TRAC-IT Update 2023-08-23
Local System Managers, Contract Agencies and Independent Contractors:
Please note the following TRAC-IT updates and reminders.
Reminder about PII – Please do not send personally identifiable information (PII), like the child’s name, when communicating with the Support Desk.
Enhancements: What’s New
The following have been added to the dropdown list of service coordination activities:
Facilitating initial IFSP meeting
Facilitating annual IFSP meeting
You can now indicate if a service coordination activity was …
A family contact
Conducted with the child present
Not billable
Enhancements: Coming Soon - You will be able to edit event dates on event tasks for all tasks except Assessment for Service Planning (coming later)
Referral Outcomes by Referral Source Report – There is an error in how children who “will receive services” are pulling to this report. SSG is working to correct the report logic, and we expect the report will be fixed by next week.
TRAC-IT Platform Update - TRAC-IT runs on a technology platform called Casetivity, and SSG plans to deploy a new release soon (similar to how our cellphones get updates). Casetivity 23.1 brings a variety of features together that improve end user experience and set the stage for future capabilities. One update includes easier search/data entry with type-ahead and field editing abilities. An end user will need less time to find or enter data in structured fields (such as drop-downs). Improved cascading merge logic allows for better deduplication. Casetivity 23.1 also includes important bug fixes and regular security updates. This update will occur outside of business hours, and there will be a message in the banner of TRAC-IT alerting users a few days before this update will occur.
Updated Data Dictionary – SSG has provided an updated Data Dictionary to align the field names to the schema names and to add a new tab that outlines the schema’s entity relationships. These changes are to assist those building EHR uploads in referencing information across documents. There is no change to required fields or any other aspect of TRAC-IT. The updated Data Dictionary has been posted to the TRAC-IT documents section of our website: TRAC-IT Documents — Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia (itcva.online)
TRAC-IT Update 2023-07-27
Local System Managers, Contract Agencies and Independent Contractors:
This TRAC-IT update includes a user tip and some enhancement updates.
User Tip: Intake and IFSP Fields – The Support Desk has received some recent questions/concerns about IFSP information being overwritten. The issue occurs when these steps happen in this order:
The Initial IFSP Meeting and Intake tasks are open and available at the same time.
User enters information in the Initial IFSP task in the same fields the Intake task will populate when completed and SAVES the IFSP Meeting task.
User completes the Intake Visit task, leaving these fields blank:
4. The information in the IFSP is overwritten by these blank fields
To avoid this situation, users should really enter this information in the Intake Visit task vs directly into the IFSP for a couple of reasons:
TRAC-IT is expecting the Intake Visit task to be completed before the IFSP task – so the information entered in the Intake will overwrite the fields in the IFSP.
The information from the Intake visit will populate into the IFSP so users will not need to double enter information. You do not need to have complete information in these areas at Intake. You can just take some relevant notes from parent report or observation during the Intake visit. That information then can be added to, edited, etc. at the IFSP meeting.
When leaving these fields blank, TRAC-IT does not populate the Intake Visit print template or electronic copy of the intake with any information.
Enhancements
Later this week – The dropdown menu for service coordination activity will include two new options:
Facilitating initial IFSP meeting
Facilitating annual IFSP meeting
Coming soon –
You will be able to edit event dates on the event tasks
You will be able to indicate if a service coordination activity was …
a family contact
conducted with the child present
not billable.
These new fields for service coordination notes will help us get ready for the enhanced billing extracts that are coming in the fall.
TRAC-IT Update 2023-07-20
Local System Managers, Contract Agencies and Independent Contractors:
Please note the following TRAC-IT updates and reminders.
User Education Hours (Tips and Tricks Webinars): SSG held the second of three summer office hours yesterday. If you were unable to participate live in either of the first two, you can find the recordings and written Q&As from each here. The final session will be August 22, 2:30 – 3:30, and will include a presentation on common questions to the Support Desk related to the IFSP. If you already registered for a previous session, you are automatically registered for the August 22 session and do not need to re-register. If you have not registered, here is the registration link for the upcoming session.
Enhancements and Fixes: Now that the required fields have been developed and tested for implementation on December 11, 2023, SSG is working with us to address bug fixes and requested enhancements. We have categorized enhancements into three tiers: ASAP, by December 11, and after December 11. This is the order in which SSG will review the enhancement and scope the work and cost involved so state staff can make final decisions about what can be accomplished and when within the budgeted funds. As promised, we will not implement any changes that impact required fields for EHR uploads prior to December 11, 2023.
Here are the enhancements and fixes that have been deployed since the last TRAC-IT update:
Added the option for a user to delete an Insurance Record
Made the Manage ICD-10 Code ad hoc task available any time after the referral has been completed
Fixes will be deployed tomorrow night (July 21) to address the following issues identified by users:
Selected Goals not displayed on Contact Note Print Template
Service Length should not prefill with 60 minutes (contact notes)
Errors on Spanish Confirmation of IFSP
The next set of enhancements planned include the following:
Adding a date range parameter on the Child Extract
Updating the text box display for the contact note narrative summary to be much larger so full paragraph write-ups are more easily edited
Adding Provider Agency Managers to those who receive expiring certification notifications for their staff
TRAC-IT User Manual: SSG has added a Change Log to the TRAC-IT User Manual so you can easily see what changes were made, where in the manual and when. You can find the change log right after the Table of Contents.
TRAC-IT Update 2023-07-06
Local System Managers, Contract Agencies and Independent Contractors:
Please note the following TRAC-IT updates and reminders.
Referral Outcome by Referral Source Report: SSG has made a few updates to this report, and the revised version is now available in TRAC-IT.
New Pre-IFSP Discharge Reasons: In conjunction with revising the Referral Outcome by Referral Source report, two new discharge reason options have been added for children who exit before having an IFSP:
Exit at Age 3 – Late Referral to Part C
Eligible/Family Moved
Electronic Signature Checkbox Added: As we begin deploying some of the requested enhancements to TRAC-IT, we have added a checkbox to use when having the parent “sign” consent in TRAC-IT. The new checkbox includes the statement, “I understand that by typing my name and clicking on this box, I am electronically signing this document.”
TRAC-IT User Manual Updated: As changes and enhancements are made, the TRAC-IT User Manual is updated. Quick Reference Cards also are updated accordingly. The current versions are always available in TRAC-IT.
Summer User Education Hours: Following the first User Education Hour, SSG clarified that if you already registered for the first session you are automatically registered for subsequent sessions and do not need to re-register. There are two sessions remaining, on July 19 and August 22. If you have not registered, here is the registration link for the upcoming sessions.
TRAC-IT Update 2023-06-23
Local System Managers, Contract Agencies and Independent Contractors:
Please note the following TRAC-IT updates.
Changes to Address Optima and Virginia Premier Merger: To address the merger transition period, the two Virginia Premier insurance options in TRAC-IT have been renamed to say Virginia Premier/Optima-VP to reflect the upcoming change. There is nothing that you need to do at this time in TRAC-IT to change over Virginia Premier insurance records to Optima. Additional details to address the final merger will be shared later in the year.
Initial Visit Changed to Intake: One the service type options in TRAC-IT was "initial visit." After some recent conversations with users, we realized that some people were thinking "initial visit" meant the first session of an IFSP service when it was actually intended in TRAC-IT to mean the intake visit. To address this confusion, SSG has change the dropdown selection to read "Intake." That change has been deployed. If you have selected "initial visit" for a first service session, you can correct that by editing the Contact Note and changing the service type to reflect the service provided. You can contact the Support Desk to make sure the service is then marked as timely and ask them to cancel the timeliness task if needed. We apologize for the confusion.
User Acceptance Testing (UAT): UAT on the full set of required fields and validations that will be implemented on December 11, 2023, has been completed. Local and state users executed 34 test scripts to test the new functionality to be sure it is working as intended. One bug/defect was identified, and SSG is correcting that one validation.
EHR Testing Environment Opened: The EHR File Testing and Certification environment has opened, and local agencies that indicated their intent to pursue an EHR upload into TRAC-IT may begin testing their import files.
TRAC-IT Update 2023-06-07
Local System Managers, Contract Agencies and Independent Contractors:
Please note the following TRAC-IT updates and reminders.
Reminder: Ensuring Medicaid Enrollment and Billing - When a service coordinator completes an intake and the family declines to move forward, Medicaid can be billed for the intake if the Initial Service Coordination plan was completed. To ensure the child populates to the Medicaid enrollment report, which state staff use to enroll the child in the Medicaid-EI benefit, please make sure you complete the discharge correctly. When you select Discharge from the Intake Visit task, the intake visit information is NOT stored. If the Intake occurred, you should click COMPLETE and then discharge from the next open task. By clicking Discharge on any task, you are indicating that the event did not occur and you need to discharge. This situation is explained on page 4 in the Discharge Quick Reference Card:
User Acceptance Testing (UAT) – UAT will take place later this week and next week on the full set of required fields and validations that will be implemented on December 11, 2023. Local and state users will test the new functionality to be sure it is working as intended. This step will then allow agencies that are pursuing an EHR upload to begin preparing and testing their upload files to be ready for implementation in December.
TRAC-IT Update 2023-05-26
Local System Managers, Contract Agencies and Independent Contractors:
This email is relevant to those agencies still planning to pursue an EHR upload. SSG has provided several updated documents, and these have been posted to the TRAC-IT documents section of our website:
Updated schema
Updated response schema
Updated input file
Updated Data Dictionary
In working through the schema files and ongoing development work (as well as some production support tickets that came in requesting new ICD-10 codes and languages), SSG had to make some minor updates to the data dictionary. SSG has indicated that there is nothing fundamentally different and no major impacts – these are just some clarifications that will help end users who use the data dictionary. The changes are listed below:
Changed hsqDetail to hsq — There’s a limitation in our database we can’t end a table name with Detail so we had to rename this to hsq
ConsentToAcesss on the Insurance Entity — This has to change from a Boolean to a Yes/No option
We were missing the ProfessionalDiscipline options in the value set tab — Without this, a user would not know how to send this value
Added these ICD-10 codes and languages to drop-down value sets
P91.821 Neonatal cerebral infarction, right side of brain
P91.822 Neonatal cerebral infarction, left side of brain
P91.823 Neonatal cerebral infarction, bilateral
P91.829 Neonatal cerebral infarction, unspecified side
A50.9 Congenital syphilis, unspecified
D70.0 Congenital agranulocytosis
Language options: DARI, KURDISH
TRAC-IT Update 2023-05-11
Local System Managers, Contract Agencies and Independent Contractors:
This week’s TRAC-IT updates include information about EHR uploads, newly scheduled user education hours over the summer, updated timelines and Help Desk metrics from April.
User Education Hours – SSG will hold three User Education sessions over the summer to address common questions they receive and answer other questions you may have. These will be an excellent opportunity for veteran TRAC-IT users and newer users to increase their confidence as we move toward Phase II implementation in December. During each session, SSG will complete a walk-through of a task(s) in TRAC-IT that users often have questions about and then respond to questions on that or other topics. Session dates and times are as follows:
June 27, 2:30 - 3:30
July 19, 2:30-3:30
August 22, 2:30 - 3:30
You can register using this link and only need to register once to participate in all three sessions: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2855613547770411611
Those who register will email receive reminders before each session.
Updated Timelines – While the Phase II launch date of December 11, 2023, has not changed, some of the interim timelines have been adjusted and are reflected in this updated graphic.
EHR Upload Topics & Reminders
The May 2nd EHR Office Hour recording and Q&A, which includes questions received by the SSG EHR email box since the previous office hour, have been posted to our website at https://www.itcva.online/trac-it-webinars.
Reminder: If you plan to pursue an EHR upload into TRAC-IT for December 11, 2023, please email VATRACIT.FileCertification@ssg-llc.com no later than May 19th to confirm that your organization intends to participate.
Will this be the only opportunity for agencies to develop and test an EHR upload file? No. We will survey agencies again in January 2024 to determine who is interested in pursuing an EHR upload at that point and what their projected timeline is. Based on that information, we will identify another EHR file testing and certification window.
April Help Desk Metrics - Here are some snapshots of April Help Desk ticket topics and the latest 3-month trends.
TRAC-IT Update 2023-04-21
Local System Managers, Contract Providers and Independent Contractors:
I hope you are enjoying spring and surviving the pollen. Please note the following TRAC-IT updates and reminders.
Remember to Link Practitioners to Your Agency/Local System: For an individual practitioner to show on the Provider Extract, that practitioner must be affiliated/added to a local system or provider agency. If you are using TRAC-IT fully, you are less likely to forget this step since you must add practitioners to the local system or provider agency for them to be assigned services or access a child’s record. Since that is not required right now, some practitioners who are providing services have not been added to the local system or a provider agency in TRAC-IT. This becomes a problem when DBHDS uses the provider extract to populate the Medicaid Provider Roster for DMAS. Please take a moment to add practitioners to your agency or local system if you have not done so recently. If you need more information about how to do that, click on the Help button in TRAC-IT to access the User Manual section and Quick Reference Cards on User Management and Organization Management.
Billing Extract Q&A: Questions and answers from the Enhanced Billing Extract webinar have been posted to our website to accompany the recording and PPT. You can find them here.
EHR Functionality Updates:
EHR Office Hours - EHR Office Hours with SSG will be held the third Tuesday of each month, starting May 16th, from 2:00 – 3:00. There will be a “bonus” Office Hour on May 2nd. You can register for these Office Hours using the links below.
Here is the link to the “bonus” May 2nd EMR Office Hours webinar, occurring 2-3pm
For the third Tuesday series, you only need to register one time using the link below and then you can attend sessions as you please. https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8557411468577168222.
Please plan to join office hours at the beginning of the hour since we will end each session when there are no further questions.
Updated Data Dictionary and Code Freeze – We anticipate providing an updated EHR Data Dictionary early next week. At the point we provide that updated Data Dictionary, we will implement a code freeze on EHR-related fields. DBHDS will have discretion to make an exception if a blocker is discovered during testing or in the unlikely event of a new OSEP or Commonwealth mandate. DBHDS would work with the TRAC-IT EHR Committee to determine a workable solution should such a circumstance arise. The code freeze will be in place through the launch of Phase II in December 2023. Other, non-EHR fields could be updated through go-live, if needed.
Kyla
TRAC-IT Update 2023-04-12
Local System Managers, Contract Agencies and Independent Contractors:
We have lots of TRAC-IT updates, tips and resources for you this week!
Children Over Three: Data Clean-up
Localities are reminded that all children should be discharged in TRAC-IT on or before their third birthday. Children who turn three and remain open in TRAC-IT populate to the locality's dashboard in the "Children > 3 with Active Cases" tile. Local system managers and/or service coordinators should regularly review this dashboard tile to ensure that all children over age three are discharged within data entry timelines. (These children can also be identified via the Client Extract report; column J indicates the number of days that have passed since the child's third birthday.)
Ensure All Required Information Is Entered into TRAC-IT Before Discharge
From the 02/10/2023 weekly TRAC-IT update: Before discharging a child in TRAC-IT, please make sure all required information has been entered and is correct to ensure the child is correctly included on reports for your local system. This also ensures that the next local system has what is needed to move forward if the child comes back into Virginia’s early intervention system.
All required information includes the child's most up to date IFSP services. Several localities have recently received transfer enrollments where the child's services were not updated prior to discharge. When this happens, the only options available to resolve the issue, neither ideal, include:
Holding an IFSP review to update the child's service plan; or
Asking the SSG help desk to modify the sending locality's discharged enrollment.
EHR Upload Updates and Resources
The TRAC-IT EHR Committee held its first meeting recently. Notes from this and future meetings will be posted to our website. You can find them under EMR Resources on the TRAC-IT Documents page (https://www.itcva.online/tracit-documents).
The first EHR Office Hour was held this week. The recording and a document with answers to questions asked during the office hour will be posted to the TRAC-IT Webinars page of our website soon. The next Office Hour will be in about two weeks, and we plan to share that and future dates with you shortly. Please plan to join office hours at the beginning of the hour since we will end each session when there are no further questions.
Tips and Reminders about the Medicaid-EI Benefit in TRAC-IT
Please see the attached PowerPoint to be sure you are entering information correctly in TRAC-IT to trigger timely enrollments and discharges for the Medicaid-EI benefit.
Billing Extract Webinar: Recording and Slides Posted
The Billing Extract webinar recording and slides are available here: https://www.itcva.online/trac-it-webinars. A written Q&A document also will be posted soon to accompany the recording.
Please Respond to the SSG Help Desk If/When Contacted
To facilitate resolution of issues (often related to transfers between local systems), the SSG Help Desk may find it necessary to contact one (or more) localities for additional information and/or to request permission to modify data to successfully trigger re-enrollment logic. Please be responsive to these requests if/when they come in by acknowledging and replying to them as quickly as possible.
TRAC-IT Update 2023-04-04
Local System Managers, Contract Agencies and Independent Contractors:
Here are the latest TRAC-IT updates and tips.
Family Survey Method – During this year’s implementation of the family survey, we received a question about removing the family survey method in TRAC-IT for a family with safety concerns.
In TRAC-IT, all families are asked to provide a survey method preference: Email or post. This is a required field. When we ask an incoming family about their survey method preference, we should be explaining briefly what the survey is, when it will come (once a year) and why it is important. A family can always choose not to complete a survey once received.
Under some circumstances—chief among these, concerns related to a family's safety and security—a family may request to not have their contact information shared for the purposes of receiving a family survey. In these instances, the following steps may be followed to remove the survey method preference that initially was required.
To Remove Survey Method Preference
Select "Create Task +"
Select "Update Child/Guardian Information"
Select "Create" - This will create and open the task
Scroll down to Parents/Guardians
Click the arrow beside the parent/guardian name
Select "Edit"
Scroll down to Survey Method
Click the X to remove the method
Click "Save"
Click "Close"
Repeat steps 5-10, as needed, for other parents/guardians listed on the child's record
Scroll up and click "Complete" - This will close the task
For Agencies Considering EHR Upload – The Question & Answer document from the March 24th EHR Kickoff has been posted to our website at https://www.itcva.online/trac-it-webinars
Help Desks Statistics – Here are some snapshots of March Help Desk ticket topics and the latest 3-month trends:
TRAC-IT Update 2023-03-28
Local System Managers, Contract Agencies and Independent Contractors:
Here are the latest TRAC-IT updates and reminders.
Billing Extract Webinar: April 5, 1:30 – 2:30
Join us and SSG to get a preview and explanation of the enhanced TRAC-IT billing extracts that will be available in a few months. For some agencies, their final decision about pursuing an EHR upload will depend on the extent to which these billing extracts provide the data they need. Please forward this information to your billing staff if it will be helpful for them to see and hear the information firsthand.
Link to register - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1259100672681170012
Important Reminders about Transition Tasks in TRAC-IT
Transition plans are required even if the family declines a transition conference. This requirement has not changed because of implementing TRAC-IT.
You must hit the Complete button for TRAC-IT to record that a task/activity happened. When you first develop the transition plan in TRAC-IT, you must hit Complete for the date of the transition plan to be reflected accurately in the TRAC-IT transition reports. Hitting Save does not record a date. If you need to go back to add information to the transition plan later, use the Create Task button, then select Update Transition Plan.
EHR Kickoff and Documents
If you missed the EHR Kickoff meeting last Friday or would like to review the information shared, you can access the recording and the PPT document here: https://www.itcva.online/trac-it-webinars
Nine (9) documents, including updated Data Dictionary and other technical/support documents, that will be helpful to local agencies and EHR vendors also have been posted to our website: https://www.itcva.online/tracit-documents
The EHR Support Desk is now open and accepting questions regarding the file certification process discussed during the webinar: VATRACIT.FileCertification@ssg-llc.com.
Timelines
The following presents an overview of work happening and projected timelines leading up to the December 11, 2023 launch of Phase 2:
TRAC-IT Update 2023-03-07
Local System Managers, Contract Agencies and Independent Contractors:
After some relatively quiet TRAC-IT weeks, I have several updates for you this week.
Enhanced Billing Extracts
SSG continues to work with a small group of stakeholders to improve the billing extracts. We will be scheduling a webinar, most likely in early April, to show and explain the new extracts. User testing of the new fiscal components and extracts is expected to take place in May, with the enhanced extracts available in TRAC-IT in June.
EHR Uploads
EHR Interest Survey – Thirty-eight (38) agencies, including 25 local lead agencies and 13 contract provider agencies, responded to the EHR Interest Survey. Of those, 28 agencies (17 local lead agencies and 11 contract provider agencies) indicated interest in pursuing an EHR upload. For some respondents, their final decision will depend on the enhanced billing extract.
EHR Kick-Off Meeting – If you are considering using TRAC-IT’s EHR upload functionality, there will be a kick-off informational meeting on Friday, March 24, 2:00 – 3:30. Please save the date. A meeting link will be forthcoming.
Data Dictionary - An updated Data Dictionary will be provided during the EHR Kick-Off and posted to our website at that time. Most updates are related to fields required for the enhanced billing extracts.
Local System Managers
A new user role is available in TRAC-IT to provide additional access to federal reports, extracts and other reports. The Local System Reporting role can be assigned to users within the local lead agency.
TRAC-IT Support Desk Metrics
Here are the latest three-month trend reports from the Support Desk.
TRAC-IT Phase 2 Launch
Local System Managers:
I am pleased to announce that Phase 2 (full implementation) of TRAC-IT will launch on December 11, 2023. Beginning on that date, all required data must be entered either directly in TRAC-IT or through an electronic health record (EHR) upload. Between now and December 11, there will be a number of activities happening to prepare for full implementation. We will be sharing additional dates and details soon, including milestones you can expect over the next 9-1/2 months.
I know that many of you are interested in details related to the EHR upload option. We have planned six months for EHR testing to make sure your upload files are working by December 11. Planning and support will begin well ahead of that testing period for those who are building EHR upload files. You also can expect to see details next month about the enhanced billing extracts, which will help you decide whether to pursue an EHR upload into TRAC-IT or use TRAC-IT as your primary early intervention record and extract the information you need for billing.
Thank you for your patience as we completed the administrative steps necessary to support this next phase of TRAC-IT implementation.
Kyla
TRAC-IT Update 2023-02-10
Local System Managers, Contract Agencies and Independent Contractors:
I hope you are doing well and have enjoyed this week’s warmer weather. This TRAC-IT update includes a couple of tips/reminders and some January Help Desk statistics.
Updating Insurance Information: When you need to update information (new number, correction to spelling of a person’s name, etc.) for existing insurance in TRAC-IT, please edit the existing insurance record rather than creating a new insurance record.
To edit an existing insurance, go to the Insurance tab at the bottom left of the child’s case page, select the row with the existing insurance, then click edit.
If you have already created a second insurance record instead of editing, then please end date any previous insurance record that is no longer current.
Use the ad hoc Update Insurance task only when there is totally new insurance that needs to be added. The Update Insurance task creates a new insurance record.
Before Discharge: Before discharging a child in TRAC-IT, please make sure all required information has been entered and is correct to ensure the child is correctly included on reports for your local system. This also ensures that the next local system has what they need to move forward if the child comes back into Virginia’s early intervention system.
January Help Desk Statistics: The Help Desk was busy in January! Some of that spike was due to local systems requesting assistance to remove parents/guardians as they cleaned up data ahead of the family survey. Here are some other trends we saw.
Kyla
