What is Direct secure messaging?

Direct secure messaging is a secure service that allows health care providers, hospitals, labs, long-term care facilities, and other health care entities to securely share patient information and ensures that information is available when and where it’s needed to provide the best care for patients.

HealthIT.gov defines Direct as:

“[A] technical standard for exchanging health information between health care entities (e.g., primary care physicians, specialists, hospitals, clinical labs) in a trusted network. It is secure, easy-to-use, inexpensive, and approved for use by nationally recognized experts and organizations. Direct messaging functions like regular e-mail with additional security measures. Direct ensures that messages are only accessible to the intended recipient, per the privacy and security regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).”

Direct secure messaging:

• Enables sending and receiving secure messages and attachments containing patient clinical data through a national encryption standard
• Allows a provider or organization to rely less on fax, telephone, regular mail, or couriers to transfer patient clinical information
• Ensures receipt of a sent message via a “read receipt” when the message is opened
• Is accessible over the internet via a modern web browser; no additional software needed
• Can be used whether or not a clinic has an electronic health record system
• Is compliant with HIPAA security guidelines
• Includes audit logs that track the sender, receiver, date, and time a message is sent
• Is built on national standards developed through The Direct Project, which is sponsored by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC)

How can I use Direct secure messaging?

There are many ways that health care providers can use Direct secure messaging for coordination of care. Providers can share updated, electronic patient information with other providers. Direct secure messaging provides safer, more effective care tailored to your patients’ unique medical needs:

• You can securely share patients’ vital medical history wherever your patients are receiving care—specialists’ offices, labs, or emergency rooms.
• You can share information with other providers before your patient attends an appointment, ensuring better communication and higher quality health care.

Click here for more examples of how providers can coordinate care using Direct secure messaging.

CareAccord offers a provider directory to help providers connect with each other. After successful registration and approval of a CareAccord Direct secure messaging account, your information will be automatically added to the provider directory. CareAccord’s provider directory offers the following benefits:

• Allows users to search for other participating providers or organizations based on name, organizational association, location, or specialty
• Presents provider information, including name, specialty, mailing address, practice address, Direct secure messaging address, phone and fax numbers, and license information
• Allows users to view provider associations and hierarchical relationships
• Maintains Direct secure messaging addresses and other key provider data for non–CareAccord accounts through CareAccord’s Flat File Directory service—users can search for and discover providers outside of their organization, but also know that all addresses are within CareAccord’s trust community

The video below is an introduction to Direct Secure Messaging, including an explanation of the four different type of messaging accounts and a walkthrough of the Participation and User Agreements.

Ready to get started?

If you are interested in trying out this no-cost service, please visit the Getting Started page for information on how to register.