The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) needs a health information service provider to deploy the Direct secure messaging protocol to make it easier and more automated for providers to send data to the National Healthcare Safety Network.

The secure transport standard will assist providers in transmitting data from electronic health records (EHRs) and other healthcare information systems using the Health Level 7 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) standard for automated entry into the agency’s safety surveillance system, according to an Aug. 28 announcement in Federal Business Opportunities. 

The health information services provider (HISP) will offer Direct services to smooth the transport of CDA documents from healthcare providers to the National Healthcare Safety Network. The resulting contract will be for one year with options for two more periods. Proposals are due Sept. 12.

[See also: Direct Project enjoys growing popularity.]

Direct protocols enable providers and other healthcare organizations to securely push structured summary patient data to each other. Direct is a streamlined version of standards and services for the nationwide health information network (NwHIN).

The CDC’s safety network collects and tracks information about infection control, healthcare worker safety, blood safety, measurements of care processes and improvement, public health reporting and prevention research. More than 9,000 healthcare facilities currently participate.

As of mid-year, 400 healthcare facilities have the capability of creating CDA messages to the safety network specifications and another 300 are preparing to do so, according to the agency. Also, any facility enrolled in the safety network can upload their CDA messages manually.

CDC said it anticipates that “100 facilities will begin to use Direct in the first year and that this number will increase significantly in coming years.”

[See also: CDC awards $9.7M contract to ICF International for behavioral surveillance.]