Secure messaging supports the confidential delivery of messages containing clinical documents and/or other information between healthcare organisations, keeping patient information secure and private.
The need for healthcare providers to connect to each other safely and securely is greater than ever as traditional methods such as fax, email or post are not secure.
Why implement secure messaging?
Secure messaging eliminates the need for re-keying or transcribing, integrates more efficiently into clinical workflows, provides a single channel for correspondence and enables an audit trail of successful delivery. Additionally, secure messaging provides time and cost savings through integration with clinical software, automation of tasks and postage cost savings.
What are the benefits?
Most Secure messaging systems allow you to send or receive referrals, specialist reports, pathology results, radiology results, hospital discharge summaries and allied health consultation reports.
Secure messaging benefits:
- Integrates directly with most clinical software systems
- Makes critical patient information more readily available and accessible
- Records ‘send’ and ‘receive’ audit trails
- Enables providers to receive clinical information in real time
- Confidence in privacy and security of transmitted patient data
- Prevents unauthorised access
- Improved practice efficiency from reduction in scanning and faxing
- Reduction in clerical error rates through reduced manual data collection
- A single channel through which referrals and correspondence are sent or received
How to implement secure messaging?
Several secure messaging software systems are used in the SWSPHN region. The first step in setting up secure messaging involves choosing an appropriate provider compatible with your conformant clinical information system.
The most common are:
Follow the six step Australian Digital Health Agency secure messaging implementation guide.
Need help with going digital?
Setting up a digital practice can seem daunting, but we are here to help you. No matter what stage of the process you are in, reach out to the SWSPHN (South Western Sydney Primary Health Network) Digital Health team for help and resources.