Providers: Direct Messaging Worth High Costs
By Katie Wike, contributing writer
Slightly more than half of providers surveyed said direct messaging software is well worth the price tag.
One popular form of communication is direct messaging which according to a survey of 75 health organizations, is worth the high cost that accompanies it. The survey, conducted by HIMSS found more than half (51 percent) of providers feel the cost of direct messaging is worth the benefits of health information exchange.
Other key findings of the survey find:
- substantial use of Direct in support of care coordination use cases
- broad availability to a provider directory but great variability in the method of access
- continued challenges incorporating structured data into the EHR
- extensive membership in a HISP
- some knowledge of the availability of Direct messaging among the clinician community
- most participating organizations support Direct as the method choice for exchanging data
Fierce EMR reports two-thirds of those surveyed said they support direct messaging to share data using secured messaging software. In addition, they listed the top benefits of direct messaging as faster information access, less paper, and more accurate and complete patient information.
“From our perspective, we see significant progress and optimism in several areas, signaling that HIE is maturing in the marketplace and beginning to deliver the intended value to their providers and communities,” wrote Mari Greenberger, Director of Informatics, HIMSS, and Sean Kennedy, Director, HIE, Mass eHealth Institute in the HIMSS Blog.
Challenges to the technology included high cost, changing workflows and the fact that other providers aren’t always on the platform.