Direct Network

MedAllies was a founding member of the original Direct Project workgroup.

Launched in March 2010 as a part of the federal government’s Nationwide Health Information Network, the Direct Project was created to specify a simple, secure, scalable, standards-based way for participants to send authenticated, encrypted health information directly to known, trusted recipients over the Internet. This supports MIPS requirements—a set of standards and best practices adopted by the ONC to ensure health care providers implement electronic health records optimally. Direct supports health information flow, offering true interoperability.

MedAllies is considered a national leader by ONC and the EHR industry for use of Direct for EHR interoperability and operates a leading national Direct Network.

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Direct Network Diagram

Specifications and protocols

Direct Project specifications—due in large part to MedAllies’ contributions—are in line with an approach the greater EHR vendor community has already embraced. MedAllies supports SMTP as well as the Direct XDR and XDM for specification. 

The MedAllies Direct HISP provides the SMTP/S/MIME and XD* protocols for secure routing of messages between multiple health endpoints as well as the ability to “step-up” (from SMTP/S/MIME to XD*) and “step-down” (from XD* to SMTP/S/MIME) to route messages between systems that do not conduct the same Direct protocols. 

The HISP also provides the Direct SMTP-backbone service for HISP-to-HISP interoperability.