By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    learn to recognize and treat yeast infections
    Most Commonly Asked Questions About Yeast Infections
    November 17, 2021
    Advanced lung cancer diagnosis systems used by doctors
    Advanced Lung Cancer Diagnosis Systems Used by Doctors
    March 6, 2022
    The Top Benefits of a Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor Watch
    The Top Benefits of a Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor Watch
    June 13, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    July 31, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Soaring Medical Costs Pinned on Medical Devices
    June 7, 2011
    Debt Ceiling Negotiations on Health Care are Mere Cost Shifting
    July 15, 2011
    Is Kathleen Sebelius Listening to the NCPA?
    August 29, 2011
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Collaboration and Federation: IHE Creating Direct Project Provider Directory
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Health Reform > Collaboration and Federation: IHE Creating Direct Project Provider Directory
BusinesseHealthHealth ReformHospital AdministrationMedical RecordsPolicy & LawPublic HealthTechnology

Collaboration and Federation: IHE Creating Direct Project Provider Directory

Chad Johnson
Chad Johnson
Share
5 Min Read
HIE
SHARE

The Direct Project’s use is increasing at a rapid pace. The Meaningful Use-required transport standard is easy to use and is finally starting to change the discussion those in the health IT industry are having around health information exchange.

HIE

The Direct Project’s use is increasing at a rapid pace. The Meaningful Use-required transport standard is easy to use and is finally starting to change the discussion those in the health IT industry are having around health information exchange.

HIE

More Read

mosquito-562066_1280.jpg
Can the Internet Cure the Zika Virus?
Effective Decision Making Practices for Healthcare Businesses
Miseducation by Newspapers
5 Ways Healthcare Providers Can Reduce Costly Hospital Readmissions
Monitoring via Technology: Steps to Take Now

We’re seeing a move from talking about the sustainability and interfacing challenges of HIE organizations to a new discussion focused on a one-to-one exchange of patient data between referring caregivers.

While that actually may seem like a step back to the point-to-point model, the real difference with Direct is that the one-to-one exchange will also involve the patient, who now can directly receive and send his or her summary of care information (C-CDA), avoiding the hassles involved with requesting record transfer from a previous physician. Add in Blue Button functionality and all the needed tools are beginning to fall into place.

This new, one-to-one dynamic is made possible due to the ease of use of the Direct standard (SMTP-based “secure email”) and also because all 2014-certified EHRs are required to support the Direct protocol, which is increasing distribution and the use of the push-based method, even though it is just one of many communication standards typically employed by interface engines in a health system’s architecture.

One key element missing from the Direct Project story is a directory of providers’ Direct email addresses. How can a Direct message be sent if neither the sender nor the receiver knows the Direct email address? There is not a common Direct email phone book, per se, of providers’ addresses freely available on the Internet.

IHE USA has been hard at work on this project via the HPD Provider Directory Task Group, a collaboration with the ONC, Interoperability Working Group, and eHealth Exchange. Their end goal is to create an IHE HPD (health provider directory) profile that can be used across the health IT industry to query databases that match the search parameters.

Currently, provider email addresses are scattered in as many places as you can imagine, therefore creating and maintaining a single database directory would be impossible and also quickly out of date as new addresses are added on a daily basis. This diffusion of locations has required IHE to employ a federated approach to searching for and successfully matching a provider.

I was able to see a demo of the Federated HPD in action at the HIMSS14 Interoperability Showcase, a collaboration between CareEvolution, Inpriva, NextGate, SureScripts, and Verizon. The results were impressive and produced Direct email addresses after applying the ID algorithm and querying various unaffiliated sources to find the correct provider.

The group is very close to releasing the finished profile, but there are two areas that are still a work in progress:

  • Federation Facilitation. Absence of a centralized authoritative directory requires federation capability (within and across organizations) to use existing directories so that electronic addresses of providers and their systems can be discovered during workflows.
  • Error Handling. Provide ability for a client to implement local policies and workflows based on complete/incomplete responses received.

During a webinar April 1, the group reached out to vendors and asked them to participate in a virtual connectathon to test the IHE HDP profile and work through these challenges. According to their timeline, the IHE HPD profiles are available this month for trail implementation and the group hopes products will begin to hit the market this summer.

The IHE work group’s stated goals:

  • Keep IHE HPD profile in sync as much as possible, and remain vendor and technology neutral
  • Ensure the technology is ready for implementation prior to it being a candidate for broad industry adoption
  • Meet the requirements for the Direct Project, for the eHealth Exchange, and for state directories/International working group (IWG), etc.

The ONC, not surprisingly, has high interest in seeing the healthcare provider directory progress to help advance the use of Direct.

health information exchange / shutterstock

TAGGED:Health DataHIE
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Consequences of Telemedicine Legislation

February 16, 2012

Telehealth and Virtual Care: The Next Wave!

September 17, 2015
MRI brain scan
DiagnosticsMedical DevicesRadiologyTechnology

RSNA 2013: Imaging Key to Diagnosing Brain Injuries in Veterans

December 3, 2013
mental health benefits school
HealthMedical Education

Mental Health & Practical Benefits of Continuing Education After 30

June 30, 2024
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?