Starting the Direct Messaging Integration Process

The phiMail Direct Messaging (HISP) service can be accessed by integrators from within their own applications using EMR Direct's custom-integration SDKs. Lightweight connectors are available for Java, .NET (C# and VB), PHP, Node.js, Ruby and other environments. To start the integration process, you will first need access to EMR Direct Developer resources. Find these resources by signing in to your developer account at:

https://www.emrdirect.com/phimail/login

If you do not have a developer account, please register for one at the link below:

https://www.emrdirect.com/subscribe-developer

When your developer account is activated, we send you a testing guide for h.1 and b.1 certification.

After reading through the API guide and SDK, developers implement these core functions:

- Transmit Direct messages to and receive from other endpoints
- Automatic background polling process retrieves new messages and notifications at least once every half hour
- Logging capabilities, including message contents and status
- Authenticating your system to phiMail from a single EHR-Level or potentially many different Organization-Level Address Groups
- Manage end user access to Direct, as authorized
- Handle required payloads plus others you may elect to support

Examples of the first two items are included in the example application within each phiMail SDK. Use the ETT and DCDT tools to test your implementation's capability to send and receive from another Direct address, and to determine if your implementation can handle the payloads your system intends to support. As a start, walk through the testing guide that was sent with your Developer registration details and ensure that your system passes all of the h.1 tests, and if you will be certifying for b.1 you'll want to look into those tests also. Please contact support@emrdirect.com if you do not have the most recent version of the testing guide.

Please note that this is only a high level outline of the most basic Direct messaging functionality. Please refer to the documentation, SDKs, and referenced license agreement for additional details about what's required to integrate Direct messaging and use it within your application.

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