Please explain what CA means in the column header

[Kee Kee]

Hello.. can you please tell me what 'CA' stands  for in this spreadsheet.  This spreadhseet is obtained from going to 'documentation', then selecting ' ELR Test Case Management Spreadsheet'.  When you open the spreadsheet, there is a column labeled 'CA'.  Can you please tell me what 'CA' stands for?

Thank you!

[sheryl...@nist.gov]

Thank you for your question.

The ELR_Data_V1.0_JAN14-2014_EH.xlsx spreadsheet that is posted on the Documentation tab of the NIST ELR Validation Tool is a worksheet that NIST used internally while the 2014 Edition of the ELR Tool was being developed. The notations you are asking about were used as NIST created standardized “Categorizations” that ultimately were listed on the Message Content sheet, which is found on the Message Content tab associated with each Test Step in the Test Cases for the Context-based Validation. These Categorizations are used by the tool for validation of messages. You don’t need to be concerned about the content of the spreadsheet in order to use the ELR Validation Tool, but here is the information you requested:

Column Header:  CA = Conformity Assessment or Categorization

Values:

• PC = Profile Constraint (i.e., the constraint that is in the Profile) applies for this field in the message
• R = Required, a Value must be included for this field in the message
• RV = Required Value, a specific Value is required for this field in the message
• I = Ignore, test tool doesn’t check for any Value to be included for this field in the message

 The NIST ELR Validation Tool is used for both 2014 and 2015 Edition ONC Certification Testing, and this tool’s framework was not updated for the 2015 Edition because ONC did not change the named standard in their 2015 ELR certification criterion.

 However, since ONC did change the named standard for the 2015 immunization certification criterion, the Immunization Test Suite (found here https://hl7v2-iz-r1-5-testing.nist.gov/iztool/#/home  ) that NIST developed for 2015 Edition certification testing uses a newer framework for that tool. Included in that newer framework are Help tools. One such Help tool that you might find informative explains about “Test Data Categorizations” used by the tool for validation of messages and represents the ultimate result from NIST refining the “CA” information in the ELR spreadsheet. This Help tool can be accessed in the Immunization Test Suite if you (1) go to the Context-based Validation, (2) select a Test Step, (3) open the Message Content tab, (4) click on the Help button.