WASHINGTON, July 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The DirectTrust Trusted Instant Messaging Plus (TIM+) Consensus Body today announced the launch of the TIM+ draft Standard to finalize the process of becoming an ANSI-approved national Standard. TIM+ is the industry-first standard to enable real-time healthcare communication that incorporates trust network concepts to ensure secure transmissions between known, trusted entities within and across enterprises. DirectTrust is a non-profit healthcare industry alliance created by and for participants in the Direct community.
“We’re very excited about what the TIM+ Consensus Body has accomplished thus far, and eagerly anticipate input from stakeholders, especially those actively using instant messaging, during the Comment Period,” stated Scott Stuewe, DirectTrust President and CEO. “The pandemic has emphatically underscored the need for secure and instantaneous cross-platform trusted communication, especially in light of the rise of telehealth use.”
As published in ANSI Standards Action (7/16/21), TIM+ “defines a protocol that facilitates real-time communication and incorporates secure messaging concepts to ensure information is transmitted securely between known, trusted entities both within and across enterprises. TIM+ will determine the availability or presence of trusted endpoints and support text-based communication and file transfers.” The Comment Period deadline is September 14, 2021.
“TIM+ is a compliant, safe, and effective means to provide optimal wellness in a modern technological setting with features such as chat, file transfer, and presence,” said Vince Albanese, CTO of Haven Health and TIM+ Consensus Body Chair. “These tools have the potential to dramatically improve efficiencies and safety in a variety of healthcare settings, including telehealth. The Consensus Body appreciates the ongoing encouragement and support from the DirectTrust community in fostering this effort and looks forward to industry comment as we work to publish a national Standard.”
The TIM+ Consensus Body will hold an Information Session about the TIM+ draft Standard on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, at 1:00pm EDT. The TIM+ Consensus Body will share the vision and use cases—such as the instantaneous, HIPAA-compliant, encrypted and secure exchange of health information—behind the development of TIM+, as well as the use opportunities the new draft Standard provides for those engaged in its targeted uses. For additional information, including instruction for submitting comments, or to obtain an Information Session invitation, please email [email protected].
About DirectTrust
DirectTrust™ is a non-profit, vendor-neutral alliance initially created by and for participants in the Direct community, including Health Information Service Providers (HISPs), Certificate Authorities (CAs), Registration Authorities (RAs), healthcare providers, consumers/patients, and Health IT vendors. DirectTrust serves as a governance forum, trust community, standards organization, and accreditation body for persons and entities engaged in exchange utilizing the Direct Standard™, supported by DirectTrust’s robust security and trust framework. The goal of DirectTrust is to develop, promote, and, as necessary, help enforce the rules and best practices necessary to maintain security and trust within the Direct Secure Messaging community. DirectTrust is committed to fostering widespread public confidence in the interoperable exchange of health information. To learn more, visit www.directtrust.org.
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View the full Press Release here.