SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION

Automated Vital Statistics System

Technical Advisory Group

2005 Annual Meeting

Sacramento, California

October 25, 2005

 

 

1.      Introduction by Attendees and Opening Statements.

Ron Williams (UCSB) welcomed meeting participants, who reviewed the summary of the January 2005 TAG meeting.  Note: TAG summaries are available on the Web at: http://www.avss.ucsb.edu/tag.htm

 

Ron also discussed the purpose of the Core Group and the new Core Group letterhead.  Two new members of the Core Group are Danita Wallace (Los Angeles County) and Stanley Bissell (Division of Communicable Disease Control, CDHS).  They join continuing members Ron Williams (UCSB), Michael Rodrian (Center for Health Statistics, CDHS), Alan Oppenheim (Office of County Health Services, CDHS), and Natlee Hapeman (Santa Barbara County).

 

On behalf of the Core Group, Ron recognized the contributions of Pamela Isaac (Humboldt County, retired), a founding member of the Core Group. 

 

2.      Version 4.15 Update and 2006 Worksheet Revisions.

Version 4.15 Release Notes were distributed at the meeting and are available at www.avss.ucsb.edu.  4.15 is the name for the 2005 version.  It was Alpha-tested and Beta-testing prior to release.  This Version will be deployed during December 2005 and will become effective January 1, 2006. 

 

Meeting participants reviewed the changes.  As with changes in 2005, most changes for 2006 will make revisions to the Medical Data Supplemental Worksheet, VS-10A, and are required to conform to National Center for Health Statistics reporting standards.  In 2005, changes were made to coding for Principal Source of Payment for Prenatal Care, Method of Delivery, and Expected Principal Source of Payment for Delivery.  Changes in 2006 will affect coding for Complications and Procedures of Pregnancy and Concurrent Illnesses, Complications and Procedures of Labor and Delivery, and Abnormal Conditions and Clinical Procedures Relating to the Newborn  (and to the Fetus).

 

Coding for the following birth certificate data items will be changed:

4B    (Hour of Birth)  First reporting time of the day will change from 0001 to 0000.

12B  (Relationship to Child)  Parent will be an acceptable entry.

20C  (Father’s Education)

23C  (Mother’s Education)

29     (Complications and Procedures of Pregnancy and Concurrent Illnesses)

30     (Complications and Procedures of Labor and Delivery)

31     (Abnormal Conditions and Clinical Procedures Relating to the Newborn).

 

All other fields will be unaffected.  Accordingly, AVSS Version 4.15 is being programmed to switch over to the new selection lists for these fields for births occurring on or after January 1, 2006.  Version 4.15 will be deployed during December 2005. The changes will be transparent to users when creating birth certificates with birth dates before January 1, 2006.

 

Melissa Reyes (OVR) discussed the Worksheet and how the changes are presented in OVR’s regional workshops.

 

Jessica McCarroll (CHS) discussed revisions to the Race/Ethnicity and Education Worksheet and noted that reporting of mother’s and father’s education will be in terms of years of education completed  (0-12) or degrees earned.

 

1.      New Birth Certificate in 2007.

Mike reviewed Assembly Bill 1278 (2005), which changes the content of the birth certificate and adds new electronic-only birth information items. 

 

Form changes will add:

Electronic only changes will add:

·                    Date last worked (Father & Mother)

·                    Mother’s mailing address

·                    Date of 1st prenatal care visit

·                    Did mom receive WIC food…?

·                    Date of last prenatal care visit

·                    Cigarette smoking –prior/during

·                    Obstetric est. of gestation at delivery

·                    Mother’s pre-pregnancy & delivery weight

·                    Hearing screening

·                    Mother’s height

·                    APGAR scores

 

Melissa provided a point-by-point discussion of both the new birth certificate content required by AB 1278 and the new electronic-only information items.  Melissa reminded the meeting participants that these changes will not be effective until 2007, but that advanced information allows hospital birth clerks to begin determining how to obtain newly-required information (for example, from patient charts).

 

Mike discussed the smoking question and indicated that statistics derived this question will be adjusted to account for expected inaccuracies in responses.

 

Mike noted that the revised birth certificate will extend to a full 8 ½ x 11 page, which is somewhat longer than the preceding format.  In discussing the electronic-only items, he mentioned that use of electronic-only data allows CDHS to keep the birth certificate to one page, which is generally considered desirable.  Use of electronic-only data also allows CDHS to provide mothers with a greater assurance that sensitive information – held by the State only in electronic format – will remain confidential.

 

2.      AVSS/NET.

Ron reported that AVSS/NET deployment is proceeding well, with 53 out of 56 AVSS counties using the system.  The remaining counties (Contra Costa, Fresno, and Tuolumne) will deploy soon.

 

3.      CMR.

Stan Bissell (DCDC) reported on CMR activities.

 

4.      EDRS.

EDRS status was reviewed at the All Registrar meeting on October 24, 2005.   

 

5.      AVSS Technical Assistance.

Meeting participants spontaneously expressed appreciation for the technical assistance provided by AVSS staff. 

 

6.      Next Meeting

The next TAG meeting will be scheduled for December 2006, to be held in the Sacramento East End Complex. 

 

7.      Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at noon.

 

Acknowledgement: This summary was written by Jessica McCarroll.

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