Electronic Document (eDocument) Transactions

Guidelines for Electronic Document Transactions with the Department.

In this section:

What is an eDocument? | Document contact details | eDocument confidentiality | Unacceptable use of eDocuments | Changes to eDocument transaction guidelines | Want more information?

The Department of Health and Ageing has the facilities to receive electronic documents (eDocuments).

What is an eDocument?

For the purpose of these guidelines, an eDocument is an electronic form of a document generated from an original hardcopy document. For example an eDocument may be a faxed document, a scanned image of a written document or a digital photograph. In general, eDocuments may be submitted to the Department via a number of media including email, physical media (e.g. CD-ROM) and fax.

If you decide to send eDocuments to the Department, you should first contact the program area with which you are transacting to discuss the appropriate arrangements.
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Document contact details

When submitting an eDocument to the Department, please include the following contact details to ensure you receive a reply:

personal title (e.g. Mr, Ms, Dr, Prof. etc), first name and surname
position title (e.g. Manager)
organisation name
e-mail address
postal address
phone number
fax number
date and time the document was sent.

In order to establish that your eDocument was successfully delivered to the Department, it is in your interest to request that a confirmation receipt (e.g. email return receipt) is sent by the relevant work area to which you addressed the eDocument. Replies from the Department will be directed to the email address provided unless an alternative method of communication is specified.
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eDocument confidentiality

The confidentiality of eDocuments sent to the Department cannot always be guaranteed. eDocuments sent via standard delivery channels such as email, fax or post are at risk of being intercepted by a third party before reaching the Department. To help keep your eDocument confidential:

send it to the correct destination (e.g. designated email address, fax number);
consider using registered mail

The Department is currently investigating technologies to provide clients with encrypted methods of submitting eDocuments and the subsequent guidelines will be communicated on this site.

eDocuments received by the Department may be retained in an archival form as required by Commonwealth laws and regulations governing the retention of records of government agencies. eDocuments may be accessed and used by authorised officers of the Department when an appropriate need exists.

Unacceptable use of eDocuments

Do not send the Department eDocuments containing information that is:

harassing;
threatening;
designed to cause damage (e.g. virused);
containing information that is illegal (e.g. obscene material).

Any person who sends material of this nature to the Department may be committing a serious criminal offence and may be prosecuted.
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Changes to eDocument transaction guidelines

The Department has a right to revise these transaction guidelines without notice. The revisions will be available on this site. If you wish to provide the Department feedback about these guidelines please send an email to enquiries@health.gov.au.

Want more information?

If you would like to know more about transacting electronically with the Department, please send an email to enquiries@health.gov.au.

All general queries, not related to electronic transactions, should be sent by email to enquiries@health.gov.au