Vitalnet Health Data Warehouse - Frequently Asked Questions

What does EHDP do? Provides best, most cost-effective data warehouses.

We provide Vitalnet, a comprehensive, integrated system for analyzing large complex health data sets, including birth, cancer, hospital discharge, mortality, pregnancy, ICD, and geographic data. A Vitalnet license includes all services needed to ensure project success. Different Vitalnet platforms support a wide range of user needs.

Vitalnet fulfills the role of many different kinds of software:

• Community assessment - Local health staff and citizens benefit
• Data access - Local or remote (modem / internet) access
• Data analysis - Easier and faster than alternatives
• Data dissemination - Makes data available to a wide audience
• Data linkage - Links population, event, ICD, geographic, etc
• Data mining - Discover hidden relationships in data
• Data warehouse - Stores and provides access to large data sets
• Decision support - Allows data to be used for decision-making
• Educational - Helps users learn right methods of analyzing data
• ICD database - Access to all ICD codes, and other coding systems
• Query - Easy-to-use interface, no programming or SQL needed
• Virtual data center - Comprehensive solution for state or nation

Does EHDP provide birth, death, marriage, divorce certificates? No.
Does EHDP figure out where or when people were born or died? No.

Contact your state health agency or other governmental body.

Does EHDP sell data? No.

However, we will load into Vitalnet whatever data you need to analyze. And we provide full confidentiality for whatever data you provide.

What kinds of data can Vitalnet systems include? Any you want.

Vitalnet systems currently include the following data sets:

• Birth
• Cancer registry
• Divorce
• Induced Abortions
• Infectious disease
• Inpatient (hospital discharge)
• Marriage
• Multiple cause mortality
• Population
• Pregnancy outcome
• Underlying cause mortality

• Most versions include population data.
• Most versions include geographic data.
• ICD (CPT, DRG, etc.) data is included as needed.

Vitalnet can handle any complex record-level data set, including benefits enrollment, birth defects, census, emergency room, food stamps, HIV / AIDS, health manpower, immunizations, infant death, lead screening, linked birth / death, Medicaid, Medicare, newborn screening, outpatient care, poverty, PRAMS, reportable diseases, TANF, trauma registry, unemployment, YRBS, and WIC. Please contact EHDP if you are interested in another data set.

What is the upper age limit for the data? Whatever you specify.

The upper age limit can be set to whatever you want. Age categories over 75 may be used, and are recommended, if population data are available.

How do the data get imported? Quickly and reliably, at no extra cost.

The process works as follows:

• You provide data files and accompanying documentation.
• EHDP carries out the actual data importing.
• EHDP works with you to resolve any data problems that may occur.
• EHPD keeps you fully informed of all data importing procedures.
• EHDP maintains full confidentiality for the data.
• EHDP complies with any required data use agreements.

Advantages of importing partnership include:

• Allows end user to have access to the data sooner.
• Lowers potential for error, increases data integrity.
• Lowers costs, since data importing included with license.
• You retain control of all decisions, timelines and standards.
• Allows EHDP to create media for installing to your computers.

If you need real-time access to data, we can arrange for you to do the importing, at additional cost.

What does Vitalnet look like? Easy to use, pleasant to look at.

VitalWeb Standard and VitalWeb Wizard are browser interfaces. They make tables, maps and charts.

VitalPro for DOS are VitalPro for Unix are desktop interfaces. Keyboard-driven, they are fast and efficient. They give maximum analytical flexibility.

VitalPro for Windows is a native Windows application. It runs on any Windows PC or LAN. It combines the flexibility of VitalPro with the graphical output of VitalWeb.

Which web browsers are supported? More than 99% of browsers.

How would Vitalnet be customized for my needs? Fully customized.

• Customized for smallest age groups you use (eg 0-21, 22-24, 25-29, ... 75+).
• Customized for race groups you specify (eg, White, Black, Hispanic, Other).
• Customized for areas and regions in your jurisdiction.
• You decide which variables to include / exclude.
• Customized for field values you use.
• Local details and advice included in user documentation.
• Other requested feasible customizations added, at no extra cost.

Does Vitalnet meet CDC/NEDSS requirements? Yes.

Does Vitalnet meet disability requirements? Yes.

What is the Vitalnet underlying architecture? Flexible, record-level.

Do Vitalnet systems do cell suppression? Yes.

By default, Vitalnet does numerator-based cell size suppression. If desired, you may specify a minimum suppression level, such as 5 events. The user can modify the cell suppression level, up to the minimum.

On your request, we'll configure the program to use alternative methods your agency may use (denominator-based, combination of numerator and denominator). Individual data sets can use different rules.

Vitalnet automatically suppresses row and column totals to prevent suppressed cells from being uncovered.

Do Vitalnet systems do leading causes of death? Yes.

Epigram uses the standard NCHS rankable cause list. The top 10 causes from this list are the leading causes of death.

Does Epigram calculate an age-adjusted rate for age 20-64? No.

It is possible to program the capability to age-adjust within age groups, but the additional complexity and potential confusion do not seem worth the occasional benefit. If needed, Vitalnet can quickly produce the age-specific rates and population numbers needed to set up a spreadsheet to do the calculations. Of course, Epigram can produce the age-specific rate for age 20-64.

How do I print Vitalnet output? There are several ways.

Print from your browser (browser-based Vitalnet platforms):

• VitalWeb Standard
• VitalWeb Wizard
• VitalPro for Windows

Directly print from the application (non-browser based Vitalnet platforms):

• VitalPro for DOS
• VitalPro for Unix

Print from another software after exporting data (All Vitalnet platforms):

• Save output to a text file for importing into your editor (such as Word).
• Save output to delimited file for importing into spreadsheet software.
• Save to database format, for importing into GIS or database software.

How many ICD codes do Vitalnet desktop systems include? All.

VitalPro for DOS, VitalPro for Unix, and VitalPro for Windows include the entire ICD system. Vitalnet will work with data coded to ICD-9 or ICD-10. There are three access methods:

• Directly select an ICD range, from a scrolling list.
• Select from branching menu system with all ICD codes and titles.
• Select from menu with the most common categories and groupings.

How many ICD codes do Vitalnet browser systems include? Most common ones.

VitalWeb Standard and VitalWeb Wizard allow selection from a menu with the most common categories and groupings.

Can Vitalnet analyze national data? Yes.

Vitalnet can import and analyze data from any geographical jurisdiction. We have successfully imported and analyzed US national mortality data.

Can Vitalnet analyze zip code data? Yes.

Vitalnet can import and analyze data from any geographical jurisdiction, including sub-county data. We have successfully imported and analyzed Texas zip code data. Vitalnet will also work with census tract data, logically equivalent to zip code level data.

Can the user rotate (pivot) table axes? Yes.

After making a table, simply return to the interface and switch the variables for rows and columns.

What race groups are used? It is up to the licensee.

Any race categories may be used. The smallest race categories depend on the standard way that data are analyzed in your jurisdiction. During analysis, race categories may be combined as needed.

Does Vitalnet project trends into the future? Yes.

Vitalnet trend analyses automatically include a "least-squares" analysis. The analysis produces a Y-intercept and slope, which may be used to draw the best line through the data and project into the future. Confidence intervals for the slope may be included, to decide if there is a significant trend.

Do Vitalnet systems make maps? Yes.

The Web Version (VitalWeb system) makes professionally formatted thematic maps that allow the user to quickly identify areas with high rates. The maps are in png (portable network graphics) format. In addition, Vitalnet can export your results to a database file (dBASE III format), which will easily read into Epi-Map, MapInfo, ArcView, and other GIS software. This allows you to overlay the data with other data (for example, environmental exposure data).

Can I download results data? Yes.

The following output formats are available for downloading results:

• CSV / TSV / DIF - For importing into spreadsheet software.
• dBASE III - For graphing, mapping, or data analysis software.
• ASCII Text - For importing into any word processor.
• HTML - For display in any browser.

Note: None of the data within Vitalnet can be directly accessed or downloaded by users.

What are the hardware requirements? Minimal hardware requirements.

Can I monitor program usage? Yes.

We realize the importance of usage monitoring for:

• Producing budget reports
• Assessing program usage
• Determining common analyses

VitalPro and VitalWeb provides you the following information:

• Counts of tables, maps, and charts
• Links to actual output produced
• Log files with a record for each output made

How is Vitalnet licensed? Simple flat-rate license.

Why should I license Vitalnet software? Many reasons.

• Save large amounts of money in development / maintenance costs.
• Increase user productivity, saving time and money.
• Comprehensive, integrated data warehouse solution.
• Professional commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) solution.
• Get needed services to make the system work.
• Get software infrastructure for virtual data center.
• Guaranteed data warehouse solution at cost-effective price.
• Provides local and remote access to needed data.
• Produces useful results and answers in seconds.
• Links and analyzes complex health-related data sets.
• Customized for the needs of your jurisdiction.
• Meets needs of both occasional and expert users.
• Users benefit from system with little or no training.
• License allows for use by unlimited number of users.
• Lets users explore and mine complex data sets.
• Guaranteed data integrity and operation.
• Online help, professional user guides.
• Output is ready-to-use and clearly documented.
• Makes better use of data for analysis and decision-making.

What's the catch? There is none.