The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) wants all healthcare services and government agencies that communicate patient information with general practices to do so by secure electronic means within the next three years, calling for the final chapter to be closed on the era of the letter and the fax machine.

The RACGP has released a position statement on the use of secure electronic communication within healthcare, calling for it to be the “preferred and default” method of communication for all health services and government agencies communicating with general practice about patients.