Electronic Health Reporter

DirectTrust announces that it has received accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop DirectTrust Standards to enhance healthcare interoperability and identity using Direct exchange and trust frameworks.  DirectTrust also issued a call for industry stakeholders to participate in the development of DirectTrust Standards.

DirectTrust is a non-profit health care industry alliance created to advance the electronic sharing of protected health information (PHI) between provider organizations, and between providers and patients, for the purpose of improved transitions of care, care efficiency and coordination, patient satisfaction and reducing healthcare cost. ANSI coordinates, facilitates and promotes the development of voluntary consensus standards that are relied upon by the industry, government agencies and consumers across the United States and around the world. DirectTrust began the ANSI application process in 2018 and received notice of accreditation on March 26, 2019.

Scott Stuewe, DirectTrust president and CEO said, “DirectTrust and the Direct Project have always had a consensus approach to standards development. We’re thrilled to achieve this milestone of ANSI accreditation to ensure standards we establish to foster interoperability are consistent with the ANSI goals of transparency and balance.”

National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Don Rucker, M.D., added, “In 2010 the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT initiated the Direct Project as a new option for the secure exchange of electronic health information. DirectTrust’s accreditation by ANSI is an important step forward for this decade-long public-private effort to advance interoperability nationwide.”

The DirectTrust Standards mission – to develop standards and specifications that enable and promote healthcare interoperability using Direct exchange and trust frameworks – grew from voluntary discussions and workgroup meetings that began in 2011 among stakeholders eager to develop standards suitable for the growth such an exchange approach. From its inception, the Direct Project was structured as a consensus-based standards development organization with participation from and the sanction of the Health and Human Service Office of the National Coordinator but with no affiliation with an accrediting authority. More information about DirectTrust Standards can be found at www.DirectTrust.org through selection of the Standards menu.

Call for Participation

DirectTrust also issued a “call for participation” for the Direct Standard Consensus Body, a group of industry stakeholders that will be created to develop standards while conducting discussions in according with ANSI requirements. Participation in DirectTrust Standards is open to any person or company that has a direct and material interest within the respective scope of the work of Standards development.  DirectTrust membership includes eligibility for participation in Standards activities.  Non-members interested in participation can visit bit.ly/DTParticipateStandards to complete an application.