What's On News June 2018 Using MedX phone app for instant messaging

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Using MedX phone app for instant messaging

Thursday 21 June 2018

Mater recommends using the MedX (Au) phone app for instant messaging of confidential and sensitive information.

Whilst a range of apps are available to communicate, instant messaging using apps such as WhatsApp and text messages, do have risks associated with their use as they are not completely secure.

The Privacy Act (22 February 2018) was recently amended to require mandatory notification of data breaches to patients and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) where the data breaches put the patient at risk of harm.

In the first two months of this notifiable data breach scheme, the OAIC received 15 notifications from Health (63 total) calling out health as being the worst performing industry to date.  Human error and malicious and criminal attacks were the main sources of these data breaches.

MedX is a secure messaging system for AHPRA registered Australian doctors, designed to allow instant messaging of confidential medical information between medical colleagues.

The advantages of using MedX over text messages or other instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp:

• MedX is only available to AHPRA registered doctors or staff working within a private healthcare facility.
• Messages and photos are encrypted when they are being sent and when stored within the app on your device.
• You can take, send and manage images securely without the need for it to be stored on your device and your cloud storage.
• Messages automatically expire after 30 days.

You can register for MedX (Au) app and find out more information via their website: https://medxsms.com/

Further information on the risks of using unsecure apps, can be found in Mater’s Fact Sheet.

More information about improving the security of your business can be found at the Australian Government’s Stay Smart Online site.