Understanding the Terminology
While secure messages bear a resemblance to traditional email, the two are not compatible. Understanding the technical differences between the two is not necessary, but it is important to understand some of the terminology used to distinguish secure messages. Use the table below to learn a few important terms.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
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CCDA |
Consolidated Clinical Document Architecture. This standardized XML template displays the patient’s medical record information. |
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The protocol used to send secure messages. You may sometimes see secure messages referred to as direct messages. |
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The patient’s inbox. The patient portal is a web application that allows the patient to view his or her latest clinical health summary, download the summary, or send the summary via secure message to another provider. The patient can also send secure messages to and receive secure messages from the practice provider. |
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The provider’s inbox. The provider portal is a web application that allows the provider to send secure messages to patients and other providers and see any secure message sent directly to the provider. |
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An encrypted message sent from a person with a verified security certificate. The message may contain a health-related question or a clinical health summary. |
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XML |
Extensible Markup Language. This file format can be used to export clinical data out of or import clinical data into an EHR. |