that a QBP message has been processed and there is a single match for that client in MIIC.
While all electronic data exchange interfaces will follow these basic standards, there is some variation in how they are built. For instance, some organizations have interfaces connected directly to MIIC while others connect to MIIC through a hub. Another common variation is how a source system triggers sending an HL7 message to MIIC or how they process and display the response messages that MIIC returns within their system.
If you would like to learn more about and/or start the process of onboarding for electronic data exchange with MIIC, visit Electronic Data Exchange with MIIC. If you currently exchange data with MIIC in this way and have questions about your electronic interface, email the MIIC Help Desk.
Admin orgs in MIIC are sites that oversee the management of other locations within an organization. They do not administer immunizations and should only be used for administrative purposes.
The purpose of admin orgs, includes:
- Hold the Data Use Agreement (DUA) for the organization.
- Manage user accounts across multiple locations at an organization.
- Coordinate the fixing of errors that occur at specific locations.
- Act as the main contacts of an organization to coordinate internal needs relating to MIIC.
User accounts should be set-up under the MIIC Organization Code assigned to the location the user works on behalf of. When users work at multiple locations within the same organization (for example, a nurse that floats to several clinics within a health system) they can have a user account created under the admin org but must be assigned the role of “Health System User” and taught to use the ‘switch organizations’ function. This approach allows the user to maintain one set of login credentials instead of needing separate login credentials for each location they float to.
Contact the MIIC Help Desk if you have questions about your organization’s set-up in MIIC, its admin org account, or managing user accounts throughout the organization.
As part of our routine data quality monitoring, the MIIC team had reached out to Vivie, a long-term care management company, because they were entering immunizations as owned by the admin org. During this initial outreach, we discovered an incorrect org structure in MIIC due to organizational changes. MIIC staff worked with Nikki Sieve, Vivie’s MIIC administrator and immunization record contact, to discuss necessary changes and how we could assist.
What changes were needed to correct your organization structure in MIIC?
As our organization evolved, we saw an opportunity to better align our MIIC setup. We established Vivie as an umbrella organization with our owned and managed sites organized under it. I coordinated with the sites to create a centralized approach, with me serving as the Health System User for the entire organization. Once that structure was in place, we could match immunization entries to the appropriate locations. This gives our sites a consistent framework for entering immunizations and supports accurate reporting to MIIC, helping both our teams and public health partners track immunizations.
What did this process look like? Can you tell us about the internal coordination?
The process required coordination both internally and with MIIC. First, I worked with our sites, both owned and managed, to establish a centralized approach, with me serving as the Health System User. Our strong working relationships helped make that coordination smooth and reassure our site leaders that the approach would support their teams and make MIIC easier to manage.
With that approach in place, the team at MIIC and I worked together to align immunization entries with the updated structure. I verified the location assignments, and MIIC made the corresponding changes in the system.
What was the process for reviewing the immunizations owned by your organization’s admin org in MIIC?
MIIC provided a list of more than 650 immunization entries associated with our admin org. I reviewed each entry to verify the correct location and organization code, and MIIC then used that information to reassign the entries. I chose to review historical entries as well, rather than only change how future entries would be assigned. This took additional time, but it helped align existing records with the structure we would use going forward, making location assignments more consistent and reducing confusion for our teams.
What processes in your organization did you change to prevent further entry of admin organization-owned immunizations into MIIC?
I established centralized oversight of MIIC for Vivie, with me serving as the Health System User and each location having a designated MIIC user. I also standardized the user access process. Rather than requesting access independently, users go through their site manager, who submits a designated request form. The request automatically routes to me for review and profile setup in MIIC. This provides consistent oversight of access and helps protect sensitive information.
For site leaders, this creates a clear process and a consistent point of contact, which can reduce the time teams spend navigating access requests. It also helps ensure users are connected to the correct location, so immunization entries are assigned appropriately from the start.
What challenges did you run into?
Coordinating the transition to a centralized approach across multiple sites took time and communication. Our established working relationships helped make the process collaborative. The individual record review was also time intensive. Each of the more than 650 resident and staff immunization entries required verification of its location and MIIC organization code. Taking that time was important to ensure the entries were assigned to the correct sites.
What tips do you have for other organizations looking to correct their organization structure and/or correct their immunizations in MIIC?
My biggest piece of advice is to avoid the quick fix. It can be tempting to make changes only going forward, but reviewing the underlying structure and historical entries can make MIIC easier to manage in the long run. For us, that meant reviewing historical immunization entries alongside updating our organizational structure. It took more time up front, but it made location assignments clearer and more consistent, helping our teams understand how MIIC is organized and where immunizations should be entered.
I would also recommend establishing clear responsibility for overseeing MIIC and a consistent process for managing user access, especially for organizations with multiple locations.
Is there anything else you would like to say about this work?
Although this was a larger project than we anticipated, I’m glad we took the time to work through it thoroughly. I appreciate the MIIC team’s guidance and cooperation, along with the support of our site teams. Ultimately, this work supports our ability to track immunizations for residents and staff—a practical part of protecting the health of the people who live and work in our communities. Having consistent location assignments and clear processes helps our teams use MIIC to support that goal.
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