Why DirectTrust secure messaging technology is at crisis

The DirectTrust secure messaging technology developed by industry stakeholders is inquiring electronic health records (EHRs) companies and other health information technology (HIT) vendors to up their game.

Utilization of the DirectTrust secure messaging technology protocols has been ramping up over the years, but increased significantly in the year of 2016 with 98 million message transactions, which is the bulk of the 165 million transactions since being started in the year of 2013.

In large part, electronic health records (EHRs) and other health information technology products have been certified under the EHR meaningful use program to send and get Direct messages, “but the issue with certification is it does not test usability and certain features,” claims David Kibbe, MD, president and CEO at DirectTrust.

In a new report, DirectTrust secure messaging technology gives a series of suggestions for better functionality of Direct messaging covering transitions of care, clinical messaging and administration of the program. Direct works, Kibbe asserts, “but EHR usability is largely variable.”

For example, some suggestions for improving transitions of care involve all Direct messages sent in real-time and never batched for timed sends, certain kinds of messages might be automatically triggered by specific events like discharges or referrals, automated sending of messages to providers of record with Direct accounts in the sending system, and inclusion of patient-specific attachments.

The recently enacted 21st Century Cures Act involves provisions to measure EHR interoperability and usability in real episodes of use and Kibbe hopes framers of the act will look at Direct’s suggestions. The agency also might work with medical specialty groups to establish an EHR vendor grading system.

“We need to give vendors a great idea of what improvements are required to take better care of patients,” he adds.

Representatives of the HIMSS Electronic Health Record Association weren’t instantly available for comment. The report is available here.