Interoperability: What is it?
In the healthcare industry, interoperability means that two or more different secure messaging systems can exchange and interpret data from one another. HIMSS states that “for two systems to be interoperable, they must be able to exchange data and subsequently present that data such that it can be understood by a user.” Source: HIMSS, 2018
To date, healthcare practitioners and organisations have been restricted to sending information on one secure messaging network. This has left gaps in your ability to securely deliver or receive documents and has meant that your reliance on manual methods of handling patient information has persisted.
What interoperability means in this context, is the ability to support a system-to-system exchange across two or more secure messaging networks. By recognising each other’s network we increase the network size and capability.
The medical software industry has been working towards this milestone for a while now and we are happy to be a market leader in interoperable messaging for healthcare.
How can it help your practice?
The biggest advantage of interoperability is that you can now send and receive confidential patient information securely across a larger network of Health Care Providers.
This means less scanning and less faxing; translating to direct savings for your practice as you can work to eliminate manual handling of this information. You will have increased compliance with Privacy Standards and greater accountability of information sent and received securely.
How can I get started?
So, you see the benefits of being interoperable, it is a good time to look at how to increase your daily use of secure messaging in your business.
- For existing ReferralNet members using our interactive address book is the easiest way to discover who you can send to in real-time without having to maintain this in your own local address book. The ReferralNet address book displays practitioners who use both ReferralNet and Argus.
- Your practice may need to upgrade to the new ReferralNet Agent before you can start exchanging documents with Argus practitioners. Get in touch with our team and schedule a time for us to do an interoperability readiness check.
- Identify the source and destination of documents that you are currently scanning, faxing or posting. Then, reach out to us and we can help migrate these to use secure messaging.
- Support your clinical staff in the use of secure messaging as a preference for your business.
Argus and ReferralNet SMD Interoperability