The Mass HIway offers Provider Directory 2.0, which is a listing of healthcare providers in Massachusetts that includes their Direct Addresses. The directory contains identifying information such as a physical address, phone number, and name of the provider’s practice. This information enables providers to search for the correct practitioner to receive Protected Health Information (PHI) via Health Information Exchange (HIE).
What is PD 2.0?
HIway Provider Directory 2.0 (PD 2.0) is the Mass HIway’s new Provider Directory, and replaces the HIway’s original Provider Directory. PD 2.0 includes an expanded list of clinicians and other providers who participate in HIE and the Mass HIway, and provides enhanced features for easier searching of providers and their Direct Addresses.
The PD 2.0 directory supplies information such as provider type, specialties, credentials, demographics, and service locations, and includes individuals and organizational providers. Mass HIway-participating Organizations and providers can:
- Search the provider information already included in PD 2.0
- Send their own provider information to the Mass HIway to be added or updated into PD 2.0
PD 2.0 is a resource for organizations in the Commonwealth to find information on providers with whom they need to exchange data. The directory includes information for HIway participants, as well as other providers in Massachusetts who use Direct Messaging services through other DirectTrust accredited HISPs. Within PD 2.0 there are two distinct data sets:
- Massachusetts DirectTrust Addresses
This data set includes DirectTrust addresses of providers based in Massachusetts.
This set is a subset of the DirectTrust Provider Directory, which is maintained by
DirectTrust and contains the Direct Addresses submitted by the HISPs across the
nation that participate in DirectTrust, including the Mass HIway.
- Mass HIway Direct Addresses
This data set includes the Direct Addresses of HIway Direct Messaging participants.
This set is maintained by the Mass HIway, and is separately available as the HIway
Participant Directory. The HIway submits this data set to DirectTrust for incorporation
into the DirectTrust Provider Directory.
PD 2.0 Overview Video
Review the animated video below to learn more about Provider Directory 2.0.
PD 2.0 Overview Webinar
Review the webinar below to learn more about HIway Provider Directory 2.0.
How to Get Access to PD 2.0 and Other Directories
PD 2.0 is available online via HIway Webmail, or as an offline downloadable extract. The HIway Participant Directory is only available as an extract. The DirectTrust Provider Directory is available as an offline extract for care providers who partner with providers outside of Massachusetts. These extracts can be imported into the user’s own Trading Partner Directory.
Check the table below to see how to obtain access to PD 2.0 and the three types of extracts.
| Organization | Instructions | |
|---|---|---|
| HIway Webmail User | You can access all provider information included in PD 2.0 through the “Provider Search” function when you create a new message within webmail. Your search will default to “Mass HIway” which is limited to Massachusetts’ providers. If you would like to include results beyond the state, please choose “Direct Trust” in the Directory dropdown. | |
| Other HIway Participant (XDR Direct or Connect Device) | Download the PD 2.0 Extract from the bottom of this page. A new extract with updated information will be made available every month, so that this data can be loaded into your internal directories. If you need the HIway Participant Extract, or the DirectTrust Extract that includes non-Massachusetts providers, contact your HIway Account Manager to request a copy. Contact information is listed at the end of this page. | |
| Healthcare organization that uses DirectTrust accredited HISP other than the Mass HIway | To obtain a copy of the DirectTrust Provider Directory, contact your EHR or HISP vendor. This directory will include the information for Mass HIway participants. If you need the HIway Participant Extract, contact the Mass HIway to request a copy. Contact information is listed at the end of this page. | |
| DirectTrust accredited HISPs and vendors | The Mass HIway sends Provider Directory updates to DirectTrust regularly. The best way to obtain up to date Direct Addresses for HIway participants is to access the DirectTrust Extract. Vice versa, Mass HIway relies on DirectTrust accredited HISPs to provide Provider Directory updates to DirectTrust, so HIway users have up-to-date Direct Addresses for all providers on the DirectTrust network. | |
Why We Continuously Update PD 2.0
PD 2.0 makes it easier to find providers with whom your organization needs to share health information. Likewise, it makes it easier for other providers to find the providers in your organization. To make that work, we need to ensure that all contact and Direct Address information for all listings is accurate.
A Provider Directory can become outdated when organizations change their contact information and providers join or leave. Our ongoing PD 2.0 updates will ensure that the directory remains aligned with the HIway and other HIE participants. We need your assistance in making these updates.
What We Need from Your Organization
To provide an accurate Provider Directory to all HIway participants, we need each organization with a "masshiway.net" Direct Address to review their information in PD 2.0. (See “DOWNLOAD THE PD 2.0 EXTRACT” below.) If you don’t see your organization’s information present in PD 2.0, fill in all three template forms to add new information to PD 2.0. To update information already in PD 2.0, please reach out to the Mass HIway for guidance at MassHIway@state.ma.us.
The forms, which are listed in the table below, are incorporated into one Excel file. To aid in completing the forms, each form comes with a specification sheet (Spec Sheet) that shows the definition of terms and acceptable drop-down responses.
The new forms include information that your organization may have already sent the HIway in previous years, but the number of data fields was expanded to collect more detail for the PD 2.0 directory.
| Form and Spec Sheet | Instructions |
|---|---|
| Legal Entity Form and Legal Entity Form Spec | Enter information about your organization and its sub-organizations (if applicable). This form asks for details such as legal names, aliases, and contact information. |
| Organization Template and Organization Template Spec | Enter information about your organization as a whole. This information will be tied to each individual listed in the Provider Template. To avoid double data entry, some information will auto populate from the Legal Entity Form. |
| Provider Template and Provider Template Spec | Enter details for each user and/or department in your organization with whom others can securely exchange information. List all individual providers and their direct addresses, NPI numbers, practice addresses, facility locations, et cetera. |
Download
Download the appropriate forms and specification sheets. The forms and sheets were updated on 6/24/2024.
If your HIway-participating organization has:
- sub organizations that you would like to list separately in PD 2.0, click here.
- no sub organizations to list separately, click here.
Instructions
Follow the instructions in the table above to complete the forms. To fill in a form, select the corresponding orange tab in the Excel file (see image below). While filling in a form, move your mouse over a field name to see instructions on how to fill in the field. Use the drop-down lists to select from the acceptable responses.
First Update and Future Maintenance
For the first PD 2.0 update, you will need to fill out the entire forms for all your providers that need to be included in PD 2.0 at least once.
For the subsequent PD 2.0 maintenance, you can update the form only as your provider information changes. Maintenance updates don’t need to include information for all providers, just the ones whose information have changed.
Submit completed forms to MassHIway@state.ma.us
Updates to PD 2.0 will be sent to the DirectTrust every 72 hours to make the information available to other HISPs. Information included in the Mass HIway PD 2.0 as of the second Thursday of the month, should be included in the monthly extract sent to Participants the following week.
If you have questions or need assistance with completing the forms from your HIway Account Manager, contact the Mass HIway at:
1-855-MA-HIway (Option: 2 = Support)
Email: MassHIway@state.ma.us
Instructions Webinar
Review the webinar below to learn more about the Mass HIway Provider Directory Template. As the template forms are updated periodically, the specific instructions or formatting you see in this webinar may not align perfectly with the current form. Be sure to download the latest template under “Download” in the “What we need from your Organization” section above.
PD 2.0 as a Resource for a Trading Partner Directory
Besides PD 2.0, your organization may use its own Trading Partner Directory (TP Directory), which is an internal Provider Directory that is limited to only include providers with whom your organization partners to provide care to shared patients. Using a TP Directory can simplify finding the correct Direct Address of the regular trading partners.
PD 2.0 can become a valuable resource for your organization to maintain its TP Directory. If PD 2.0 is accurate, you can rely on the information to update your TP Directory information. So even if you use your own TP Directory, we still request that you provide the PD 2.0 updates.
To learn more about creating and maintaining a TP Directory, click here.
Best Practice for Using PD 2.0
When searching for a Direct Address in the Provider Directory, examine all available information for the healthcare provider to whom you need to send information:
First, use a minimum of two identity-specific items to search for the individual, such as:
- First and Last Name (treat as one item)
- NPI
- Specialty
Then, review as many other items as available to corroborate the individual’s identity, such as:
- Organizational Name
- Physical Address
- Phone Number
- Fax Number
After finding the correct Direct Address, verify that the intended recipient is ready to receive information via the Mass HIway. If the intended recipient is not ready to receive information, or can’t receive the type of message to be sent, find an alternative means to send the information (See section 6.4.5 of the Mass HIway Policies and Procedures).
Advisory for Using PD 2.0 Information
The Mass HIway uses Orion Health Communicate, a HISP that participates in DirectTrust, as its HISP. DirectTrust aggregates a single directory with all Direct Addresses and associated provider information submitted by the participating HISPs. This directory includes the HIway participants, and is available to the HIway participants on an “As-Is” basis. The Mass HIway is not responsible or liable for, does not edit in any way, and does not validate the accuracy or completeness of, information it receives from Mass HIway participants or from any other participant of DirectTrust.
Further to Section 6.1 of the Mass HIway Policies and Procedures “Users are responsible for selecting and addressing the intended recipient(s) of all Information they send over the Mass HIway” per subsection (c) and “Users are responsible for determining which of their current information trading partners are connected to the Mass HIway, and coordinating with those Users to determine which types of messages that organization is ready to receive before sending a message or document over the Mass HIway” per subsection (d).
Download the PD 2.0 Extract
The PD 2.0 Extract is an XLSX file that contains Mass HIway users and all other published DirectTrust participants in Massachusetts.
Please note that the Mass HIway actively collects updated individual directories from the HIway participants. The extracts below may not include all providers that use the HIway. If a participating organization or provider you are looking for is not included in the extract, please send an email to MassHIway@state.ma.us, so we can obtain and add their information.
To download the PD 2.0 Extract in the final format, click here (Version: December 2024).
Request the HIway Participant or DirectTrust Extract
If you are a Mass HIway participant, you can contact your HIway Account Manager to request a copy of the HIway Participant Extract, or the DirectTrust Extract that includes providers beyond the state of Massachusetts.
Care organizations that use other DirectTrust accredited HISPs, can request a copy of the Mass HIway Participant Extract via the "Contact the Mass HIway" info listed below.