Digital Vision: A regular column by Ann-Marie Cavanagh

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Author Ann-Marie Cavanagh, Ministry of Health Chief Technology and Digital Services Officer

PICTURE: Ann-Marie Cavanagh

New Zealand’s digital transformation means technology will make it easier for patients to interact with healthcare providers and to manage their health conditions.

Our health system in New Zealand is in the midst of a transformation as we embrace and make the most of new technologies. With that change comes exciting opportunities and also big challenges that need to be understood.

Technology is advancing at an exponential rate. From where I stand, New Zealand is already embracing some new technology to deliver a better healthcare system. Some clinicians are using technologies such as mobile devices and video links to bring care closer to where people live, learn and work. It’s a great start, and I hope it’s an indicator of the more convenient and agile version of healthcare on our horizon.

Patient-centred care

We’re in the age of the customer and that applies to health, too. With patient empowerment through the internet and connected health wearables, patients are increasingly at the centre of healthcare.

There is a trend emerging where patients are beginning to expect health services to be delivered via apps and smart devices. This allows them to interact with the health system at times convenient to them, on platforms that may already be integrated in their daily lives.

Digital transformation means technology will make it easier for New Zealanders to interact with healthcare providers. Future generations will expect to use technology seamlessly to understand, self-diagnose and manage their health conditions.

Changing people, changing technology, changing care

The growing population of New Zealand poses some challenges for healthcare. We have increasing diversity and people are living longer. The number of people aged 65-plus is expected to double in 30 years. These demographic changes impact the way health services and wider social services are planned and delivered. Care needs to be delivered to patients in ways that are convenient and empowering.

That’s the thinking we’re doing within the ministry. We know these challenges are widening the gap between particular groups. As a snapshot of what we’re seeing, we know that 25 per cent of our population has a disability. A third of all health loss is preventable and people in high deprivation areas are 1.6 times more likely to be obese.

Moving to a connected eco system

Currently our health system includes some fragmented systems. Check-ups, testing, diagnoses and prescriptions can often be manual point processes.

There is potential for technology to open new models of care. In the future, we see a shift in technology to support healthcare moving from fragmented systems to a connected eco system.

The picture of a patient’s health isn’t static: it can change often. Likewise, we don’t believe their medical information should be static. In future it could be captured at multiple points through multidisciplinary teams, and through connected sensors and wearables.

New Zealand Vision for Health Technology

As many people will know by now, our vision for the future of healthcare in New Zealand has been developed in collaboration with the sector.

At the HiNZ conference in October, I called for the sector to collaborate further around health technology. Since then, I have been impressed with the collaboration I have seen in the sector. We have worked with a number of organisations on a number of initiatives and I look forward to sharing these.

We have a huge opportunity to transform the health of New Zealanders and I really believe the sector needs to collaborate as one team to move initiatives forward.

Over the coming months, in this column we will be sharing more about the Vision for Health Technology and how we’re thinking digital services can improve healthcare in the future.

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