‘Mindset debt’ not tech debt biggest barrier to reform

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

‘Mindset debt’ is holding back digital transformation in health and Te Whatu Ora is committed to change, the organisation’s chief data and digital told attendees at the 21st HiNZ Conference.

Leigh Donoghue spoke at the opening plenary session of the conference, part of Digital Health Week 2023, where he said the health system needs to change “at scale” and a core element of that will involve a hospital Electronic Medical Record (EMR).

“It is not something we will tackle in the near term, but it is something we must tackle,” he told the 900-strong audience.

Donoghue described the vision of Pae Ora as bold and compelling, and said people should focus on the strengths of New Zealand to build upon the commitment to reform.

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“Funding and technology tech debt are not our biggest problems. Part of this is cultural, part of this is mindset debt,” he said.

“We have entrenched ways of working, thinking and operating that we must challenge if we are to achieve Pae Ora.

“There is an old adage that if you want to change something, change something, and we are committed to change.

He acknowledged the legacy landscape in New Zealand is complex and there has been historical underinvestment in data and digital.

“We have patchy siloed pools of data across the motu and integration is poor - we are starting from a difficult base,” said Donoghue.

“You cannot have a modern health system without digitising: we have work to do and we have to shift the funding level.”

However, he pointed to progress across a range of digital areas including the development of My Health Account, the NZ Health Terminology Service, and cybersecurity uplift.

He said the new structure of Te Whatu Ora data and digital went live in November and they are now rolling out a ‘digital workspace’ to 93,000 people.

The Hira program will go live with the alpha release for immunisation data in the coming fortnight and building on that will be the delivery of health information to enable consumers and whānau to play a more direct role in their care.

He said the national structure allows for a new approach to data and digital, embedding standards and providing clear direction and drive towards fewer better solutions with a focus on innovations that are of highest relevance and importance to New Zealand.

He added that building workforce will be a core challenge including attracting a more diverse talent pool into data and digital, creating opportunities for Māori, Pacifika and for women.

“What I would urge is that we come together as one team. Let's climb,” Donoghue said.

Main Picture: Te Whatu Ora chief data and digital Leigh Donoghue speaking at Digital Health Week NZ 2023 in Hamilton

Picture: Rhiannon James (she/her), Graphic scribe artist - www.rhiannonjames.co.nz

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