Direct Secure Messaging

When received, faxes contribute to provider burden, are rarely seen by the receiving physician and the information they contain is usually not utilized during the patient encounter. The preferred and better way of communicating is already built into your certified EHR. It is called Direct Secure Messaging.

The fax machine is not just a technology of the past, but one which is inefficient and does not provide the needed documentation when communicating with other healthcare offices. Here is why sending direct secure messages through your electronic health record is the best way to communicate with other practices for the management of your patients.

Direct Messaging can send any type of document including PDFs, images, but most importantly, it delivers a C-CDA (Consolidate Clinical Document Architecture). It is this document which every certified EHR is required to create for sending and receiving patient health information. You likely know these documents as the exam summary reports and transition of care documents that your EHR’s system creates. These documents can be sent and received through Direct Messaging. You can read a C-CDA, however, it can also be read by your EHR system.