New Features Enhance Healthcare Interoperability with Direct Messaging

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- EMR Direct, a leading developer of software for the secure exchange of protected health information over the Internet, today announced the general availability of the phiMail™ 1.1 Direct messaging platform. This release features expanded support for integration with EMR systems and other applications, as well as new support for trust bundles. phiMail is available in Desktop and Server editions.

phiMail implements the Direct Project secure encrypted email protocol, a required standard needed to meet three of the 2014 Meaningful Use EHR Certification criteria. "EMR Vendors seeking MU2 certification can use the phiMail platform to easily incorporate Direct messaging into their products," said Julie Maas, CEO of EMR Direct. "But just having the technology is not enough. To interoperate with others, users of Direct messaging also need to have trusted digital credentials. Developers who license our software will receive these Direct security credentials for their qualified end users, issued through our established trust framework. Today's announcement of trust bundle support takes the interoperability of our platform a step further. Trust bundles are emerging as a means of efficiently scaling Direct messaging networks, and phiMail is one of the first commercial products to offer support. We at EMR Direct expect to see a surge in the adoption of Direct messaging and a proliferation of associated products in the next twelve months, as healthcare providers embrace this widely-accepted standard."

EMR Direct's versatile software architecture allows customers to quickly stand up their own Direct messaging gateway and begin exchanging messages using phiMail Desktop. For developers and larger organizations, phiMail Server offers additional integration and customization options. phiMail can be used with or without an EMR, and is marketed to independent practitioners, large and small clinical practices, hospitals, other healthcare-related companies, as well as healthcare IT companies such as EMR vendors and other application developers. Healthcare providers and IT professionals may request evaluation software by visiting http://www.emrdirect.com.

About EMR Direct
EMR Direct, a privately held healthcare IT company and health information service provider (HISP), is headquartered in San Diego, California, and provides Direct messaging products, Direct addresses, and, through its Certification Authority, the supporting public key infrastructure (PKI). With the goal of simplifying interoperability, EMR Direct delivers products that are tailored to workflow and easily deployed by those who need to communicate, without requiring expensive, custom, peer-to-peer interfaces. EMR Direct is committed to developing technologies that protect patient privacy, improve the quality and coordination of care, increase productivity, and reduce costs. As part of this commitment, EMR Direct actively volunteers in numerous government-sponsored and industry workgroups to help refine, expand, and govern the use of Direct Messaging.