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ICA Updates on Utilization of the CareAlign Direct messaging solutionNov 09, 2012 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- ICA, a provider of interoperability technology that enables health information exchange (HIE), announced that it is providing Direct capabilities to clients in six states through the CareAlign Direct messaging solution, a secure communications tool that allows healthcare organizations to utilize the Direct protocol and meet Meaningful Use requirements. According to a release, the states with ICA clients who are live and operational with Direct are Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with more than 4,000 providers already taking advantage of the technology. The organizations in these states utilizing CareAlign Direct include Central Illinois Health Information Exchange (CIHIE), Iowa Health Information Network (IHIN), Kansas Health Information Network (KHIN), Upper Peninsula Health Information Exchange (UPHIE), Meridian Health Systems and Allied Health Information Exchange (AlliedHIE). The CareAlign Direct messaging solution enables users to take full advantage of Direct messaging in a health information services provider (HISP) environment, the company said. It includes full core interoperability function as well as numerous add-on services, making CareAlign Direct one of the most robust Direct messaging services available today. In addition, CareAlign Direct is built within ICA's larger interoperability and informatics framework, allowing users to begin with Direct and expand to a more complete HIE solution for comprehensive care coordination. CareAlign Direct is also a Software as a Service (SaaS) architecture with both technical infrastructure and professional services for management of HISP services. The company noted that features in CareAlign Direct include: -The ability to exchange continuity of care documents (CCD) and other attachments across multiple care settings regardless of the electronic health record technology in place -A cost-effective means of sharing lab, radiology and other diagnostic data to an extended provider network -Full integration with HISP to ensure fast, accurate, secure communications with core HISP-to-HISP interoperability -Low start-up and ongoing costs -The CareAlign Connect portal that enables secure clinical communication from anywhere at any time, delegation authority and workflow capabilities. "CareAlign Direct represents the strongest Direct solution platform on the market today," said Gary Zegiestowsky, chief executive officer at ICA. "ICA understands that Direct capability is not the final answer to effective clinical communications, but because we have fully integrated our Direct offering into our population-oriented interoperability and informatics platform, it represents an unsurpassed foundation for building a comprehensive care management solution. CareAlign Direct is also SaaS-based, allowing for a cost effective deployment within days, not months, and it currently serves millions of patients, giving their providers the ability to communicate clinical data quickly and easily." More information: www.icainformatics.com ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) |