CDC Wants Safety Network to Support Direct Protocol Messaging

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention seeks help in making it easier to submit data to the National Healthcare Safety Network.

More than 9,000 facilities are enrolled and entering data into the network regarding healthcare associated infections, blood safety, public health surveillance, mandatory reporting, and process measurement and improvement. Now, the network has issued a request for quotes for a health information service provider to implement secure messaging of Health Level Seven CDA (clinical document architecture) documents using the federally developed Direct Project protocols.

Among other requirements, the contracted organization will provide an infrastructure capable of managing up to 500 incoming messages a day, facilities can belong to any health information service provider of their choice, manage digital certificates and complement a security and penetration test on the technology with documented results sent to CDC.

The request for quotes, available here, envisions a duration of one base year and two option years. Quotes are due by Sept. 12 at 3:00 Eastern Time.