What is Direct?

Direct is 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 functions like regular e-mail with additional security measures to ensure that messages are only accessible to the intended recipient, per the protection regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). For Stage 2 Meaningful Use, electronic health record (EHR) vendors are required to either (a) certify their transitions-of-care modules or complete EHR product offerings to include Direct to meet certification requirements, or (b) work with a third party to provide Direct services. The tools your vendor gives you may or may not include the word “Direct,” so it’s important to have a conversation with your vendor to understand the tools available to you in your EHR product.