Advanced Topics in TER –

for Local Registrars

Agenda

Record Status Screen

Ownership of Records

Rejected Records

What To Do When Errors Occur

Local Registrar Print Queue

FAQ’s

Your Questions

Record Status Screen

From the Utilities menu, click on ‘Record Status’

The Record Status Screen provides a way to see a list of death records in your jurisdiction that are not yet fully processed. This will include records that have not yet appeared in the local acceptance

queue but that have been designated to your jurisdiction.

Filters allow you to limit the view to a group of records that meet a certain criteria. Records can be accessed by any of the filter options shown.

• Electronic Demo Not Released – records that have been designated to a participating medical certifier, but have not been completed and released by a funeral home

• Electronic Med Not Released – records that have been designated to a participating medical certifier, but have not been completed and released by that certifier

Click the Print button

Select the ‘Electronic Demo

Not Released’ filter

Creates your ‘Electronic Demo Not

Released’ report

Place of Death Funeral

Home

Medical Certifier

Status of Release Points

Click to Print

Filters allow you to limit the view to a group of records that meet a certain criteria. Records can be accessed by any of the filter options shown.

• DTP Demo Not at Local – records that have been dropped to paper by the funeral home but not assigned a local file number and file date

• Local Not Released – records that were entered by the local registrar and that have some missing data fields that need to be filled in

Filters allow you to limit the view to a group of records that meet a certain criteria. Records can be accessed by any of the filter options shown.

• All Local Pending – all records designated to the local registration area and not yet assigned a local file number or file date. This will include drop-to-paper and all electronic records. This is the “report of death” filter.

• Search Results – records that are retrieved by a Search conducted from the Record Status Screen

The screen displays the EDR #, the Date of Death, Name of the Deceased, and the name of the Funeral Home initiating the record.

This record shows that the funeral home has not

released the record (Demo Released)

The medical certifier has been designated (Medical Office), so

we know it will be an “all electronic” record

The Medical Office has not released the

record yet

We can view more information about the death record using the EDR # and our Search function

Click the Search icon

Go to Local Registration

Enter the EDR #

Click ‘Find’

Click on the row to

highlight

Click ‘Select Record(s)

The record will be displayed

Click the Print icon and ‘Report

of Death’

A local registration office can print a Report of Death if desired.

Click on Print icon

“Ownership” of TER Records

Please note – once the Local Registrar has accessed a record in TER and clicked SAVE, the funeral home and/or medical certifier can no longer access that record

“Ownership” of TER Records

Even if you do not enter any information, clicking SAVE takes possession of the record and locks the record to all other TER users

If you are viewing a record, but it is not ready to be processed by your office – DO NOT SAVE

“Ownership” of TER Records

If the Local Registrar has taken possession of a record, but the funeral home needs to DTP again:Contact Help-TER@dshs.state.tx.us to

request that the record be unlockedThe local registrar will access the record

from the Search function after the new record is presented for registration

Rejected DTP Records

Reviewing

Rejecting Records from Your Office

Rejections from VSU

Reminder About Reviewing… Always review

before entering a record into TER

EDR # DTP #

DTP # at bottom of Death Certificate must match

DTP # on TER

Reviewing

If you are not accepting the record for filing, do not click SAVE in TER

By clicking SAVE, even without entering any information, the Local Registrar “assumes possession” of the TER record which prevents the Funeral Home from accessing to make corrections or to reprint (DTP)

Returning Records

Return the record to the funeral home with a full explanation of the reason for return

The funeral home is responsible for insuring the DTP number matches

In general, do not refer the funeral home to VSU for instructions – they must recreate their record

Returning Records

Provided you did not SAVE the record in TER, the funeral home can then:Access the TER record through the Search

functionDe-verify the recordVerify the record again, which will generate

a new DTP formHave the certifier complete the recordReturn to your office for filing

Returning Records If you SAVED the record, but did not RELEASE it

to the state, you can Decline the record: Access the TER record from your unresolved

queue Click ‘Decline’ Enter the reason for the decline Submit

The record will now appear in the funeral home’s Unresolved Records queue

1. Access record from Work Queue

2. Click the ‘Decline Record’

icon

Click ‘Yes’

Enter reason for Decline Click ‘Submit’

Rejections from VSU

Return the record to the funeral home with a full explanation of the reason for return

You can include a copy of the rejection letter you received from VSU

Upon request, VSU can redirect the record back to the funeral home’s queue

Remember…

If VSU electronically returns the record to the funeral home –You can no longer access the record in TER

until you are electronically re-designated by the funeral home

Your LFN and File date will be removed from the electronic record

Rejections from VSU Returned Records

When the Funeral Home returns the record to the Local Registrar, the record must be accessed through Local Registration by using the Search Function

The Local Registrar will click on the binocular icon or click on FIND from the Registration drop-down menu

From the Search screen, enter information to locate the record, bring the record to the screen, and enter the Local File Number and File Date

Release the record to the State for further processing

Click the Search icon

Go to Local Registration

Enter your Local File Number

Enter your File Date

Click Save

What To Do When Errors Occur

LFN Errors

Returned Records

Data Entry Errors

Duplicate Entries

What To Do When Errors Occur

LFN ErrorsIf you discover that you have made an

error in entering a Local File Number, or

Local File Date

What To Do When Errors Occur

LFN ErrorsContact Help-TER@dshs.state.tx.usProvide information to identify the record

• Name, Date of Death, Place of Death

• Or EDR # and NameProvide the correct informationIf the record is not all-electronic, TER staff

will make the necessary corrections

What To Do When Errors Occur

LFN ErrorsDepending on timing, we may not be able

to correct an LFN on an all-electronic record (for example, if we have issued certified copies)

Corrections may be delayed, depending upon accessibility of the record

What To Do When Errors Occur

Returned RecordsIf the record was entered manually and

there will be no changes to the information entered by the Local Registrar other than Date Filed

• Contact Help-TER@dshs.state.tx.us with the new file date

• TER staff will make the necessary corrections

What To Do When Errors Occur

Data Entry ErrorsIf the Local Registrar notices an error in their

data entry prior to releasing the record to the state, simply go back to the field and enter the correct information

If an error is noted after releasing the record, contact Help-TER@dshs.state.tx.us

• Provide the information to identify the record and the correction needed

What To Do When Errors Occur

Data Entry ErrorsDO NOT use the DECLINE RECORD

function in order to enter a new record with the correct information

DECLINE RECORD should ONLY be used in the event that a record was designated to your office and the death DID NOT occur in your registration area

What To Do When Errors Occur

Duplicate EntriesIf you notice multiple entries for the same

person, notify Help-TER@dshs.state.tx.us• We will help you determine which is the

appropriate record to use

You may be contacted regarding duplicate entries

Local Registrar Print Queue

Local Registrar Print Queue

Locals using TER now receive birth, death, and medical amendments, and new records based on adoption and paternity, via TER

Amendments are available to you immediately upon filing with VSU

Effective for amendments filed as of June 13, 2007

Local Registrar Print Queue

1. If this is your first time using the Local Registrar Print Queue, you must first set your printers for all of the forms you will be able to print from the Local Registrar Print Queue.  The forms you will need to set up are:

• Amendment to Certificate of Birth-VS171;• Birth Certificate-VS161; • DSHS Amendment Cover Letter; • Local Print Queue Listing; • Amendment to Certificate of Death-VS173; and • Amendment to Medical Certification-VS174.1.

From the Utilities Menu - Select ‘Printer Setup’

Set the printer for each report

indicated

Local Registrar Print Queue

2. Now you are ready to access the queue…

NOTE:You will do this from the Birth screen, even to

retrieve death amendments

Under Processing, click on ‘Birth’

Local Registrar Print Queue

3. The ‘Local Registrar Print Queue’ is under Queues on your toolbar

Local Registrar Print Queue

4. You will first print out a list of the records in the Local Registrar Print Queue by clicking on ‘Listing.’ This provides you with information on all of the records currently in the queue.

*** Please note: You will need to print the listing prior to printing any records from the queue. The listing may be your only method to determine which record is associated with each amendment or replacement record you will be printing.***

Click ‘Listing’ to generate a list of the

documents to be printed

Local Registrar Print Queue

You will be receiving the following records in your queue:Birth amendmentsReplacement records

• New records based on adoption• New records based on parentage

Death demographic amendmentsAmendments to Medical Certification of

Certificate of Death

Local Registrar Print Queue

5. Next, in the Document Filter drop-down field, select from the following: All Documents, Birth Amendments, Replacement Records, Death Demo Amendments, and Death Med Amendments.

Click the down arrow to view the filter list

Local Registrar Print Queue

You will NOT be receiving valid Disinterment Permits at this time

If you receive a Disinterment Permit in your queue, print it and destroy it

File copies of Disinterment Permits are still being mailed to local registrars

Local Registrar Print Queue

6. In the ‘In Queue’ drop down field, select the record you want to print and click ‘Print’.

Click the down arrow to view the records in queue.

Click on the desired record to bring to screen

Click the print icon to print the document

Local Registrar Print Queue

7. Repeat until all records have been printed for each type of document.

If you need a record re-sent because of a printing failure, send your request to Help-TER@dshs.state.tx.us. Please be sure to state in your email that you were accessing the record from the “Local Registrar Print Queue” so that the support person will know what type of record you are requesting.

Frequently Asked Questions

The record is grayed out, why can’t I access it?

The record is in my Local Acceptance queue, but I’m not certain it is my record. How can I view without filing?

How do medical amendments work in TER?

The place of death on a manual death certificate isn’t on the list. How do I add it?

The funeral home had to change the local registrar designation on their record and now the DTP counter doesn’t match.

The record is grayed out, why can’t I access it?

If the record is a DTP1. This usually happens when a medical certifier has

entered information or saved the record, but the record has been declined or relinquished and DTP’d.

What you should do1. Contact Help-TER with the EDR #, name on

record, and stating that you can bring the record up, but can’t enter your info.

2. We may be able to clear the medical fields, but only if there has not been too much activity on the record.

The record is grayed out, why can’t I access it?

If the record is all electronic1. First, be sure you are accessing the record from Local

Acceptance and not from Local Registration2. If you are in Local Acceptance, this is usually the opposite of

the previous situation. The funeral home (or medical certifier) dropped the record to paper, then it was “reverted” to all electronic.

What you should do1. Contact Help-TER with the EDR #, name on record, and

stating that the record is in your Local Acceptance queue, but that you can’t enter your info.

2. We may be able to clear the DTP counter to give you access, but only if there has not been too much activity on the record.

The record is in my Local Acceptance queue, but I’m not certain it is my record. How can I view without filing?

You can print a copy of the record from your Local Acceptance queue prior to entering your local file number and file date.

If the record is yours, you can then enter the filing information and complete your registration.

If the record is not yours, you can decline the record.

Click the print icon and select ‘DTP/Death

Certificate’ to print the document

This will NOT affect the DTP counter

How do Medical Amendments work in TER?

Medical certifiers can choose to participate in electronic medical amendments.

Only all-electronic death certificates can be electronically amended.

The medical certifier accesses the death record in TER, then enters the amended information and saves the record.

The amended information will not be reflected on the record until VSU has processed the amendment in-house.

• Amendments are processed by VSU daily. After VSU has processed the amendment, it will be sent to the

Local Registrar through the ‘Local Registrar Print Queue’ Local Registrars will continue to file paper Medical

Amendments as well. Paper (or manual) Medical Amendments will still be filed with the Local Registrar first, then mailed to VSU.

The place of death on a manual death certificate isn’t on the list in TER. How do I add it?

Unfortunately, users cannot add information to the place of death tables in TER.

Send the request to Help-TER. Please include the name of the facility and

the address, as well as the type of facility (hospital, nursing home, hospice, etc).

TER support staff will need to verify the facility information and will add it to the table.

The funeral home had to change the Local Registrar designation on their record and now the DTP counter doesn’t match.

If you are comfortable that the information on the record did not change, email Help-TER and request that the DTP counter be changed.

Please include the EDR number, the name on the record, and the number that you want the counter to be changed TO.

Otherwise, the funeral must have a new record completed and signed by the medical certifier.

Your Questions

Please use Help-TER@dshs.state.tx.us to request information or assistance

Monitored by multiple VSU TER staff Allows staff to obtain assistance from others

if needed in order to provide accurate responses

Help-TER Emails

Please include information in the Subject line that describes your general problem. Good Subject Lines

• Trouble Logging In• Need Place of Death Added• Cannot Access Death Record• LFN Correction

Not So Good Subject Lines• HELP• Death Certificate• <nothing>

Let us know who you are, what office you are with – and please include a telephone number. Sometimes we need to call rather than play “email tag.”

Your Questions

Thank you!