Announces information session on the new standards work; seeks development participants
WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / February 8, 2024 / DirectTrust™, a non-profit healthcare industry alliance, standards development, and accreditation body focused on advancing trust in healthcare, today announced the launch of the Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax Consensus Body to develop a new standard. This standard will enhance the existing security attributes of facsimile (fax) by adding cross-platform and cross-organizational identity assurance, standards-based exchange of metadata, and federated standards for security.
The Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax standard will enable the industries that make heavy use of fax communications to attain the benefits of modern interoperability frameworks without requiring disruptive and transformative changes to existing workflows and infrastructure.
"We have recently seen that cloud fax can fit into the interoperability ecosystem by enabling broader care setting participation, and we think that enhanced security and identity assurance can accelerate acceptance across healthcare," stated Scott Stuewe, DirectTrust President and CEO. "If the cloud fax sector can come together to develop a technical standard to deliver this added value, there is the potential we can do for fax what the Direct Standard® did for email in healthcare communication. Five cloud fax vendors participated in initial discussions around this possibility for a Standard, and unanimously agreed there is potential here. We are excited to expand the group of participants in the conversation through the launch of this new ANSI Standards Development effort."
"Consensus is pleased to be part of the solution modernizing the fax protocol for healthcare organizations," shared Jeffrey Sullivan, CTO for Consensus Cloud Solutions, and the Chair of the Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax Workgroup that is driving development of this DirectTrust Standards Consensus Body. "Faxing continues to be a crucial link in so many workflows in healthcare, from the smallest rural clinic to largest hospital groups, and an Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax Standard will enable communications to be delivered with the security, reliability, and actionability we all expect in modern interoperable solutions. This new standards work intends that no care settings are left out of the digital revolution and can interoperate as a first-class citizen in modern healthcare workflows for better patient care."
"etherFAX is excited to participate in this initiative, enabling healthcare organizations to use modern frameworks without disrupting workflows or needing infrastructure upgrades," added Ben Manning, Product Director at etherFAX and Co-Chair of the Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax Workgroup. "Cloud fax providers in the healthcare space aim to simplify communication and advance healthcare interoperability for improved patient care. By aligning with a future standard for Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax, we all facilitate the on-ramp to interoperability and the off-ramp from fax for the benefit of care teams and patients alike."
DirectTrust is currently seeking consensus body members in the following sectors:
- Healthcare
- Government
- Payer
- Consumer
- Social Care
- General Interest and Advocacy
- Information Technology
- Interoperability and Systems Integration
- Telecommunications
As described in ANSI Standard Actions (VOL. 55 | No. 01; page 7), "The Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax standard defines a proposed American National Standard establishing the protocols and mechanisms to enable the exchange of documents via facsimile across multiple Cloud Fax platforms while providing for enhanced security, identity assurance, and non-repudiation among participants."
DirectTrust will hold an information session about the new Interoperable Secure Cloud Fax Consensus Body on Wednesday March 6 at 1pm ET. To register, visit bit.ly/DTCloudFaxinfo. Those interested in contributing to the development and maintenance of the Consensus Body as a member can contact [email protected].
About DirectTrust
DirectTrust™ is a non-profit, vendor-neutral alliance dedicated to instilling trust in the exchange of health data. The organization serves as a forum for a consensus-driven community focused on health communication, an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards development organization, an accreditation and certification body through EHNAC (the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission), and a developer of trust frameworks and supportive services for secure information exchange like Direct Secure Messaging and trusted, compliant document submission.
The goal of DirectTrust is to develop, promote, and, as necessary, help enforce the rules and best practices necessary to maintain privacy, security, and trust for stakeholders across and beyond healthcare. In addition, DirectTrust is committed to fostering widespread public confidence in the interoperable exchange of health information while promoting quality service, innovation, cooperation, and open competition in healthcare. To learn more, visit: DirectTrust.org.
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Press contact information:
Tom Testa
Anderson Interactive
[email protected]
SOURCE: DirectTrust™