DirectTrust Reports Upsurge in Direct Exchange Transactions During the Second Quarter

WASHINGTON, Aug. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DirectTrust today reported a significant uptick in Direct exchange transactions, and the launch of its Interoperability Hero Initiative. DirectTrust is a non-profit healthcare industry alliance created to support secure, identity-verified electronic exchanges of protected health information (PHI) between provider organizations, and between providers and patients, for the purpose of improved coordination of care.

According to end of second quarter 2021 metrics:

• Direct exchange transactions: There were more than 326 million Direct Secure Messages sent and received within the DirectTrust network during the second quarter of 2021. This is an increase of 130%, compared with the same period last year, and a nearly 90% increase over the first quarter of 2021. Direct exchange transactions since DirectTrust began tracking transactions in 2014 reached nearly 2.6 billion at the end of the second quarter; an average of more than 109 million transactions per month.
  
• DirectTrust patient/consumer use: The number of patients/consumers using Direct Secure Messaging increased more than 19% to more than 660,000, compared with the same period a year ago.
  
• DirectTrust trusted addresses: The number of trusted Direct addresses able to share PHI grew more than 11% to more than 2.7 million, compared with the same time last year.
  
• DirectTrust organizations served: The number of healthcare organizations served by DirectTrust health information service providers (HISPs) and engaged in Direct Secure Messaging increased nearly 7% to more than 268,000, compared with the same time last year.

“We’re delighted with the continued steady growth across all DirectTrust metrics, and especially with the significant uptick in Direct Secure Messaging,” said Scott Stuewe, President and CEO of DirectTrust. “We attribute the upsurge in Direct, in part, to the many organizations using Direct Secure Messaging to satisfy the CMS Admission/Discharge/Transfer requirement put into effect on May 1. Also, aligned with the industry focus on Social Determinants of Health, we’re pleased to see a growing diversity of organizations onboarding to Direct, such as public health agencies and community service organizations, like food banks.”

The Interoperability Hero Initiative enables DirectTrust to recognize those organizations, teams, and individuals advancing interoperability. Each quarter, beginning with the third quarter, DirectTrust will open a window for Interoperability Hero nominations. Heroes meeting the criteria will be recognized in conjunction with DirectTrust’s quarterly performance announcement.

Kathryn Ayers Wickenhauser, DirectTrust Director of Communications, added, “Since we began reporting performance metrics, we’ve focused on the numbers themselves, but there’s power in knowing the stories of why we’re seeing continued growth. We know that people are integral to advancing interoperability, and we created this initiative to recognize the many organizations, teams, and individuals making a difference. We’re looking forward to bringing attention to the use cases and successes of their efforts, and we invite nominations for future recognition."

Charts detailing end of second quarter results are available here or by contacting Ed Emerman at [email protected] or 609.240.2766. Additional information about the Interoperability Hero Initiative can be found here.  

About DirectTrust
DirectTrust™ is a non-profit, vendor-neutral alliance initially created by and for participants in the Direct community, including Health Information Service Providers (HISPs), Certificate Authorities (CAs), Registration Authorities (RAs), healthcare providers, consumers/patients, and Health IT vendors. DirectTrust serves as a governance forum, trust community, standards organization, and accreditation body for persons and entities engaged in exchange utilizing the Direct Standard™, supported by DirectTrust’s robust security and trust framework. The goal of DirectTrust is to develop, promote, and, as necessary, help enforce the rules and best practices necessary to maintain security and trust within the Direct Secure Messaging community. DirectTrust is committed to fostering widespread public confidence in the interoperable exchange of health information. To learn more, visit www.directtrust.org.

Media Contact
Ed Emerman
Eagle Public Relations
609.240.2766
[email protected]