The latest PIP requirements allow for extra payments to those GPs that are able to transmit clinical information if they do so securely.

There are many companies offering electronic secure messaging systems, but few will talk to each other. Unless we choose one and encourage those we exchange messages with to choose the same, we'll be stuck with multiple systems in the same way that we need to use many pathology systems today.

We have examined the offerings on the market and believe that Argus is the clear leader in this field. Argus is available at no cost to GPs and Specialists.

Requirements:

A HESA PKI key for encryption – see www.hesa.com.au
Internet access and an e-mail address.

Argus uses the HL7 transport method to ensure that the information can be understood by your clinical system and imported into a patient's file in much the same way as pathology results. Specialists who don't use a clinical system can transmit documents from their word processor.

We think it's time to stop talking about secure messaging and start doing it. We encourage all our clients to start using Argus, and request that their colleagues do the same.