Provider Directory Service

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

Before you can search the Argus online, you must first enable the Address Book Integration - ADHA PDS module and configure the PDS service. For more information, see Modules.

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

The PDS standard 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 online provider directories, depending on which services they are subscribed to and their:
  • Specialty
  • Organisation
  • Location
  • SMD Vendor
An organisation may have multiple entries in online provider directories, depending on which services they are subscribed to and the following criteria:
  • 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 an online provider directory 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 Online provider directory iconProvider Directory icon, the result is already linked to the online provider directory.
  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 online provider directory 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 Online provider directory iconProvider Directory icon.
Example provider directory search results listed in the local Communicare address book

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

If a contact is removed from an online provider directory, it is also removed from your local address book. If you delete a contact from your local address book that was added to your local address book from the online provider directory, the PDS is not affected. To add the contact back into your local address book, repeat the online provider directory search described 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.