Direct Technology has been adopted by 1,000 healthcare professionals across Tennessee thanks to Health eShare, a statewide initiative through the Office of eHealth Initiatives (OeHI) to implement Direct secure email technology.
In an intensive, four-month effort, Health eShare’s Direct Project team, comprised of OeHI and Qsource, has been working across the state to assist a wide range of individuals and facilities delivering healthcare. Healthcare professionals already participating include physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers, medical assistants, administrators, and others. Many different types of healthcare organizations are represented such as hospitals, long-term care facilities, hospice organizations and rehabilitation facilities.
Health eShare’s objective is to maximize the efficiency and interoperability of secure messaging through broad adoption of Direct across all healthcare settings. “Essentially, we focus on identifying healthcare provider ‘connectors’ within the community and then putting them in touch with their patient referral partners to create a more effective communication vehicle for sharing important clinical information regarding their patients,” said Dawn FitzGerald, CEO of Qsource. “As a result, Tennessee healthcare professionals are recognizing Direct’s value in obtaining patient information more timely and efficiently, which helps them provide the best care possible.”
According to Health eShare, Direct Technology provides improved care coordination by allowing providers and their staffs to securely send and receive patient information while also helping healthcare providers meet federal standards. Healthcare providers can achieve Meaningful Use Stage 2, a requirement that must be met by 2015 under the American Recovery and Rehabilitation Act (ARRA) of 2009, by offering secure electronic data exchange from one healthcare setting to another, such as from hospital discharge to follow up care with their primary care doctor.
An incentive program is available for early adopters to help offset the cost of signing up for a Direct account. Those interested in learning more about Direct should visit www.HealtheShareTN.com or call Qsource at (866) 514-8595.