With robust support for X12 Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) standards, DataDirect Technologies has provided healthcare organizations with a turn-key solution to modernize or enhance their existing EDI technology by allowing for scalable, automated conversion between EDI and XML. Building on its existing support for EDI extensions including X12 and HL7 clinical and administrative data standards, version 4.0 of the DataDirect XML Converters offers bi-directional conversion for the latest HIPAA EDI dialects including 004010A1, 005010 and 005010A1 messages.
An integral component of the DataDirect® Data Integration Suite, DataDirect XML Converters deliver bi-directional, highly-scalable software that efficiently streams EDI, flat files or other legacy data formats as XML, making data accessible to virtually any application in the healthcare enterprise. The high-performance Java and .NET components can convert legacy data formats into XML and back without a major re-architecting of a healthcare organization's applications - transforming thousands of EDI and flat-file formats to XML and back with little or no development time or expense.
"The aggressive April 1, 2010 compliance date for the 5010 HIPAA transaction standards and the high-costs associated with the implementation of the code set will have a profound impact on the operations of healthcare organizations," said Dr. Carlo Innocenti, senior XML program manager for DataDirect Technologies. "DataDirect has responded, creating a robust data dictionary for HIPAA-compliant message types that allows users to accelerate the exchange of health-related information, enhanced operational efficiency and reduce costs associated with development and implementation efforts."
In a recent survey of healthcare providers conducted by DataDirect Technologies, more than half of the respondents indicated they were still struggling with efficient claims processing and/or payment with 79 percent of respondents processing claims via EDI most often. Nine out of 10 had no firm transition plans in place for either the new 5010 standards or the ICD-10 coding. When asked how often they manually code HIPAA X12 transactions, only 53 percent were fully automated. Most are seeking third-party technologies to ease data integration efforts, provide real-time data access and maintain the accuracy and integrity of patient data and health information.
Benefitfocus, a leading provider of software and services for the
healthcare benefits market uses DataDirect XML Converters to
automatically transform thousands of X12 compliant EDI documents from
insurance carriers to XML for accelerated processing. Don Taylor, chief
technology officer at Benefitfocus explains:
"When integrating with our carrier partners we often receive data in ANSI X12 834 format which is non-XML. We use DataDirect XML Converters to transform 834 files into XML for use with our internal tools. Without this product, we would have to write our own 834 to XML converter. Although it is possible for us to write such a converter, it would be expensive and require extensive QA testing to ensure accuracy. Buying the converters from DataDirect was an easy decision which has proven to deliver significant ROI."
Webinar: Quick and Easy HIPAA 5010 and ICD-10 Compliance
DataDirect Technologies will host an informative Webinar Jan. 27, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. ET exploring the challenges posed by the requirement to become compliant with the HIPAA 5010 standard. Key topics to be addressed include how to convert between 4010 and 5010 message structures and how to move from ICD-9 to ICD-10 codes without the need for manually re-mapping. To register for the event, visit http://www.xmlconverters.com/webinars/hipaa/
About DataDirect Technologies
DataDirect Technologies is the software industry's only comprehensive provider of software for connecting the world's most critical business applications to data and services, running on any platform, using proven and emerging standards. Developers worldwide depend on DataDirect® products to connect their applications to an unparalleled range of data sources using standards-based interfaces such as ODBC, JDBC and ADO.NET, XQuery and SOAP. More than 300 leading independent software vendors and thousands of enterprises rely on DataDirect Technologies to simplify and streamline data connectivity for distributed systems and to reduce the complexity of mainframe integration. DataDirect Technologies is an operating company of Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ: PRGS). For more information, visit www.datadirect.com.
DataDirect and DataDirect XML Converters are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation or one of its subsidiaries or affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Java and all Java based marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Any other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE: DataDirect Technologies