RACGP launches e-health security guide

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has launched a new IT security standards guide to help its members keep practice and patient information secure.

The 43-page self-assessment guide (pdf) is the third edition of a document that was last published in 2005.

It contains a check list covering ten categories of IT security. These include appointing a computer security coordinator, documenting the role and training the person in question.

Security policies and procedures should be documented, the guide advises.

The guide encourages practitioners to ensure daily backups are done, anti-viruses are installed with automatic updating enabled, and encryption is set up for electronic communications.

It also includes policy templates for internet and email usage, business continuity and disaster recovery.

RACGP said the self-assessment guide met international standards in health IT security as well as Australia's national privacy principles.

Separately, the college is also presenting its quality and safety standards for GPs offering video consultations at the GP11 conference held in Hobart this week.

It was contracted by the Department of Health and Ageing to develop the clinical telehealth standards in June.

The video standards support a $620 million Government telehealth initiative that offers Medicare rebates and monetary incentives to practitioners who are willing to conduct video consultations.