Michael,
Argus is able to respond differently to different incoming messages,
based on their HL7 type.
Typically, correspondence can be placed in one directory, and pathology
(using a different HL7 structure), in another directory.
Michael Christie wrote:
We have Argus set up in our practice for correspondence.
If you use Argus for pathology as well, does your software put the file
into the correct folder ie pathology Inbox rather than correspondence inbox?
Our software Locum doesn't and the files all go to one folder. We also
have to massage the file and convert it to HTML so Locum Documents
section can see it.
If we need to use Argus for pathology as well, we would need two
installations.
Rgds to all
Michael Christie
Greg Twyford wrote:
Oliver Frank wrote:
Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to report that I have now sent referrals to and been
receiving replies from two medical specialists via Argus, with more
about to start.
To send my referrals, I write my referral letter as usual in my
clinical software, choose 'email' from the letter writer menu, Argus
Mail automatically encrypts it as an HL7 message, and away it goes.
No more phone call charges to fax it from the computer, nor costs of
printing and posting it, nor the costs of printing and giving it to
the patient. Hooray!
The specialists' replies just appear in my clinical inbox, where I
read them like I do test results, mark them as read, and they are
filed away automatically into the patient's record, just like test
results. Our receptionists don't have to spend time opening
envelopes, stamping the letters as 'received', putting them into my
paper inbox and then scanning them, nor do they have to spend time
distributing and filing faxed letters (we receive faxed documents as
images attached to email messages, so they don't have to be printed
and scanned). In fact, our receptionists don't even need to know
that the specialists' letters via Argus have arrived. It's not that
we want to keep it secret from them, it's just that we don't want
their time being taken up with things that they really don't need to
deal with, and incoming specialists' letters is one of those things.
This is a really great saving of our receptionists' time and
therefore of our practice expenses.
We are now about to move to the next stage. I am expecting during
this week to start receiving pathology results via Argus from
Clinpath, which is the Adelaide laboratory owned by Sonic
Healthcare. Once this starts, I will be able to start reducing the
number of result downloading clients on our server, by removing
Clinpath's own downloading software from it. Clinpath's and Sonic's
support for and use of Argus has led me to change to Clinpath as my
preferred pathology provider.
I understand that Sonic has been supporting the development and
implementation of Argus for some time, and has been trying to get its
fellow pathology practices and also the medical imaging practices to
contribute to the costs of supporting Argus. I believe that to date
these others have not contributed, despite their interest in changing
to using Argus rather than continuing with the commercial messaging
systems that they are currently paying significant amounts to use.
Sonic is now feeling a bit lonely in paying to support Argus, which
will benefit everybody, while none of the other current and potential
beneficiaries have contributed.
ArgusConnect and its current and potential sponsors need active
support now from users and potential users of Argus. When I told my
former preferred pathology provider (the State owned Institute of
Medical and Veterinary Science) that I was changing to Clinpath/Sonic
because Clinpath is supporting and using Argus, I received an
immediate strong reaction from IMVS. Clearly pathology and imaging
practices are very sensitive to anything that may influence their
market share.
For those of us who have a choice in pathology and medical imaging
providers, our most powerful way of supporting Argus and helping to
increase its use is to choose to use the pathology and imaging
providers that are supporting and using Argus, and to make sure that
we tell those providers and their competitors why we are doing this.
We need to put our clinical practice where our mouth is, by showing
our pathology, imaging and medical specialist colleagues that we
regard improved electronic communication and the use of the available
open source not-for-profit Australian product as so important that it
influences our choice of provider. If we don't do this, we will have
only ourselves to blame if we find that we have to depend on
profit-making commercial messaging providers to send our clinical
messages.
Oliver,
This is great news. That someone has done the work to get GPs,
pathologists and specialists in your area collaborating and using this
is something everyone has been wanting to see happen for a couple of
years [decades in some cases]. If more areas start to do it, this will
take off.
Argus is one key player in this space, while Medical Objects is
another. There are also plenty of proprietary 3rd party technologies
not initiated by GPs or specialists.
In the case of Argus Top End Division was one prime mover. Buderim
Gastroenterology in the other case of MO. Having Sonic on board is a
result of them wanting to break-free of fee per message models.
Greg
--
Andrew N. Shrosbree B.Sc, B.Ec
Technical Director
ArgusConnect Pty Ltd
http://www.argusconnect.com.au
Suite 4, Greenhill Centre, Mt Helen
Victoria, Australia
Tel: +61 (0)3 5335 2214
Mob: +61 (0)415 645 291 (if I don't answer landline within 3 rings)
Skype: andrewshroz
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