Secure Messaging

Background

The Government has been encouraging General Practice to keep up to date with the changes in E Health, through the provision of an E Health Pip.
As one of the requirement to receive the PIP, practices must have 'a secure messaging capability, which is provided by an eligible supplier'.

The Riverina Division of General Practice & Primary Health has been supporting practices choosing Argus Connect as their secure messaging provider. Greater Southern Area Health is rolling out Argus across the region with a commitment to route patient discharge summaries (Wagga Base patients) through Argus by the end of 2010.

Argus Connect aquisition by Database Consultants

As of early May 2010, Argus Connect and Database Consultants Australia agreed to merge.
For further details please refer to the news release from Argus and DCA here.

Argus Vesion 5 Released

Argus version 5 has been released! with a raft of new features such as

1. Auto Upgrades
2. Improved Argus Message Viewer
3. Improved Address Book Manager
4. Argus Stats
5. Upgraded Database
6. Improved and Strengthened Encryption

For further details please refer to the Argus Connect Website here

Argus Version 5 is licensed under a subscription basis.  As the Riverina Division of General Practice and Primary Health is  an "Argus Affinity Division" member practices receive a discounted rate on their Argus Subscription.

Those practices that have a current support contract for version 4 will receive their install of version 5 as part of that support contract.

Those practices who are currently utilizing the "freeware" version of Argus will be required to take out a subscription to Argus version 5 prior to being upgraded.  They will need to refer to the Argus Website here

Please refer to the Argus Connect site for further details.

Argus Version 4 Reaching End of Life and Argus Version 6 coming Mid 2011

Argus customers would have received a letter recently advising that Version 4 will be reaching end of life, and detailing the available upgrade process.

As we have communicated previously version 5 has several significant advantages to version 4 and the Division has been able to negotiate a reduced cost for installation and the annual subscription.

The Division has been visiting practices and Specialists in the last few weeks to talk with practice staff and GP's about Argus Secure Messaging and the response has been very encouraging.  The commitment to take up the service from the Specialists has been overwhelmingly positive and their uptake is pivotal to achieving the benefits of secure messaging for our member GP's.