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Interface Control Document (ICD) Transfer Program
(ITP)
ITP Quick Links:
The ITP is an alternative to the Integrated Querying and Reporting
Service (IQRS) for those users who wish to receive machine-readable
responses. This interface is ideal for large volume queriers and
reporters who wish to use their own transaction processing systems
and want to interface those systems with the NPDB-HIPDB. View the
Fact
Sheet on Interface Control Document Transfer Program (ITP)  .
Queries, reports and Proactive Disclosure Service (PDS) transactions must be submitted through the ITP client
program in a pre-defined American Standard Code for Information
Interchange (ASCII) text file format, outlined in the installation
instructions and the ITP files.
Response files are downloaded using the ITP client program.
Response files will be available for download within an average
of two to four hours of receipt by the Data Bank(s). Under
certain circumstances, additional processing may be required. Please
do not re-submit your query or report on the subject in question,
since this will result in duplicate transactions and duplicate fees.
If your submission file is not formatted properly, the Data Bank(s)
may not be able to process the file. If you do not receive your
response within two business days of submission, please contact
the Customer Service Center.
Using the ITP interface requires:
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Java Runtime Environment (JRE), available as a free download
from Sun
Microsystem's Java web site.
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Installation of a Java client provided by the Data Banks: Links
to an installation instructions file and the zip file containing
the ITP client program and associated files necessary for execution
of the ITP are available below.
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ITP File Format Specifications:
The ITP file format specifications will be updated on June 16, 2008. The future versions of the specifications are provided below.
Submission and response file formats are defined in the Interface
Control Documents (ICD). There are separate
file formats for submitting each report type, queries and PDS transactions. Be sure to use the appropriate ICD document for the type
of transaction you wish to submit.
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Registration for the ITP
Mailing List. The ITP file format is updated periodically
by the Data Banks. It is strongly recommended that users join
the ITP Mailing List
to receive notice of updates. The Data Banks make an effort
to notify users at least one month in advance of an update to
code lists. Users should expect code lists to be updated quarterly.
Additional updates to the ITP file formats are required periodically.
Users will be notified six months in advance of updates to the
ITP file formats. If you are already registered for the ITP
Mailing List and would like to be removed, contact the Customer
Service Center.
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ITP users are encouraged to use the sample response files to format their response data.
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New users are strongly encouraged to contact the Customer
Service Center regarding their use of the ITP interface. Test
submission files may be sent to the Customer Service Center for
validation. The Data Banks will process your test file and return
a response via e-mail. If you are using the ITP interface to submit
queries, be aware that the ITP test database does contain several
test reports. You may query on subjects identified in these reports
and receive a matched query response to test your system.
For more information on how to use the ITP file formats, see the
ITP FAQs page.
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