DirectTrust Announces Q3 Dip in Care Orgs Exchanging Direct Secure Messages

DirectTrust facilitated more than 208 million direct secure messages during the third quarter of 2022, an increase of 9 percent compared to the same period last year.

However, the number of healthcare organizations served by DirectTrust health information service providers (HISPs) and engaged in direct secure messaging decreased by 3 percent.

The number of consumers using direct secure messaging also dipped by 4 percent to more than 685,000 compared with the same time last year.

Additionally, the number of trusted DirectTrust addresses able to share protected health information (PHI) decreased by 8.3 percent compared with Q3 2021.

"The decrease in some of our third quarter metrics is the result of our continuing efforts to improve data quality as part of our Directory Improvement Initiative (DII)," Scott Stuewe, DirectTrust president and CEO, said in a press release.

"Many of our members contributing to the Directory are reviewing and revising previously submitted data," Stuewe continued. "Given the concerted effort to improve Directory data quality, combined with the number of organizational mergers and acquisitions in healthcare, we're not surprised to see these decreases."

He said that the organization has identified four key fields that hold significant opportunity to improve the quality of the Directory.

"We're working with our community on communicating the significance and impact that updating and ensuring quality information in these fields has on Directory quality," Stuewe said. "Our overall goal is to improve the use and usability of Direct Secure Messaging by making it easier to discover the best Direct address to use for a given purpose."

DirectTrust has published a Directory Improvement Initiative report card that the organization will update as the initiative advances.

DirectTrust also announced its fifth class of Interoperability Heroes. The initiative recognizes organizations, teams, and individuals integral to advancing interoperability.

The Q3 2022 Interoperability Heroes include:

• Courtney Baldridge, USAging
• Susan Clark, Briljent
• Delaware Health Information Network
• Tim Ingram, Axxess
• Steve Kohrs, Cync Health
• Lowell Community Health Center - Padma Sastry
• Palliative Community Resources (Hospice Homecare) - Kristi Kenslow and Kimberly Garlington
• David Pyke, Audacious Inquiry
• Krystal Schramm, MiHIN
• Travis White, Kno2

"Our Interoperability Hero Initiative shines a light on heroes—those in health IT who, regardless of organizational affiliation or specific standards deployed are laser-focused on advancing interoperability," said Kathryn Ayers Wickenhauser, DirectTrust director of communications.