Micro-credential projects deliver for Māori and Pacific populations

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

TikTok videos to help Pasifika people navigate health services and online exercise classes for socially isolated kaumatua are some of the real-world projects being implemented as part of a new micro-credential in applied digital health.

HiNZ is piloting the micro-credential with a focus on Māori and Pacific designed, led and delivered digital health action.

Participants have been developing, testing and refining a prototype digital health initiative to explore and solve an issue specific to their workplace, focused on improving efficiencies and health outcomes for their community.

One initiative involves training rangatahi (young people) in computer upcycling in order to get low cost computers to whānau. Another is a car pool app for rural communities to access transport to attend town-based clinics.

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Tanith Petersen, chief operating officer at kaupapa Māori organisation He Waka Tapu, is completing the new micro-credential and says she was keen to investigate it as an option for kaimahi (staff) as part of their professional development.

“We are already using data to drive some of our business decisions and our new client management system showed that we had an over 50 percent DNA rate,” she tells eHealthNews.

“This told me a lot about our kaimahi and also our whaiora (clients) who are seeking wellness and stability in life, but might have 20 appointments a week with different agencies and organisations.”

The burden this was putting on kaimahi and whaiora drove them to hold 13 open groups a week for people to attend without an appointment, attracting up to 15 people each time.

“As part of this micro credential, I wanted to create a digital platform for us to do the same thing for people that are working in isolation, cannot leave their home, live rurally, or just do not have the confidence to do the face to face stuff just yet,” Petersen says.

“I realised I needed to create a virtual open group and being the agile organisation that we are, we are launching these within the next month.”

Initial groups will focus on waka kōrero, hikitia te hā (breath work and mindfulness) and kōauau (Māori flute).

“We are going to test these and possibly move to a new platform in the future. We are hoping this will possibly lead some to a face to face interaction,” she says.

HiNZ chief executive Tim Corbett says the goal of the micro-credential in applied digital health is to transfer knowledge and networks gained at Tihi Hauora Matihiko and turn it into ongoing impact.

Tihi Hauora Matihiko is a new summit focused on Māori and Pacific led data and digital health. The HiNZ colab event was held in its inaugural year as part of Digital Health Week NZ 2023 in Kirikiriroa, Hamilton.

“The intent of the micro-credential is to be able to increase the impact people can make on health outcomes through prototyping a digital health project to meet a need in their workplace environment,” says Corbett.

The micro-credential also involves five online workshops with a mix of guest presentations, online interactive sessions, co-labs and facilitated small group work.

Hear from Tanith and Corbett in the upcoming HiNZ webinar, Exploring Māori and Pacific led digital health, on Wednesday 29 May at 12.30pm.

To join the waiting list for the next micro credential cohort, email support@hinz.org.nz

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