Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Secure Messaging

Where does one find a list of referral doctor's Direct Trust Address to use in AC via Updox to send a Summary of Care or Transfer of Care document? This would be to satisfy the Secure Messaging requirement under ACI category for 2018 MIPS.

This is what Updox told me:

For Amazing Charts, AC would have the answer on how to search the database for direct trust. We provide the technology to connect to it but unfortunately we don't have the knowledge of how it is done inside of AC.

You can find a list of doctors by clicking on the "Secure" button on the main screen, this will open up the secure message center for the portal. On this screen, click the "Address Book" button and then click the "Find In Directory" button. This will bring up a search window that will help you locate a secure direct address to send a Transfer of Care to.

This will NOT however, satisfy the "secure messaging" option for MIPS. That needs to be a message sent to a patient. This can be done in Amazing Charts by going to the patient's Summary Sheet and clicking the "Secure Message" button in the lower right. This will send a secure message to the patient. That will satisfy the requirement.

If you need help with MIPS, or want some detailed one on one training, you can sign up for our MIPS Success Services. Here is the link: http://amazingcharts.com/macra/mips-mu-success-services/

Found answer for AC, but still does not give a good list but it's a start:

If you click on Secure to access Updox, you want to then open the Address book (located at the top of the updox screen).

Once in the address book, click on the "find in directory" option

Hi Mark,

Do you need patient portal and direct messaging to do this? And there will be a monthly charge of $24.6 starting Apr. 1 this year?

Thanks

Hi Cindy,

Yes, you would need the patient portal and direct messaging to get credit for MIPS as these need to be competed in the EMR.

Mark,

Does the secure message need to come from the dr.s AC or will it count for MIPS if its from any staff?

I just tested this and the doctor does NOT have to be the one to send the message. The message just has to be sent from within Amazing Charts (logging into updox directly and sending a message from there does not count). There are several ways to do this.

- In V9: Go to the patient's summary sheet and click "Secure Message". Type the text based message and hit "send".

- In V10: From the lab/Import item sign off screen check the "Send To Portal" box to send a message with the lab/import item attached.

- In V10: From the imported items screen, right click on the item and select "Send to Portal"

- In V10: From the summary sheet right click on a problem and select "Patient Education". When the education opens up, select "Send to patient Via Updox"

I hope this helps.

Thanks Mark for clarifying
If we send a message to patient from "Summary" Tab using "Secure Message" Tab, does that count as well (Ver 10)?
If we send more than one messages (say labs at sign out, Patient education and another message about upcoming appointment) - does this count ONE or Three (in this case) messages from MIPS Credit view point?

Thank you

Yes... Sending under the summary tab will still work with V10. There is just more options now than a standard text message.

Multiple messages will only count once because the measure is Per Patient, not per encounter.

What if when you are doing this you get an error message "Unable to retrieve message token from updox and you have already stopped and started services on AC/updox on server and rebooted server as well. Currently AC and Updox I hope are looking into this as I notified them both.

Hi Mark,

So if you do not subscribe patient portal, will this also impact the Patient Electronic Access (VDT) in the ACI in 2018?
Thanks,

Does this only work if another doctor is an AC user?

@ Cindy: Yes, if you do not subscribe to the portal, you will not be able to get credit for Patient Electronic Access for ACI.

@ Dr Mody: No, you will be able to send to any other provider that has a direct address. They do not have to be on AC.

Hello Mark,

I imagine that there are many physicians who have HIPAA secure email through some means other than the Direct Trust. Do you know of any directory for them? In exchanging information with them, would we still have to use the usual "invitation" process Via UPDOX, or can the email just "go" without more clicks? I find some physicians to be reluctant to use the "invitation" process. Thanks.

Norm Numerof, M.D.
Internal Medicine, Vail Colorado

Hi Dr Numerof.

I had to double check with Updox about that. According to them, DirectTrust is the national standard for secure record transfer and direct email. Most companies use them for direct messaging. Here is a link to the list:

https://www.directtrust.org/member-list/

According to them, you will be able to receive messages from any secure address, but you will not be able to send to an address not on the direct trust.

Is there a place in Amazing Charts that I would be notified of an incoming Direct Message?
Can I setup email notifications?
Can MAs send/receive on behalf of the Doctor's email, or does each user need to have a Direct email setup in Admin?

Thank you!