New CMR: Creating a New Morbidity Record

This guide offers a comprehensive walkthrough for creating a Confidential Morbidity Record (CMR) in EpiTrax, ensuring accurate and efficient data entry. By following these detailed steps, users can avoid common pitfalls, such as duplicate records, and ensure that all necessary patient information is correctly captured. With tips for navigating the system and managing data effectively, this guide is essential for public health professionals aiming to maintain accurate morbidity records.

71 steps

Logging In

Navigate to the Kansas EpiTrax webpage at [https://epitrax.kdhe.ks.gov/](https://kdhe.ks.gov/) and sign in with your credentials.

If you forgot your password, need help with your multifactor authentication, or you are having any other sign on issues, email EpiTrax at [kdhe.epitraxadmin@ks.gov](mailto:kdhe.epitraxadmin@ks.gov) during business hours.

New CMR

After signing in, click "**NEW CMR**" in the top right corner to create a new *Confidential Morbidity Record* (CMR).

Click on the "**Last name**" field and type in the patient's last name.

Type in the patient's first name in the "**First name**" field. Avoid using aliases or nicknames. Instead use the patient's legal or full name if known.

Enter the patient's date of birth in the "**DOB**" field.

To finish your search query, under "**Birth sex**" click on the drop down arrow.

Select the patient's birth sex. In this training example, we will select "*male"*.

Now click **[[Search]]**. The system will then search EpiTrax to determine if the patient already has a person account or if one needs to be created.

**Alert!** Only using a patient's phone number or date of birth will not yield sufficient query results and may result in creating duplicate person accounts in EpiTrax. Always search using a patient's first and last name and date of birth. For better search results, also enter the patient's birth sex and phone number.

If your search returns the response ***No People Found*** (outlined in yellow for this training), click **[[+ Create Person and CMR]]**. This will create a new person account and morbidity record for your patient.

If multiple person accounts potentially match your patient, the results will be sorted by search score, with the highest scores listed first. A higher star count indicates a better match.

Users can only access and view disease conditions authorized by their EpiTrax permissions. In some cases, a patient may appear with no morbidity or contact records (listed as 0). This does not mean the person has no records, but rather that the user lacks the necessary permissions to view them.

Click on a *person's name* to see additional details to confirm if this is a match.

Next, click the "**chevron**" by the *Demographic* heading to review this person's addresses, sex, gender, and other demographic fields.

Once you verify this person is a match, select **[[+ CMR]]** to add a new morbidity record for the selected person account.

Before creating a new CMR, check the person's current morbidity and contact records to ***avoid creating duplicates***. If no records match, continue on.

Select the date the notifiable disease report was received in the ***First reported to public health*** field by clicking on the "**calendar icon**". Click on "**Current Date**" to auto-populate the current date and close the pop-up.

**Tip!** Using the calendar icon will help ensure you are entering the correct date for when the report was received. This is especially helpful at the start of a new calendar year so that you do not accidentally use the previous year when manually typing.

Use the "**Disease**" drop down to select the disease condition. \ In this training example, we will select "*Acute Flaccid Myelitis*" as our disease condition.

Use the "**Investigating Agency**" drop down to select the county that the patient resides in for the local health department to investigate. In this training example, we will select "*Allen County*" as the investigating agency.

**Tip!** Local health departments can only access records assigned to their agency. If you need to create a new CMR for a person who does not reside in your jurisdiction, select your county as the investigating agency. After creating the record, route the case to the appropriate jurisdiction based on the patient's residence.

**Tip!** If no address is reported for the patient, assign the investigating agency based on the county where the ordering provider is located. If that detail is unknown, use the performing lab's county.

Click **[[Save & Continue]]** to create the morbidity record. EpiTrax will generate a record and then load the CMR in edit mode.

Demographic Tab

Review the spelling of the *patient's name* and their *date of birth*--make changes as necessary.

Record the patient's address by typing in the "**street**" details.

Type in the name of the "**City**".

Use the drop down arrow from the "**State**" field.

For this training example, we will click "*Kansas*".

Once you select the state, EpiTrax will run an address verification. If the address is found the ***Zip code*** and ***County*** will auto-populate and *Verified address* will display.

**Alert!** The address verification service formats addresses to match address standardization (e.g., abbreviating ‘Street’ to ‘St.’) and is not a residence or occupancy verification system.

**Tip!** If an address is not found by the verification service, enter the ZIP code and County manually.

Click the calendar icon in "**Earliest known**" field.\ Click "**Current Date**" to populate today's date and to close the date selector.

Once all address details are entered, click **[[Save as Address at Diagnosis]]**

Type in the "**phone number**" in the *Telephones* section.

Click the calendar icon in "**Earliest known**" field.\ Click "**Current Date**" to populate today's date and to close the date selector.

Use the "***Note***" text field to enter any relevant details about the phone number such as specifying this is the emergency contact or parent/guardian's number.

In the *Demographics* section, use the drop down area under "**Birth sex**".\ For this training example, we will click on "*Male*".

Click on the drop down arrow under "**Ethnicity**".\ For this training example, we will click on "*Not Hispanic or Latino*".

Click the drop down menu option from the "**Race**" field selecting all options that apply.\ In this training example, we will click on "*White*".

Click **[[Save & Continue]]**

**Tip!** Always click on **Save & Continue** after entering any data and before going to another tab. This will ensure none of your data is lost.

Clinical Tab

Proceed to the "***Clinical***" tab to enter required clinical fields.

Enter the healthcare facility details by clicking on **[[+ Facility / Clinician]]**

Specify the "**visit type**", if known.\ In this training example, we will select "*Outpatient*".

Under "**Health facility**", type in the *facility name* and press [[enter]] to search for facilities.

In this training example, we will click on "*Ascension Via Christi Hospital Pittsburg*" from the search results window.

Under "***Visit start***" click on the **calendar icon** to open the date selector.\ Select the "***date of office visit*** or ***admission date***".

Under "***Visit end***" click on the **calendar icon** to open the date selector.\ Select the "***date of office visit*** or ***discharge date***".

If known, enter in the patient's "***medical record numbe****r*" for this facility.

Click **[[Save & Continue]]**

**Tip!** If you do not see a result show up for a healthcare facility email [kdhe.epitraxadmin@ks.gov](mailto:kdhe.epitraxadmin@ks.gov) to request the healthcare facility be added to EpiTrax.

**Tip!** If there are more than one facility IDs that display you may select any that meet your search criteria.

Laboratory Tab

Proceed to the "***Laboratory***" tab to enter any lab reports.

**Tip!** Local health department users should not enter lab results. To request a lab result entered into the patient's record send an email notification to [kdhe.epitraxadmin@ks.gov](mailto:kdhe.epitraxadmin@ks.gov) along with the record number. Ensure the lab results have been uploaded into the "Notes" tab. You do not need to email a copy of the lab report.

Click **[[+ Add Lab]]**

Under "**Performing lab**", type in the *laboratory name* and press [[enter]].

In this training example, we will click on "*MAWD Pathology Group*" from the search results window.

Under **Ordering facility**, type in the facility name and press ***[[enter]]***. Click on the applicable facility ID to select.

Enter the *specimen collection date* *time* under the "**Collection date time**" field.

Select the "**specimen source**" from the drop down menu.\ In this training example, we will click on "*Sputum*"*.*

Type in the "**specimen ID** or **accession number**".

Select the "**test type**" from the drop down menu.\ In this training example, we will click on "*IgG Antibody*"*.*

Select the "**organism**" from the drop down menu.\ In this training example, we will click on "*Coxsackievirus*"*.*

Select the laboratory "**test result**" from the drop down menu.\ In this training example, we will click on "*Positive / Reactive*"*.*

Enter a "**result value**", if applicable. For example, "*>11*".

Under "**Test status**" select the applicable response.\ For this training example, we will click on "*Preliminary result*".

Enter the *specimen test date* *time* under the "**Lab test date time**" field.

Click **[[Save & Continue]]**

Notes Tab

Proceed to the "***Notes***" tab to upload any laboratory or faxed reports.

Click **[[+ Attachment]]**

From the drop down options, select the "**Category**" of the document you want to upload.\ In this training example, we will select "*Kansas Reportable Disease Form*".

Click **[[+ attachment uploader]]**

Select the file from your computer.

Click **[[Open]]** to confirm your selection.

Click **[[upload the selected file(s)]]**

After uploading, a banner will display confirming the upload succeeded.

Click **[[Save & Continue]]**

Administrative Tab

Proceed to the "***Administrative***" tab to enter admin details.

Select the "**State case status**" from the drop down options.\ In this training example, we will select "*Pending*".

**Alert!** LHD users will not be able to select a state case status. Instead, select the status from the *LHD case status* drop down menu.

**Tip!** Always use ***Pending*** for the state case status unless the disease's specific data entry SOP instructs otherwise.

Final Steps

Click **[[Save & Exit]]** once you are finished.

**Alert!** Never use the "X" button on your browser window when finished or clicking one of the options in the top right, for example the CMR Search option. **Always select "Save & Exit" when finished.** This will ensure no data is lost and that your lock on the patient is properly removed so that others may access the patient and the patient's other EpiTrax records.

New CMR: Creating a New Morbidity Record

71 steps