The Project
eMediSafe is a project set up to facilitate secure electronic communications and referrals between primary care service providers.

Initially, the project has been funded under Round 4 of the Information Technology Online Program (ITOL) run from the National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE), a portfolio agency of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.

eMediSafe will enable a variety of primary health and community based organisations to send and receive encrypted and digitally signed emails directly to and from their desktop. The project aims to demonstrate the efficiency of on-line communication to the traditional paper-based health industry and in particular, illustrate the opportunities secure electronic messaging can provide to the industry's formal communication system. In essence, this system allows health professionals and organisations to communicate efficiently, quickly and cost-effectively which, in turn, affords benefits in improved case management.

The project uses Public Key Technology (PKT) for authentication of an individual, an organisation or a role; non-repudiation of messages; and secure transfer of information.

A key feature of the project is placing the capacity to simply and securely electronically communicate on the desktop of service providers. As a rule of thumb, the steps a service provider needs to take to communicate using eMediSafe need to result in a reduction in time and effort compared to the current paper based approach.

To achieve its aims, eMediSafe builds on the advances made by the Gold Coast based Medi-Safe and the Melbourne based E-Ref projects. These two projects come from different directions but now have common and very compatible future direction

Importantly, the security infrastructure used is consistent with the standards proposed by the Commonwealth Government Gatekeeper Program (although eMedisafe has not undergone the Gatekepeer accreditation processes).

What Areas are Involved

The Central Bayside area in Melbourne and the Gold Coast areas are the core participants in the project. Far North Queensland and Capricornia GP Divisions in Queensland will also be participating as will at least one other Melbourne Metropolitan area.

The project may have the capacity to add participants. Interested in becoming involved?

Consortium members

The ITOL funding for eMediSafe has been provided to a consortium of organisations:

• The Competitive Option
• Reporting Solution Pty Ltd
• Software Agencies Australia Pty Ltd
• Nexor Ltd
• Siemens Gmbh
• Cable and Wireless Optus/IBA (link to …)

Advisory Committee

The project is supported by an Advisory Committee with representatives from:
Queensland

• BlueCare
• Gold Coast Division of General Practice
• Community Health - Townsville
• FNQ Rural Division of GPs
• TVMC - Southport (link)
• Helensvale Surgery
• South Coast Regional Health Authority
• Queensland Medical Laboratory
• North Queensland Rural Health Training Unit

Melbourne:

• GP Representative - Melbourne
• Central Bayside Division of General Practice
• Royal District Nursing Service
• Bayside Community Options
• Central Bayside Community Health Service
• Department of Human Services

Adherence To Open Standard

The eMediSafe system is fully standards-based:

• it utilises standard SMTP electronic mail with S/MIME extensions
  
• it uses SSL connections for Web browser access
  
• standard X.509 security certificates are used with OCSP for revocation lists
  
• the CardOS standard for Smart cards is utilised.

Components of eMediSafe

Central Infrastructure

• Certification Authority - (SAA in Melbourne)
  
• Registration Authority - Reporting Solutions (Melbourne), The Competitive Option (Queensland), Bayside Division of General Practice (Central Bayside)
  
• Certificate server - containing public certificates (containing public keys) for each participant

User Desktops (About 100 to be installed for trial)

• Add smartcard reader to PC
  
• TrustedMIME secure e-mail plug-in for MS Outlook (or other email client)
  
• Smartcard issued containing participant's private key

How does eMedisafe Work?

The Bob and Alan Referral

	Bob needs to refer his patient to a specialist or other service provider
	The specialist or other service provider can now give an opinion

To achieve this Bob and Alan have to be registered on the eMedisafe directory. (Certification Authority.. CA)

The Certification Authority ( CA)

	Bob is designated an identification code (Private Key) Bob is designated an encryption code (Public Key) Alan is designated a Private Key & Public Key All other persons qualified to join also have a Public and Private Key
	Bob writes his email and encrypts and signs it.   Only the intended receiver can receive the mail. Encryption prevents hackers from reading the messages.