Secure messaging

Secure messaging supports the delivery of messages containing clinical documents and/or other information between healthcare organisations, sent either directly or through one or more secure messaging providers. 

Healthcare providers 

Healthcare providers may benefit through:  

• Improved timeliness for the sending and receipt of referrals and clinical information 
• Improved clinical decisions due to the right information being available at the point of care 
• Access to a broader range of referring practitioners 
• Streamlined administration due to reduction in paper-based processes 
• Improved coordination of care as a result of improved communication between healthcare providers 
• Confidence in privacy and security of transmitted patient data 
• Improved traceability and tracking of information for audit purposes 

Patients 

Patients may benefit through:  

• Patient data being appropriately and securely managed 
• A reduced need to retell the same information 
• Confidential patient correspondence only being seen by treating clinicians 
• Improved clinical decisions due to the right information being available at the point of care 
• A more streamlined patient experience overall 

Practice manager 

Your practice managers may benefit through: 

• A single channel through which referrals and correspondence are sent or received 
• Reduced overheads and more cost-effective delivery of service from reduced use of paper correspondence and postage costs 
• Improved coordination of care and service integration 
• Reduction in clerical error rates through reduced manual data collection 
• Improved practice efficiency from reduction in scanning and faxing 

For assistance with either using secure messaging please contact your software provider or for implementing secure messaging, contact the Australian Digital Health Agency on 1300 901 001 or at help@digitalhealth.gov.au