Welcome to the Florida Department of Health eCR page!
The Florida Department of Health declares they are ready to receive electronic case reports from eligible health care organizations.
Participate in eCREffective January 1, 2022, eCR is required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Promoting Interoperability Program (PIP) for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) and the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Promoting Interoperability Performance Category for eligible clinicians.
PLEASE NOTE: The upcoming deadline for eligible hospitals, critical access hospitals (CAHs), and clinicians to begin the reporting/performance period to meet the CY2024 requirement for CMS PIP and QPP MIPS for eCR is July 5th, 2024. It must be a continuous, self-selected, 180-day period ending by December 31, 2024.
eCR registrations must be received no later than September 3, 2024 to be in active engagement for CY2024. Therefore, registrations received after this date will be given active engagement status for 2025
Please read on to learn about eCR, its benefits, where to register your intent, and additional resources.
About eCR
Electronic case reporting (eCR) is the automated real-time exchange of case report information between electronic health records (EHRs) and public health agencies.
Traditionally, health care providers need to know the rules for reporting and manually report about cases, or people with conditions of public health concern, to their public health agencies via fax, phone call, or email.
The Florida Department of Health uses the HL7 electronic initial case report (eICR) standards (R1.1 and R3.1) for electronic case reporting and to support the new CMS Promoting Interoperability regulation for eCR. It is these standards that we will use to eventually eliminate manual reporting requirements.
Benefits of eCR
- Fulfills legal requirements: eCR allows providers to fulfill their legal obligations to report conditions of public health concern with less administrative burden.
- Qualifies as a PIP objective: eCR qualifies as an objective for eligible facilities participating in the Promoting Interoperability Program (PIP), formerly called Meaningful Use.
- Enhances surveillance: eCR enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of disease detection, surveillance, investigation, and response.
- Increases automation: eCR increases automation, which allows stakeholders to spend more time providing care and preventing and controlling disease among the residents of Florida, especially those who are most vulnerable.
Participate in eCR
Step 1: Prepare
- Verify your electronic health record (EHR) is on the Certified Health IT Products List
Eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) attesting to the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program will be required to only use certified health IT that has been updated consistent with the 2015 Edition Cures Update criteria to successfully meet the CEHRT requirements. - Ensure your EHR product have the capability to submit Health Level 7 (HL7) electronic initial case report (eICR) standards (R1.1 and R3.1) for electronic case reporting and to support the new CMS Promoting Interoperability regulation for eCR
- Visit the AIMS Platform website for a guide
*Note: If your vendor is not yet eCR ready, please still communicate intent below with FLDOH. However, know that the vendor must be ready for the onboarding process to be completed.
The Florida Department of Health does not offer an exclusion letter for eCR related to the CMS PIP and the CMS MIPS programs. If you are an eligible hospital, CAH, or MIPS eligible clinician, you are excluded from the eCR measure if you do not treat or diagnose any reportable disease for which data is collected per 64D-3, Florida Administrative Code, during the EHR reporting and performance period.
Step 2: Contact
- Communicate intent to participate in eCR with DOH:
Register your intent for eCR now - Communicate intent to participate in eCR with the AIMS eCR Support Team
Step 3: Implement
- Work with your EHR vendor to connect to the APHL AIMS Platform
Step 4: Testing and Validation Phases
- Enter a testing and validation status where your eCR data undergoes basic testing and validation by AIMS and further testing and validation by DOH
IMPORTANT: You must continue your existing reporting method for reportable conditions until you receive official notification from DOH authorizing you to discontinue manual reporting.
Learn more about eCR
- eCR registration site
- Video: Introduction to eCR
- Transcript: Introduction to eCR
- Video: The Difference Between eCR & Traditional Case Reporting
- AIMS eCR website (technical)
- National eCR website
- Getting Started with eCR
- Video: American Medical Association COVID-19 update addressing eCR
- Disease Reporting Information for Health Care Providers & Laboratory Providers
Questions
Should you have any questions, we are happy to support you. Please email us at electroniccasereporting@flhealth.gov
Connect with DOH