A secure messaging network has gone live in the ACT to allow doctors hospitals and healthcare providers to communicate via the HealthLink communication network.

The service connects GPs using clinical and practice management software from HCN to HealthLink, adding a further 1000 sites to the network.

HCN’s Medical Director software is used by more than 17,000 medical professionals and over 2,300 specialists. HealthLink is claimed to be Australia’s largest health communication network with 5,300 practices, hospitals, laboratories and acute care facilities using their solution.

This interconnection will enable any practitioner using Medical Director to send clinical information to any healthcare provider on the HealthLink network and it will allow any HealthLink subscriber to send information to any Medical Director user.

The interoperability solution creates a message network interconnection, which facilitates the secure exchange of messages between users of MDExchange, the messaging component within Medical Director and HealthLink messaging clients.

John Frost, CEO of HCN comments: “There is a very real requirement for information flowing securely between acute care and primary care. Medical professionals want to exchange reports, referrals, hospital discharge summaries and similar electronic messages today.

“Market leaders, Medical Director and HealthLink, have taken this important step towards widespread interoperability and have an operational and interoperable solution installed and live at ACT Health. This initiative will continue to evolve in order to adhere to the Australian secure messaging standards.”

The joint eReferrals solution was first implemented by ACT Health, HCN, HealthLink and Orion Health.

“For GPs, the ability to send referrals by secure messaging direct from the patient's electronic medical record, is not only time and paper saving but allows the GP to receive acknowledgments that the referral has been received and to be informed in a timely and reliable way about scheduled appointments,” said Dr Peggy Brown, ACT Health Chief Executive.

ACT Division of General Practice President Dr Rashmi Sharma said “connecting all health care providers and developing capacity to support team care and communications between providers will support a viable and accurate personal health record. “

“By replacing paper based systems, patient care will be improved, ensure accurate and secure information transfer, supporting the transition when a patient changes or moves between health care providers”.

“This initiative will further enhance the ACT Health eReferrals solution by increasing the number of general practitioners and specialists having access to timely and accurate information. It is another improvement to health interoperability between primary and secondary care providers.” said Chris Stephens, Regional Director for Australia and Southeast Asia for Orion Health.

HCN has chosen HealthLink as their interconnect partner as both organisations share strong views on the integrity of messaging solutions. HealthLink General Manager, Geoffrey Sayer adds: “The initiative is designed to underpin a philosophy of total service quality for patients in their care as they move through the different parts of the healthcare system. The MDExchange-HealthLink interoperability capability is now available nationally.”