NHIN Direct Project Communications Work GroupMessages for Physicians

August 24, 2010

Key Bullet Points for Messaging Physicians on NHIN Direct

» It’s the future of secure point-to-point health data transport » It’s easy and affordable to use» Compatible with a wide range of practice-based IT and EHRs» To get started you need only email and a connection to the Internet» Can replace fax and telephone lines for health data exchange» Doesn’t force you to “lock in” to a particular software vendor or product» Each provide has his or her own “NHIN Direct email address”» NHIN Direct addresses are moveable, can go with you to new practice.» NHIN Direct will help meet several of the Meaningful Use objectives

Key Messages for Physicians About NHIN Direct

» Easy and Affordable Secure Messaging– NHIN Direct makes it easy for physicians in small and medium size practices to

send and receive secure health data from colleagues and patients in a secure manner. All you need is a connection to the Internet, an email client, and an NHIN Direct address. No special software is required!

» Helps Physicians Meet “Meaningful Use” Criteria– Meaningful Use requires eligible providers to electronically exchange health

data with other clinicians, and to send patients who request one a Clinical Summary in electronic format. NHIN Direct will enable meeting these criteria easily, securely, and at very low cost.

» Replaces the Hassles and Costs of Fax Machines– In the past, fax machines and telephone lines were the most convenient way to

move health documents from one practice setting to another. NHIN Direct permits doctors and hospitals to replace paper and fax machines with secure electronic messaging that can go anywhere, any time.

Call to Action for Physicians

» Look for NHIN Direct pilot projects and early implementations near you and participate.

» Find a Health Internet Service Provider, HISP, and sign up for your own NHIN Direct address.

» Encourage your affiliated organizations, e.g. hospitals, academic medical centers, large practices, public health clinics, to participate as HISPs or active nodes on the NHIN Direct backbone.

» Demand that your EHR technology vendors embed NHIN Direct protocols and are compliant with NHIN Direct policies and standards in their software so that you will be able to participate in secure and interoperable exchange.

» Refer your colleagues to NHIN Direct and encourage them to participate so that you can communicate with them.

» Urge your membership organizations and specialty societies to join and spread the word.

Key Messages to Physicians About NHIN Direct

» NHIN Direct is a set of protocols, standards, and policies for using the Internet to send secure messages from point-to-point. It’s based on a universal addressing system that puts the “@” into medical communications, making health data exchange as easy to perform as regular email.

» Physicians will want to have an NHIN Direct address to send their colleagues secure messages and attachments for the purposes of referral, care coordination, and follow up after transitions or procedures. They’ll find NHIN Direct an easy and secure means of communicating with patients who have personal health accounts with HealthVault, Google Health, and other similar secure PHR services. Finally, NHIN Direct protocols will be embedded in many EHR technologies and allow for data to securely and interoperably move between practice-based EHRs regardless of vendor or operating system.