Argus for General Practitioners

Download Fact Sheet (PDF)

Would you like to store specialist reports in your clinical records system without the time consuming process of scanning paper documents and manually matching the reports against the patient record?
Would you like to be able to receive radiology reports, discharge notifications and discharge medical summaries from hospitals, encounter notes from after hours locum services, and even communication with local nursing homes, all using the same simple mechanism?

Not only can Argus be used to import specialist reports but it can also deliver in the same manner pathology and radiology reports, hospital discharge summaries and notifications etc, all at almost no cost to you.
GPs can achieve real cost and time savings by eliminating the need to scan incoming letters and reports, especially those from consulting specialists, so that these can be filed electronically in the patient records.
In addition, if you use any of the most popular clinical software packages to create your referral letters, patient health summaries and other clinical correspondence, you can send these directly from within your letter writing facility via secure email using Argus. The list of GP clinical packages that achieve this is expanding all the time.
Argus secure messaging has the potential to deliver all of these computer communications at next-to-no cost, with also the backup of ArgusConnect's Support Hot Line to assist with any technical queries for a minimal cost.

Key Benefits

• For many thousands of General Practitioners, Argus software is available free of charge
• There is no paying per message for sending or receiving messages by anyone: GP, specialist pathology practice, radiology provider or hospital
• When Argus is used between a specialist and a GP, there is no need to scan documents; details are loaded directly into a patient record on the existing clinical system
• Argus seamlessly integrates with existing email services, internet service providers and clinical software
• Argus uses HeSA (HIC) approved methods for securing data transfer and encrypting records; it is the same encryption process as HIC on-line, so if you are using HIC on-line you are ready to start using Argus now

What is Argus?

Argus is a program that provides safe, simple and secure transfer of clinical and patient data via email.
It runs on any doctor's computer alongside existing clinical software and enhances internet email with additional features for clinical needs such as security through use of PKI encryption, Standard HL7 organisation of the clinical data for computer-to-computer interoperability and additional mechanisms that ensure all documents are received reliably by the intended recipient.
ArgusMessenger is the core of the Argus product which manages the sending and receiving of encrypted messages. Argus software is free of charge to General Practitioners in Australia.

Because Argus uses open, commonly-used internet technologies (e.g. email), other healthcare providers can implement Argus easily and cheaply. Also, doctors can use any Internet Service Provider they choose, and may utilise either dial-up or permanent broadband connection.

Argus Features

• Utilises standard internet email to send and receive clinical messages
• Can be used with dial-up or broadband internet connection
• Interfaces with a wide range of GP clinical software for receiving clinical reports and sending documents
• Adds PKI encryption and assurance of message delivery for additional security of clinical message transmission
• Runs on most Windows, Macintosh or Linux computers
• Provides a local address book of clinicians and organizations with access to their PKI public key to encrypt their messages plus recipient email addresses
• Access to an Australian Argus Users Directory via the internet to update address book entries
• The software is licenced free of charge to GPs

How can Argus help me?

Argus helps your practice by using the existing technology solutions you have in place to send and receive secure and encrypted data to the health professionals you refer to and receive reports from.

When Argus is used between doctors, specialists, hospitals, pathology and radiology companies, it eliminates the need for scanning letters into your patient records. Documents sent using Argus in combination with an existing email service can be automatically added to patient records on your clinical system. In addition, once you have started using Argus, the range of communications can be expanded as more and more other medical providers start using Argus and commence sending and receiving documents in the same way.

The aim of Argus is not to change the way you work, but to make the administrative and referral work you do easier, faster and more reliable.

Security Highlights

Argus encrypts all data sent by email and decrypts all received messages using HeSA Public Key Encryption. The HeSA PKI system is the same one used by HIC for their electronic claiming through HIC Online.

Security of sending clinical data is also dependent upon ensuring that anything sent is actually received by the intended recipient. Argus utilises the international Standard HL7 method of ensuring that a message has arrived at the receiver's mailbox, by automatic acknowledgement of receipt by the recipient's Argus to the sender's Argus.

What support is available?

Product support is available to GPs during regular business hours (EST). Both phone Help Desk and email support are available.

There is a growing network of Argus Certified Installers who are trained in Argus installation and they can assist you in getting set up and started. Contact ArgusConnect for a referral to one of these Argus Certified Installers.

Regular updates to the product are issued periodically with enhancements that are based on user feedback and other identified opportunities to improve Argus.

Recommended Minimum Requirements for Argus Installation

It's easy to start using Argus, and if you use HIC On-line you probably meet the minimum requirements already.

• PC with Windows 98, 2000 or XP, Linux or Apple Macintosh with OSX - any PC in your network will do, Argus does not need a separate server
• Clinical software with pathology report receipt capability - PIT or HL7 format, most GP clinical software has this capability
• Internet connectivity from you practice network - dial up or permanent connection with a speed of 28K up to broadband
• Email address for the practice, dedicated to clinical messaging (ie, different from doctor's or practice personnel email addresses)
• HeSA PKI certificates for the practice