Suddenly more and more specialists are sending me their letters via unencrypted email, rather than by post. I suspect that a part of this increase may being response to my fairly strong demands for them to start using Argus. I think that they may be looking into Argus a bit, understanding that it is some kind of email system, and then deciding that ordinary encrypted email seems to do pretty much the same thing.
In response, I have today started sending these specialists an email message with the following text. I attach to it my two page explanation of why we want electronic communication, what Argus is, where and how to get it free of charge, accompanied by my list of their colleagues who are already using it. ************** Dear [specialist's name], While we appreciate your making the effort to email your letters to us about our mutual patients, we are concerned that doing so by unencrypted email puts you at a potentially serious legal risk. The use of unencrypted email to send patient information breaches medical ethics and the Privacy Act because the message can be read at any of the ISPs through which the message passes between you and our practice. It is the electronic equivalent of writing your letter to us on a postcard. You may have received a request from our practice to use the Argus clinical messaging system to communicate with us. If you have not received this, please find it attached for your information. The Argus clinical messaging system simultaneously satisfies your need and legal obligation to encrypt your electronic messages to us, and our desire to receive your letters in the most efficient way. Argus achieves this by automatically encrypting your letters and delivering them directly into the clinical in box of our practice' s computer system, where we can easily read and then file them into the patient's electronic clinical record. I believe that most general practices are very keen to start receiving your letters in this way, rather than having to scan them in or to keep them in paper files. If your practice would like to install Argus, all that it needs to do is to contact Tristan Evans at Clinpath Laboratories (ph. 8366 2000 or email [EMAIL PROTECTED]), who will install Argus free of charge and help you to get going with it. I would be pleased to talk about Argus with you at any time. ************* Oliver Frank, general practitioner 255 North East Road, Hampstead Gardens South Australia 5086 Ph. 08 8261 1355 Fax 08 8266 5149 M 0407 181 683 _______________________________________________ Gpcg_talk mailing list [email protected] http://ozdocit.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gpcg_talk
