1. Introduction By Attendees.
2. Opening Statements.
Review of minutes from July 1, 1998 TAG meeting.
Main purpose of this meeting is to discuss AMRs with approximately 200 received and acted on annually.
Explanation of AMR factors: need for consistency and standardization.
3. Status of AVSS Activities and Site Interdependency.
Review of LRD and hospital status by AVSS capability.
Birth System Redesign overview by Alan Oppenheim.
Most local edits and the ability to scratch the LCA form will not be allowed in Version 4.8; contact Liz Touhey at 916-322-5179.
Printing problems: need to assure legibility for local recorder's office imaging devices; replace spent toners and old printers.
Version 4.8 update schedule: later than usual this year. Sacramento County and OVR volunteered to be beta test sites.
Will need to have Version 4.9 completed and distributed before January 1, 2000 due to race/ethnicity changes.
4. AVSS Modification Request (AMR) Review and Discussion.
98-031: No change at this time.
98-078: OK to do a warning message.
98-079: OK to do a warning message.
98-088: Would have to be standard statewide and most LRDs do not want the additional prompt. Other complications related to parental notification and legal issues. San Diego to work with OVR regarding wording, reporting, and possible legislation.
98-095: Legal constraints do not allow production of birth certificates in non-licensed facilities.
98-096: The particular delivery code combinations requested are not allowed by NCHS. OVR will forward concern to NCHS.
98-107: OVR will investigate the possibility of printing GRAMS in Field 26 (Birthweight).
98-123: OK to write date of death in Field 15A of the LCA when there is an AVSS birth-death automatch.
98-125: OK to program the #CMRZD standard report.
98-131: Hospitals must use AVSS/PC if they want to have access to their electronic birth records after they have been registered.
5. Confidential Morbidity Report (Discussion Led By Mark Starr).
CMR, WMPR, Case Hx forms will be changing and AVSS Version 4.8 will incorporate the first two.
Users should enter all Hepatitis C cases.
Outstanding issues: revised ASCII output file layout, revised disease list, expanded and updated Serotype/Subtype list.
Need for CMR Users Group, updated documentation, and user training.
Feasibility study for Internet-based CD reporting has been completed by Lawrence Livermore Lab.
6. Electronic Death Registration System.
AVSS/EDR pilot is continuing in Santa Barbara County, but with not much enthusiasm from funeral directors mainly due to the problem of obtaining certifier signatures. Several possible solutions have been proposed by the AVSS Project. The most likely to succeed is the 'second pass' whereby only the medical portion and the official form would first be printed on blank paper, then the certifier's signature would be obtained. Later, after the personal data were available and entered into AVSS/EDR, the certificate would be placed in the laser printer for the second time and the personal data fields would be overprinted.
The funeral directors are interested in an electronic signature, which must allow for security, validity, and non-repudiation.
7. AVSS Automated Birth-Death Matching.
Current matching algorithm is working quite well with no evidence of false matches and a very high match rate in most LRDs.
Problems in some LRDs due to delayed entry of birth certificate: since there is no BC to match when the death certificate is filed.
Also a problem with families moving to another county after birth; this will require a state database and additional matching.
AVSS to develop capability of transmitting CDCs to DHS/OVR computer where more complete matching may be possible.
DHS will request participation of LRDs to allow electronic transmittal of CDCs to state.
8. AVSS Census Tracting.
A. Work continuing by Scott Shepard of DM Information to improve AVSS census tracting routines.
9. BirthNet.
BirthNet will be phased out. AVSS data will be transmitted to local MCH programs by means of Zip drives.
10. Year 2000.
Joint letter by OVR and Communicable Disease to counties about Y2K compliance
DHS will recommend up to three races to be reported by Year 2000.

Updated June 1, 1999 by RL Williams
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