Certification
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Questions and Answers
Q1. Can we apply for more than one PHIN Certification at a time?
Q2. Can any public health partner agency and/or vendor apply for PHIN Certification?
Q3. How will the PHIN Certification Group determine if a partner is compliant with the PHIN Requirements and Certification Criteria for a PHIN Certification?
Q4. How long will the PHIN Certification evaluation take?
Q5. How will the PHIN Certification Group notify us of any non-compliance areas identified during the certification evaluation sessions?
Q6. Will the certification evaluation documents be available so we can prepare for PHIN Certification?
Q7. The test data provided by the PHIN Certification Group for “Varicella Case Notification Message – Send” includes optional data not used within our jurisdiction and not supported by our surveillance system. Do we have to modify our surveillance system so we are able to include this data in the test messages we send for the PHIN Certification evaluation?
Q8. The PHIN Certification Criteria and Process document is version 1.0, but it refers to PHIN Requirements Version 2.0. Should we use the PHIN Certification Criteria and Process Version 1.0 document or is there a version 2.0?
Q9. If we are awarded a PHIN Certification, for example “Varicella Case Notification Message—Send”, and a new version of the Varicella Message Mapping Guide is released, will the certification we were awarded expire with the release of the new mapping guide or expire after the two year expiration period?
Q10. If a new version of the certification is introduced, will the certifications awarded for the prior version expire with the release of the new certification version or expire after the two year expiration period?
Q11. What are some of the additional PHIN Certifications that will be offered in the future?
Q1: Can we apply for more than one PHIN Certification at a time?
A: Yes. The PHIN Certification Review Request Form allows you to request multiple PHIN Certification evaluations.
Q2: Can any public health partner agency and/or vendor apply for PHIN Certification?
A: At this time PHIN Certification is only available to the 62 partners who are awardees of the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Cooperative Agreement.
Q3: How will the PHIN Certification Group determine if a partner is compliant with the PHIN Requirements and Certification Criteria for a PHIN Certification?
A: The PHIN Certification Group will evaluate the partner based on test scenarios developed for each PHIN Certification. When the partner successfully passes all of the evaluation steps, the partner will be awarded the PHIN Certification.
Q4: How long will the PHIN Certification evaluation take?
A: The time may vary for each PHIN Certification. Each Certification evaluation will have at least two parts: 1) security and availability evaluation and 2) the functionality demonstration (which may required multiple sessions). The expectation is that a partner will be able to complete the evaluation within one week.
Q5: How will the PHIN Certification Group notify us of any non-compliance areas identified during the certification evaluation sessions?
A: After a PHIN Certification evaluation, the PHIN Certification Group will provide a PHIN Certification Evaluation Report to you. This report will either indicate that you successfully met all of the criteria or will provide details for any non-compliance areas or deficiencies identified during the certification evaluation session(s). Here is a example PHIN Certification Evaluation Report.
Q6: Will the certification evaluation documents be available so we can prepare for PHIN Certification?
A: Yes. The certification evaluation documents for each PHIN Certification are available under the “Documents” link above. Review these documents to understand the steps you will perform during the evaluation sessions.
Q7: The test data provided by the PHIN Certification Group for “Varicella Case Notification Message – Send” includes optional data not used within our jurisdiction and not supported by our surveillance system. Do we have to modify our surveillance system so we are able to include this data in the test messages we send for the PHIN Certification evaluation?
A: No. If you do not currently collect data identified as optional within a respective case notification guide, CDC does not expect you to modify existing or build new systems to transmit this optional data for PHIN Certification.
Q8: The PHIN Certification Criteria and Process document is version 1.0, but it refers to PHIN Requirements Version 2.0. Should we use the PHIN Certification Criteria and Process Version 1.0 document or is there a version 2.0?
A: PHIN Certification Criteria and Process document is designated as version 1.0 since it is the first release of this specific document. It is based upon the PHIN Requirement Version 2.0. There was no previous document of this name or scope.
Q9: If we are awarded a PHIN Certification, for example “Varicella Case Notification Message—Send”, and a new version of the Varicella Message Mapping Guide is released, will the certification we were awarded expire with the release of the new mapping guide or expire after the two year expiration period?
A: When a partner is awarded a certification, it is valid for two years from the date issued (two year expiration period). Certification does not expire when a new version of a guide is released.
Q10: If a new version of the certification is introduced, will the certifications awarded for the prior version expire with the release of the new certification version or expire after the two year expiration period?
A: Awarded certifications are valid for two years from the date issued. Certification does not expire when a new version of the PHIN Certification is introduced.
Q11: What are some of the additional PHIN Certifications that will be offered in the future?
A: The following is a tentative list of PHIN Certifications planned for the future. The timeframe to offer any of these certifications has not been determined and this list is only tentative and may change.
Public Health Directory and Directory Exchange
PHIN Generic Case Notification Message – Send
PHIN Hepatitis Case Notification Message – Send
PHIN Lead Case Notification Message – Send
PHIN Lead Environmental Case Notification Message – Send
PHIN Lead Lab Report Notification Message – Send
PHIN Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases (FDD) Case Notification Message—Send
PHIN Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD) Case Notification Message – Send