CDSi Resources

Quick Guide

1

Using the Test Cases

Created in Microsoft Excel format, Test Cases ensure, through a representative set of scenarios, that your Clinical Decision Support (CDS) engines are providing consistent and accurate Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices 

(ACIP) recommendations.

This quick guide provides the steps to:

• Understand the Test Cases Spreadsheet

• Filter Test Cases in Microsoft Excel

• Execute Test Cases

Understand the Test Cases Spreadsheet

To filter and execute Test Cases, you must first understand the Test Cases spreadsheet. Test Cases, provided in Excel 

format, contain four main sections:

1. Test Case Information

2. Patient Information

3. Immunization History

4. Forecast

Each row represents a single Test Case.

1 Test Case Information – These fields provide high-level information about the Test Case.

Column Field Name Description

A CDC_Test_ID Simple numerical identifier for the Test Case.

B Test_Case_Name Human-readable test name to briefly describe the Test 

Case.

BC Vaccine_Group The Vaccine Group being tested with the Test Case.

BD Assessment_Date

Date which should be used during evaluation and forecasting rather than the current date. This is used to help with 

Test Cases which would become invalid over time.

Used to categorize the Test Case. This will allow testers to 

focus in on categories of tests as needed. Evaluation test 

types are:

Age: Below Absolute Minimum

Age: At Absolute Minimum

Age: At Minimum

Age: At Recommended

Age: Too Old

BE Evaluation_Test_Type
2

Column Field Name Description

Interval: Below Absolute Minimum

Interval: At Minimum

Interval: At Recommended

Gender: Invalid Administration

No Doses Administered

Single Antigen Administration

Vaccine: Invalid Usage

Vaccine: Off Label

All Valid: Forecast Test

Extra Doses

BE (continued) Evaluation_Test_Type

BF Date_Added Date the Test Case was created. Date format: MM/DD/YYYY 

(e.g., 01/01/2015).

BG Date_Updated Date the Test Case was changed. Date format: MM/DD/

YYYY (e.g., 01/01/2015).

Used to categorize the Test Case. This will allow testers to 

focus on categories of tests as needed. Forecast test types 

are:

Recommended based on age

Recommended based on interval

Recommended based on minimum interval from invalid 

dose

Recommended based on minimum interval from previous 

dose (catch-up)

Recommended based on minimum interval from live virus 

vaccine

Recommended based on seasonal start date

Not Recommended: series complete

Not Recommended: too old

Not Recommended: contraindication

Not Recommended: immune

BH Forecast_Test_Type

BI Reason_For_Change As Test Cases are changed, this field is used to document 

the reason the Test Case was changed.

BJ Changed_In_Version This field documents the most recent Test Case version.

Measure of the patients status in relationship to presumed 

immunity. Series Status values are:

Not Complete

Complete

Immune

Contraindicated

H Series_Status
3

2 Patient Information – These fields provide specific non-immunization-related data important to the Test Case.

Column Field Name Description

C DOB Date of birth of the patient. DOB format: MM/DD/YYYY 

(e.g., 01/01/2000).

D Gender Gender of the patient. Either M or F (Male or Female)

E Med_History_Text

Human readable description of a known relevant medical 

history associated with this patient which may indicate a 

contraindication or immunity.

F Med_History_Code Coded value which represents the medical history text.

G Med_History_Code_Sys

Coding system associated with the coded value. In alignment with the CDC Implementation guide for HL7 messaging the coding systems include SNOMED CT (identified as 

SCT) and PHINVADS (identified as CDCPHINVS).

3 Immunization History – These fields provide the patient’s immunizations and expected evaluation status for 

each immunization.

 Tip: Each field ends in X in the following table. The X is a placeholder for 1 through 7 for 

each vaccine dose administered and the data associated with it. Vaccine names, CVX 

codes, and MVX codes are based on the following CDC resource: IIS Vaccine Code Sets 

(http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/iis/code-sets.html).

Column Field Name Description

I Date_Administered Date vaccine dose was administered. Date format: MM/DD/

YYYY (e.g., 01/01/2000).

J Vaccine_Name_X Human readable trade name or the unspecified formulation of the vaccine.

K CVX_X Coded value to define the type of vaccine. Together with 

MVX the trade name can be inferred.

L MVX_X

Coded value to define the manufacturer of the vaccine. 

Together with CVX the trade name can be inferred. If an 

unspecified formulation is used, no MVX is specified.

M Evaluation_Status_X

Expected evaluation status (Valid, Not Valid, Extraneous) 

of the vaccine dose administered based on the ACIP 

recommendations. In the case of a combination shot, the 

Expected Evaluation Status is related to the Vaccine Group 

targeted by the particular Test Case. The other components 

of the combination vaccine are tested in their respective 

Vaccine Group Test Cases.

N Evaluation_Reason_X

Provides further information as to why the dose administered was not valid. In the case of a combination shot, the 

reason is related to the Vaccine Group targeted by the particular Test Case. The other components of the combination 

vaccine are tested in their specific Vaccine Group Test Cases.

O-AX Vaccine Doses Administered 2 through 7. This is a repetition 

of fields I - N.
4

4 Forecast – These fields provide the patient’s forecasted dates, if appropriate, for the next target dose in the 

patient series.

Tip: Since each Test Case is focused on a single vaccine group, there will be one set of

forecasted dates for the vaccine group.

Column Field Name Description

Target Dose being forecasted. If Target Doses 1 and 2 have 

been satisfied, the Target Dose Number being forecasted 

would be Target Dose Number 3. If the patient no longer 

requires a dose (complete, immune, contraindication), the 

forecast_# is set to “-“.

AY Forecast_# 

Earliest point in time which the next vaccine dose could be 

administered and still be considered valid. This does not 

include the 4-day grace period. Date format: MM/DD/YYYY 

(e.g., 01/01/2000).

AZ Earliest_Date

BA Recommended_Date Date at which the next vaccine dose administered should 

be given. Date format: MM/DD/YYYY (e.g., 01/01/2000).

Date at which the patient is considered overdue for 

their immunization. Date format: MM/DD/YYYY (e.g., 

01/01/2000).

BB Past_Due_Date

Filter Test Cases in Microsoft Excel

1 Select the column you wish to filter from the 2

1

Test Cases Excel file.

Click Data > Filter. The column refreshes 

displaying a drop-down menu arrow.

2
5

3 Click the drop-down menu arrow to display 

the Text Filters.

4 Check the box of each desired filter.

5 Click 

3

4

5

Execute Test Cases

1 Determine the Test Cases to execute: Select the Test Case information you would like to execute (e.g., the 

entire set of Test Cases, a specific vaccine group, a type of evaluation test, and/or a type of forecast test) by 

using the Filter option in Excel. Note: See the section above entitled “Filter Test Cases in Microsoft Excel.”

2 Prepare the Test Case data: Convert the Test Case data into a format that loads in your CDS-engine, then 

export into the CDS engine preferred format.

3 Execute the Test Cases: Determine the steps to take before loading the Test Cases into your CDS engine.

 

Tip: These steps could vary greatly between systems. Some systems might be able to 

directly call their evaluation and forecasting engines, while other systems might require 

data to be loaded prior to executing the Test Cases in their evaluation and forecasting 

engines.

4 Validate the results: Using the Test ID column, confirm you got the right answer. 

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/iis/cdsi.html