Provider Directory Service

Use the Search Provider Directory Service window to search the Provider Directory Service (PDS) for an individual or organisation and create a record in your local address book.

Before you can search the Provider Directory Service (PDS), first configure the PDS service and enable the Address Book Integration - ADHA PDS module. For more information, see Modules.

To search the PDS, you must belong to a user group that has the Address Book Maintenance system right.

The PDS uses its own terminology. Search criteria you enter in the local Communicare search is mapped to the PDS search fields as described below.
Table 1. Search field mapping - Communicare to PDS
Communicare search fields PDS search fields - Individual PDS search fields - Organisation Description
Name Full name n/a Provider name
Organisation Organisation Practice name Healthcare service name. Organisations can have one or more Healthcare Services at a Location.
Department n/a n/a Department is not available in PDS
Speciality Specialty Specialty Must be used in combination with other filters
Provider Number Provider number n/a Provider number
Locality Location type & Location value Location type & Location value Must be used in combination with other filters
  • If a number is entered in the Locality field, a Location type of Postcode is selected automatically
  • If the standard code for a state is entered in the Locality field, a Location type of State is selected automatically
  • If other letters are entered, Suburb is automatically selected
n/a n/a Service type

Must be used in combination with other filters

Values are taken from SNOMED services and include: community, social, transport, voluntary
An individual provider may have multiple entries in the PDS, depending on their:
  • Specialty
  • Organisation
  • Location
  • SMD Vendor
An organisation may have multiple entries in the PDS, depending on its:
  • Practice name
  • Location
    • Organisations can have one or more Healthcare Services at a Location
    • Multiple specialties at a single Location can be one Healthcare Service, or multiple specialties with the same Organisation and Location
  • SMD Vendor
To add an individual or organisation from the PDS to your local Communicare address book:
  1. Select Tools > Address Book Search.
  2. In the Address Search Book window, enter a name or organisation, or other search criteria.
    If a result is listed and it displays the PDS iconPDS icon, the result is already linked to the PDS.
  3. If no results are returned, click Search PDS.
    The information you entered in the local Address Book Search is displayed in the Search Provider Directory Service window.
  4. In the Search Provider Directory Service window, do either of the following and click Search iconSearch.
    Example PDS search
    • On the Individual tab iconIndividual tab, if required enter further details for the provider for whom you want to search.

      If an individual provider is registered at more than one organisation, or with more than one SMD vendor, they will be listed more than once as shown.

    • On the Organisation tab iconOrganisation tab, if required enter further details for the organisation for which you want to search.

      If an organisation is registered at more than one location, with a separate specialty or with more than one SMD vendor, they will be listed more than once.

  5. Select a result and click Create.
  6. In the Review Entry window, check that you have found the correct individual or organisation and click Create.
    Tip: If you selected the wrong individual or organisation, click Cancel to return to the Search Provider Directory Service window and refine your search.
The contact you selected is added to the local Communicare address book, prefixed with the PDS iconPDS icon.
Example PDS search results listed in the local Communicare address book

In the your local address book, for contacts copied from the PDS, most fields are not editable. If there have been any changes to the contact in the PDS database, the contact is updated from the PDS when the CCareQueue_SMD service is run. Any changes you make to the contact locally are overwritten from the PDS each time the GracePeriodHours is reached.

If a contact is removed from the PDS, it is also removed from your local address book. If you delete a PDS contact from your local address book, the PDS is not affected. To add the contact back into your local address book, repeat the PDS search above.

Repeat steps 3-6 for each record that you want to add to your local address book.

Tip: Add a contact to your local Communicare address book for a provider at each organisation that you want to contact. For example, if you want to refer patients to Dr Kidman at both State Health and Cardicare, add both the first or second result and the third result. If you add a result that is already included in the local address book, it is not added again, but the details are refreshed.