Recently, the AAFP and Surescripts announced Physicians Direct, a secure messaging service for providers. But neither the article nor the signup page for Physicians Direct detail the most critical single issue regarding the service. This is a very large deployment of the Direct Project. This is by far the most important part of the story, but it is buried deep with the FAQs.
That means that the service is compatible with other large adopters of the Direct Protocol. Most notably, HealthVault has just launched a beta deployment of Direct.
Think of the implications of this. One of the largest PHR providers in the country is on the network, one of the largest network of doctors is on this network.
We are watching the birth of the Health Internet.. its is truly wonderful to be involved in this work.
When I tell my grandkids what I did with my life, I hope the links to my early posts on the Security and Trust Working Group of the Direct Project are still up. “I was part of that from the beginning” I will say… My previous plan was to tell them that I invented bubble-gum ice cream, and then enjoy basking in their amazed adoration, until they discovered that Grampa’s stories are “unreliable”.
This will work out much better.
This is also a tremendous step for Surescripts away from being a proprietary network provider. For those who are unfamiliar with Health IT, Surescripts has a monopoly in e-prescribing after buying out its only competitor several years ago. If you e-prescribe in the United States, there is a 99% chance that the data cross the Surescripts network. Surescripts is free to use for Doctors, but the pharmacies pay for the privilege. But that business model will die as the Health Internet grows. Once the pharmacies realize that you can use the Health Internet to exchange prescriptions rather than the expensive Surescripts network, that business will dry up quickly. Moving into the Health Internet provider business is the only chance Surescripts has at long term survival. This is a very smart move for them.
Of course, this also has implications for meaningful use. Providers can use this exchange network, without making an expensive investment in EHR technology, and still qualify for part of the meaningful use dollars. $15 a month might seem expensive for glorified email, buts a whole lot cheaper than an EHR.