FAQ
User Access and Registration
I have questions about completing the IDSM User Registration form, who can I contact?
For assistance, please contact the eHealth Services Provider Support at :
1-855-643-8649 or eHealthProviderSupport@gov.ab.ca.
I submitted my IDSM user access registration form more than 2 weeks ago and no credentials have been received?
Completing the form electronically and completely following all instructions decreases the time it takes to process a user access request. Forms are processed in the same order that they are received.
If you have not heard back about your user registration within four weeks, please contact eHealth Services Provider Support at eHealthProviderSupport@gov.ab.ca or call 1-855-643-8649 for an update.
Do I need a RSA Remote Access account to access IDSM?
Anyone who accesses IDSM from outside of the Alberta Health or Alberta Health Services network will require a Remote access Account with Alberta Health Services and a remote access token in order to access IDSM. If you already access systems like Netcare, you already have one and do not need another.
If you do not access other systems like Netcare you can request a hard or a soft token as part of your IDSM User Access Request. Click here to access resources to help decide which is the best option for you or your business.
Can any staff member be registered to access IDSM or only a custodian?
Any staff member can be registered but must be authorized for access by a custodian. The custodian must sign the IDSM User Registration Form. Custodians can authorize their own access. A Custodian can be a Registered Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Physician or Pharmacist.
Changes in staffing of IDSM users at a work place.
It is the Sites/Custodian’s responsibility to notify Alberta Health of staffing changes regarding IDSM usage. Please use the User Access Registration form to submit a change in a user’s status or remove a users’ access to IDSM.
If that person is associated with multiple locations. Their ID will not be disabled until all of the sites associated with them have submitted the same request.
I work at more than once place. Do I need an IDSM account for each site?
Only One IDSM user account will be issued to one person regardless of the number of sites they work at. We encourage IDSM users in this situation to associate their IDSM ID with an email are able to access from all sites.
Access to IDSM will not be disabled unless all sites associated with your ID have requested a removal of access.
I need to change something about my IDSM User ID. Example – my last name, my email address. What do I do?
We cannot process a change to a User ID from requests submitted in the form of an email. You must submit a IDSM User Access Request form indicating the change. Please follow the instructions on the Access & User Registration page.
Do you need access to AVI in order to access IDSM and vice versa?
No, the Alberta Vaccine Inventory system (AVI) and the Immunization Direct Submission Mechanism (IDSM) user registration processes are not linked. Both user registration processes are independent of each other as are the two systems.
Are there any pre-requisites that must be met prior to registering for IDSM access? Is there a PIA requirement?
There is no PIA requirement to use the IDSM application. A health provider/custodian (physician, pharmacist, or nurse) must authorize the access by signing the IDSM User Registration Form (URF). A custodian can self-authorize their own access to the IDSM application.
Using IDSM to report to Alberta Health
I am having trouble with the IDSM and cannot submit the immunization information, who can I contact?
Please review the IDSM training material. If you need additional assistance, please contact the eHealth Services Provider Support team at : 1-855-643-8649 or eHealthProviderSupport@gov.ab.ca
When I am administering COVID-19 Immunization, do I use IDSM to submit the information to Alberta Health?
Anyone who has administered COVID-19 Immunizations OUTSIDE of Pharmacy or OUTSIDE of AHS Public Health SHOULD USE IDSM to submit COVID-19 Immunization records.
Anyone who has administered COVID-19 Immunizations FROM A of Pharmacy or WITHIN AHS Public Health SHOULD NOT use the IDSM to submit COVID-19 Immunizations.
As a professional administering an immunization, is my name associated with the dose provided when entering the immunization into the IDSM?
The IDSM application does not record who administered the vaccine. It is expected that the full information of this person be captured in internal clinical documentation. The user who logs into the IDSM and enters the immunization is recorded for auditing purposes.
I use CII/CPAR and upload immunization information to the Community Encounter Digest. Does this satisfy the Immunization Regulations that came into effect January 1, 2021?
Unfortunately, no, immunization records that populate the CED are not uploaded to Alberta’s Immunization Repository and therefore do not populate the patient’s Alberta Netcare immunization record.
What is the difference between a historical immunization event and an immunization event?
A historical immunization event is an immunization event that was not administered in your clinic. Example – an immunization record is presented by a client from another country or province should be recorded using the historical immunization event tab.
An Immunization event is an immunization that was administered in your clinic and/or to which you have access to the clinical documentation (even if it occurred in the past).
I have immunized a client that does not have a Public Health Number (PHN) or Unique Lifetime Identifier (ULI) (example: an international student with no Alberta Health Care number). Can I enter it in IDSM?
The IDSM application can only accept immunization records where all mandatory data elements are entered. If a health practitioner does not have all of the data elements, they cannot submit a complete report of that immunization. If the client does not have a Unique Lifetime Identifier (ULI) or a Provincial Health Number (PHN) and receives an immunization service, it is encouraged that the health practitioner work with the client to obtain this information so it can be entered into the IDSM application.
The historical immunization record for my client is incomplete, illegible or in a language I cannot read. What do I do?
IDSM can only accept historical immunization records that are complete. If the client presents an immunization record that is incomplete, illegible, or in a different language than English it does not need to be submitted.
The drop down lists in IDSM do not contain a value I expect (example: Vaccine, Reason for Immunization). What do I do?
Please email health.imm@gov.ab.ca for assistance and provide what value you are expecting to see.
I made a mistake when I entered information into IDSM. How do I correct it?
Step 1: Start an email to health.immdataquery@gov.ab.ca
Add a subject line of Immunization Data Correction <enter your site name here>
Step 2: Tell us about the changes you need made to the data you submitted through IDSM.
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- Use one row for each data correction to be made.
- DO NOT INCLUDE ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION
- If any personal information needs to be corrected, AH will call you to obtain this information
- Please provide the following information for each correction:
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- Batch Number: The number that displays on the page when you click submit in the green bar.
- Date Batch Submitted: the date you clicked Submit on the record you need to change.
- Field where mistake was made: write the label of the field where you made the mistake here example: Reason for Immunization.
- Change requested: Write a short description about what the correct value should be. Example: Change Reason for Immunization to "Occupational".
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| Batch Number | Date Batch | Field where mistake was made | Change requested |
Step 3: Tell us who to contact if we have questions.
Paste the following text into your email and replace the text with your information
Best contact person for questions regarding this error.
- Person's Name: < Your name here>
- Phone Number: <Your phone number here>
- Email Address: <Your email address here>
Policy and Operational Changes
I used to fax forms into Alberta Health Services to report immunizations. Do I still need to do that if I use IDSM?
You no longer need to fax forms in if you are using IDSM.
Do I have to start entering all the Influenza vaccinations we administer into IDSM?
For the 2020-2021 season, given that most influenza immunization will have been administered by January 1st, 2021, the current aggregate reporting to AHS is sufficient and no entry into the IDSM application is required.
For the 2021-2022 influenza season, the expectation is that all influenza doses be entered into the IDSM application if no other means are available to your organization (excluding pharmacy doses which we will get from Alberta Blue Cross billing).
Do I have to report all immunizations, including travel immunizations?
All administered immunizations, whether provincially funded or privately purchased, must be reported to Alberta Health. For example, as per the reporting requirements outlined in the Immunization Regulation, all privately purchased immunization such as travel immunizations and occupational health and safety immunizations must be reported.
Do immunizations need to be reported if service providers do not receive their vaccine supply from Alberta Health?
Yes. The Immunization Regulation applies to all immunization services in Alberta. This includes both provincially funded and privately purchased immunizations.
Are health practitioners required to report an assessment if the appointment is cancelled or the individual does not show up to the appointment?
A cancelled immunization appointment should be rebooked. Nothing needs to be entered into IDSM at that time.
Do all immunizations administered prior to January 2021 need to be entered retroactively?
Retroactive reporting is not required unless it is pertinent to the client as they present for immunization services.
