Indiana Death Registration System (IDRS)

1. Indiana Death Registration System(IDRS) Funeral Director Information Package

2. Modified Items Decedent’s race, captures multiple race identification Decedent’s education, captures highest degree attained Decedent’s marital status distinguishes ‘Married’ from ‘Married, but separated’ Place of death includes hospice facility New Items If female, pregnancy status at time of death that will help identify maternal and pregnancy-related deaths If transportation injury, decedent’s role with respect to vehicles Did tobacco use contribute to death Separate instructions for funeral director and medical data provider U.S. Standard Certificate of DeathRevised Version

3. Indiana Death Registration System • Purpose is to improve timeliness and quality of death registration • Enables participants of death registration to register death certificates with local and state registrars electronically • Provides for online access so decedent fact of death, cause of death, and demographic information can be entered by multiple death registration participants working on same case

4. Why the Need for IDRS? • Multiple participants involved • Funeral directors • Physicians • Coroners • Institutions, such as hospitals, nursing homes • State, and local registrars

5. Technological Advances • IDRS uses advances technology which offer opportunities for greater timeliness and efficiency in collecting and processing death certificates • Flexibility inherent in use of the Internet • Security offered by encryption and assurance of identity of participants by digital authentication systems • Real-time editing capabilities of computer applications to capture better quality death data

6. IDRS Features & Benefits • Facilitates online collaboration among multiple death registration system users • Improves the timeliness of registering death certificates • Eliminates the need to physically locate physician to obtain signature when physicians utilize the IDRS • Provides for paperless registration of the death certificate • Supports completion and registration of a death certificate that is partially electronic and partially paper • Improves quality of death data by automatically checking the accuracy and completeness of death data entered • Reduces errors related to decedent’s SSN by checking the SSA files for an SSN match

7. SSN Online Verification Process • SSN can be verified during the entry of death data prior to registration • Online verification integrated into IDRS • SSN electronically verified after key decedent data items entered: • Name • DOB • Gender • Social Security Number • Receive notification through the IDRS system about the accuracy of the SSN

8. SSN Online Verification Benefits • Reduces decedent’s SSN errors on death certificates prior to registration • Improves accuracy of SSN reported to SSA • Speeds notification of fact of death to SSA • Eliminates the need for funeral director to submit an SSA 721 form to SSA

9. SSN Online Verification Functionality • IDRS allows up to five attempts to receive a successful SSN verification • After fifth attempt to verify SSN for the same death record a message will be displayed indicating that the number of attempts to verify SSN has been exceeded • SSN field locked from further data entry after a successful SSN verification • If decedent name, DOB, or gender is modified after successful SSN verification, the SSN will need to be re-verified

10. SSN Online Verification Returned Messages • PASSED – The SSN for this decedent has been successfully verified with SSA. • FAILSSN – The SSN for this decedent did not pass verification with SSA. The SSN provided is not an established number and has never been issued by SSA. • FAILGENDER – The decedent’s SSN did not pass verification with SSA because the gender provided did not match the Social Security records. • FAILDOB – The decedent’s SSN did not pass verification with SSA because the date of birth provided did not match the Social Security records. • FAILDOBGENDER – The decedent’s SSN did not pass verification with SSA because the gender and date of birth provided did not match Social Security records.

11. SSN Online Verification Returned Messages (continued) • FAILNAME – The decedent’s SSN did not pass verification with SSA because the name provided does not match the Social Security records. This SSN may also belong to another individual. It is recommended that you re-check the decedent’s name and SSN before re-submitting your request. • AUTHUNAVAIL – The SSA Online Verification System was unable to perform the SSN verification request because the system may be unavailable at this time. Please try your request later. • INVALID – The decedent’s SSN could not be verified with the SSA because the SSN Online Verification System encountered an error with the format of the request. Please contact your representative at the Vital Statistics office for assistance.

12. SSN Online Verification Returned Messages (continued) • TRANIDERROR – The decedent’s SSN could not be verified with SSA because the SSN Online Verification System encountered an error. Please contact your representative at the Vital Statistics office for assistance. • BU01LINKFAIL – The decedent’s SSN could not be verified with SSA because the SSN Online Verification System encountered an error. Please contact your representative at the Vital Statistics office for assistance. • Note: The record can still be filed with any of the above error messages.

13. SSN Online Verification Hours of Operation • The SSA Online Verification System is operational during the following hours: Monday – Friday: 5am – 1am Eastern Time Saturday: 5am – 11pm Eastern Time Sunday: 8am – 10pm Eastern Time Federal Holidays: 5am – 11pm Eastern Time

14. Obtaining User ID and Password • Contact the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) • Sign an agreement with the ISDH that stipulates security and privacy rules for the IDRS • Administrator will assign a User ID and initial password • Funeral directors who electronically signs the death certificate will need an additional level of user authentication

15. IDRS Electronic Signature • IDRS will replace handwritten signatures on the death certificate with electronic authentication • Electronic authentication • Ensures the identity of the individual • Attests to the integrity of the death certificate • Guarantees that the information in the portion of the death certificate digitally signed has not changed • Required for the legal standing of the death certificate • Critical for fraud prevention

16. Beginning a Case • Funeral home staff who can start a new case include funeral directors and funeral home clerks • Funeral home starts case by entering key decedent identifying data • IDRS will determine if the case has already been started, either by: • Person attempting to start the case again • Another person at that funeral home • Another funeral home • A medical certifier or institution

17. Beginning a Case (continued) • If the case has not already been started • Funeral home enters decedent’s personal information • IDRS will validate the personal information, along with the SSN, for accuracy and completeness • Case can be saved as incomplete if the funeral home does not have all the personal information readily available • Case ready to be ‘electronically’ signed by the funeral director once all personal information has been entered and validated • Funeral home can use the IDRS to assign and/or notify the medical certifier responsible for certifying the cause of death

18. Beginning a Case (continued) • If case has already been started by the same person or another person working at the same funeral home, the user can: • Continue to work on the existing case • Start a new case if he/she thinks the existing case is not a duplicate of the case being started • Cancel the process • If the case has already been started by another funeral home, the user can: • Start a new case if he/she thinks the existing case is not a duplicate of the case being started • Cancel the process

19. Beginning a Case (continued) • If the case has already been started by an institution or medical certifier and is not owned by another funeral home, the user can: • Continue to work on the existing case • Start a new case if he/she thinks the existing case is not a duplicate of the case being started • Cancel the process

20. Completing Your Existing Case • Funeral home can complete the entry of decedent personal information for an existing case, using the IDRS • Funeral home enters decedent’s personal information • IDRS will validate the personal information, along with the SSN, for accuracy and completeness • Case ready to be ‘electronically’ signed by the funeral director once all personal information has been entered and validated • Funeral home can use the IDRS to assign and/or notify the medical certifier responsible for certifying the cause of death

21. Signing Personal Information • Funeral director can electronically sign the personal information for a case, using the IDRS • Personal information must be complete and validated prior to signature • IDRS requires a PIN authentication by the funeral director prior to signature • Once funeral directors signs the case electronically the record is available for drop to paper or the certifier can be notified electronically

22. Relinquishing a Case • When a case is started, the funeral home responsible for the personal information is considered the ‘owner’ of the case • If a funeral home other then the funeral home that started the case is now responsible for the personal information, then the first funeral home must relinquish ‘ownership’ of the case • Identifying funeral home information removed from the case • Personal information and medical information retained • Second funeral home can assume ‘ownership’ of the case after the first funeral home has relinquished ‘ownership’

23. Printing a Disposition Permit • Death certificate must be registered with the vital records office • Funeral home can print the disposition permit at their location after the death certificate is registered with the vital records office • NOTE: Burial Transmit Permits will be handled outside of the system until further notice

24. Trade Calls • Funeral home ‘one’ acts as a broker for funeral home ‘two’ (which may be an out-of-state funeral home) • Funeral home ‘one’ enters the decedent’s personal information, using the IDRS • Funeral home ‘one’ indicates it is performing a service for funeral home ‘two’ and enters the information identifying funeral home ‘two’ in the IDRS. (Additional Funeral Service Provider field)

25. Amending a Death Certificate • Funeral home must file an amendment with the vital records office to change personal information on a death certificate after the certificate has been registered • The funeral director who verified the record initially will access the record needing to be corrected by entering a PIN • Once the personal information has been changed and re-verified it is sent electronically to the appropriate local health department “work queue” to be accepted or rejected

26. Exporting Death Data • IDRS can download (export) decedent personal information from the IDRS into a Funeral Home Management Application • Reduces the need for the funeral home to perform duplicate data entry for the same case • Format for exporting the personal information will be pre-defined

27. IDRS Contact Information Indiana State Department of Health Vital Records Department Helpdesk: 317-233-7989 vrhelpdesk@isdh.in.gov www.vitalrecords.in.gov