Integration key to rural telehealth service

eHealthNews.nz: Digital Patient

Sunday, 14 April 2024

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NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

Multiple integrations with national and local health information systems are enabling a new model of care for rural patients, says Ka Ora Telecare leadership team member Jess White.

Ka Ora, a collective of REACH Aotearoa, Practice Plus, and Emergency Consult, was awarded the contract to deliver the Rural Clinical Telehealth Service over the next three years.

The service, which rolled out in November 2023 and includes access to virtual GP or nurse practitioner appointments, was contacted by more than 3000 patients in its first 100 days.

White tells eHealthNews a key enabler of the new model of care is interoperability with a large number of systems holding patient data.

Ka Ora uses the indici practice management system (PMS), which integrates with the National Health Index and National Enrolment Service.

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The telecare service also links into regional shared care record systems such as HealthOne, Yourhealthsummary, TestSafe and Comporto, as well as national laboratory and radiology results, and the NZ electronic prescription service (NzePS).

White says Ka Ora clinicians always access at least one of these sources of information in order to get a fuller picture of the patient and their current health concerns.

“People do not want to be telling their story multiple times and they presume that you have that information,” she explains.

“We also have a bespoke system that sits alongside our PMS that provides information about local services so we know what is available to patients in that area, such as where the closest open pharmacy is on a weekend.”

An automatic note is sent to the patient’s enrolled GP, if they have one, after a consultation and the Electronic Referral Management System (ERMS) allows referrals into other services, such as secondary care or allied health.

Around 82 percent of patients are provided with treatment via Ka Ora, with 10 percent requiring further in-person assessment.

White says more than half of the 200 plus eligible rural practices are now onboarded and have been able to reduce or in some cases eliminate weekday, weekend and public holidays after-hours rosters.

“Our goal is to increase access to primary care for our communities. The service is about complementing general practices and ensuring sustainability services in rural communities,” she says.

Patients can access Ka Ora via on online booking form, but most come via a phone call diverted from their general practice after hours. This call can be converted to video if needed by the triage nurse or GP.

White says patients want to feel that someone is responding to their need so call wait times are very important and are currently at 83 seconds. Call times average 20- 22 minutes, which she says reflects the nature of rural patients who tend to have higher acuity when they access care.

Around 15 percent of Ka Ora patients identify as Māori and the highest number are in age group 0-4.

Ka Ora has been co-commissioned by Te Whatu Ora and Te Aka Whai Ora.