---
title: Overview | Avara
description: Avara Connect enables secure data exchange and continuity of care across healthcare organizations.
---

## What is Avara Connect?

Avara Connect is a secure interoperability layer that helps healthcare organizations share patient data, coordinate care transitions, and maintain continuity across systems and sites.

Connect is available as a **standalone product**, or it is **included in the Avara Clinical Platform** and directly integrated into your clinical workflow — referrals, imaging, messaging, and scheduling work together without switching systems.

Connect supports:

- **Connect Contacts** — Bidirectional trusted connections with partner organizations
- **Referrals** — Send and receive patient referrals between approved Connect contacts
- **Study Sharing** — Share DICOM imaging, documents, and appointments with an integrated viewer
- **Messaging** — Secure DMs, internal channels, and Connect contact channels
- **Continuity of Care** — Share records and context when patients move between providers or facilities
- **Secure Exchange** — HIPAA-aligned data sharing with configurable access controls

## User Guides

Explore Connect documentation below.

[**Connect Contacts**Establish and manage trusted connections with partner organizations](/connect/connect-contacts/index.md)[**Referrals**Send, receive, and manage referrals between Connect contacts](/connect/referrals/index.md)[**Study Sharing**Share DICOM imaging, documents, and appointments](/connect/study-sharing/index.md)[**Messaging**Secure messaging within your org and with Connect contacts](/connect/messaging/index.md)[**Continuity of Care**When records can be shared without patient authorization](/connect/continuity-of-care/index.md)

## Pricing

The table below compares Connect capabilities and pricing for standalone Connect customers and organizations on the [Avara Clinical Platform](/clinical-platform/overview/index.md).

Feature

Connect Only

Clinical Platform

Receive referrals

Free

Free

Send referrals

Free

Free

Receive studies

Free

Free

Send studies

$4.50/study

Free

Receive documents

Free

Free

Send documents

Free

Free

Messaging

Free

Free

Eligibility checks

In progress

In progress

Prior authorization

In progress

In progress

### Connect Only

Connect-only customers receive **50 free study sends** to get started. If your organization never sends studies, the platform remains **completely free** — there are no per-user or subscription charges for referrals, documents, messaging, or receiving shared records.

When you do send a study, the **$4.50 per study** charge covers that study for unlimited shares — send the same study to as many Connect contacts as needed without additional per-recipient fees.

### Clinical Platform

Clinical Platform customers receive **unlimited study sharing at no additional cost**. Sending and receiving DICOM studies through Connect is included with your platform PACS subscription.