Submitting HL7 to PA-SIIS
Providers and clinics interested in submitting HL7 messages to PA-SIIS for patient vaccine information are encouraged to do the following:
Step 1 – Get your organization established in PA-SIIS. To use PA-SIIS, you must register your facility with our Immunization Registry. Complete Request to Create a Clinic in PA-SIIS. If you are submitting an application to participate in one of Pennsylvania’s Vaccination Programs (including COVID-19), you do not need to complete this form. Your facility will be assigned a clinic ID as part of the enrollment process.
Step 2 – Begin to use PA-SIIS through the web application. Begin participating in PA-SIIS while you explore the possibility of transmitting vaccination data through HL7. PA-SIIS provides functionality to enable you to search and report new vaccination data to a patient record. Get started by completing the PA-SIIS User Account Request form.
If you are receiving vaccine from one of Pennsylvania’s Vaccine Programs (including COVID-19), you must have at least two users enrolled to manage the vaccine inventory that is provided to you through Pennsylvania’s Vaccination Programs.
Step 3 – Become familiar with HL7 standards. HL7 v.2.5.1 Release 1.5 is the standard format for submitting HL7 messages to PA-SIIS. The following resources will assist you in becoming familiar with our standards.
Step 4 – Utilize PA's customized NIST Tool to self-test the quality of your HL7 messages. Please note that this tool is designed to test VXU messages. A tool for QBP messages is not yet available. The NIST tool for PA is available at
https://hl7v2.gvt.nist.gov/gvt/#/home. See the NIST Tool Instructions on how to use this tool.
The following resources will assist you in becoming familiar with the NIST tool:
Step 5 – Submit a request to transmit vaccination data through HL7.
Once you have determined that you’d like to transmit data to PA-SIIS through HL7, complete a Request to Transmit Vaccination Data Through HL7 form. This form should be submitted between 7-15 days from the date in which you plan to start PA-SIIS testing (as outlined in Step 6 below). You must send a PDF of the Report from the NIST Tool on your testing results. See the NIST Tool Instructions for directions on downloading your test results.
Step 6 – Begin Testing your HLT in PA-SIIS UAT. Once you have five or less errors in your HL7 using the NIST tool, begin testing in PA-SIIS UAT using the credentials assigned to your clinic from one of our registry specialists. Our registry specialist will also provide you with a set of scenarios for you to use for testing purposes.
Step 7 – Request that a Registry Specialist Review Your HL7 Messaging to Complete UAT Testing. Once you have successfully conducted your independent testing in Step 6, send an email to ra-dhPASIIS@pa.gov to request that a registry specialist be assigned to support you through the final round of UAT testing. The registry specialist will coordinate a testing date with you and provide the final set of scenarios to be transmitted on the testing date.
Step 8 – Promotion to PA-SIIS Production Environment. Once you have successfully completed testing in PA-SIIS’s UAT environment, the registry specialist will verify your clinic ID and provide you with credentials to transmit HL7 messages to PA-SIIS. Refer to the Troubleshooting Connectivity Issues to PA-SIIS – A Guide for HL7 Providers to resolve any connectivity issues.
The registry specialist will meeting with you prior to going live in PA-SIIS to review the self-auditing requirements as listed in the Request to Transmit Vaccination Data Through HL7 form.