Direct Project facilitates Health Information Exchange between States

Two of the nation's largest health information exchanges are now exchanging Direct messages across state borders, officials announced Tuesday. The Delaware Health Information Network and the Kansas Health Information Network have successfully facilitated the secure exchange of patient records between each organization via the federal healthcare email system. 

Both health information exchanges tapped the AlliedHIE Company and ICA for messaging capabilities.  The Direct Project provides HIPAA-compliant national infrastructure and interoperability through certified HISPs, enabling healthcare professionals and providers to affordably and securely send clinical messages, hospital discharge summaries, radiology reports, lab results, immunization reports, CCDs and a variety of additional critical patient information.

"We are very pleased to validate national interoperability with KHIN and the Kansas medical community through Direct messaging," said Jan Lee, MD, executive director of DHIN in a statement. "Our two dynamic states have business leaders, families, students and vacationers visiting each state and now we can quickly, confidently and securely exchange medical information when medical need warrants the same...