Healthpoint celebrates a double decade of helping Kiwis make more informed health choices

SECTOR UPDATE -Healthpoint

This year marks the 20th anniversary since the establishment of the Healthpoint Directory.

To celebrate the occasion, partners, customers and staff joined together in acknowledgement of an online platform now known as New Zealand’s national health and social services directory, attracting more than one million visitors a month.

Healthpoint has steadily become part of the fabric of New Zealand’s online medical information ecosystem, gaining countless long-standing partners and supporters, many of whom were at the event. Kate Rhind, founder of Healthpoint, and business partner  CCO John Williams were also in attendance.

Kate Rhind reflects on the beginnings and growth of the Directory:

Much has been achieved in these past two decades. Our objective was to help communities and patients play a greater part in their healthcare choices through more accessible information and resources, and we have seen this come to fruition. We have achieved significant milestones. During the Covid pandemic we had over 3 million visitors to our site in a single month. 

The Healthpoint Directory has developed into more than just a website or online directory. It is a gateway to information that empowers people to access and use health and social services around the country – and millions are using the content to connect whānau to better care.

CO John Williams, looks back on the number of health service providers who are now profiled.

Since 2004, we have grown from profiling hundreds of health service providers on the platform to more than 11,000. Every day several hundred of these providers update their information. This ensures that regardless of where you are in the country, you can access instant and accurate information about the services that are available. 

The Healthpoint Directory is now home to most health services across Aotearoa, and some organisations have integrated their digital platforms using the Healthpoint API (HL7® FHIR®) to provide a streamlined portal from which to access the content held within the Healthpoint Directory.

Kate Rhind expands on the importance of the providers who have become part of the platform over the years. “It’s only through these legacy relationships with health service providers that people across Aotearoa can be reassured that they can access trusted information and tools at their fingertips.”

“Cross-collaborations with partners such as: Whakarongorau Aotearoa, Women’s Refuge, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Manatū Hauora (Ministry of Health), Te Whatu Ora and Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora (Ministry of Social Development), has enabled Healthpoint Directory to be an instrumental tool in reducing health inequity across Aotearoa.”

“We are helping to end the silos of service knowledge between whanau, providers and government organisations.”

As for the next 20 years, Healthpoint Directory will continue to pursue the vision of providing fairer access to all online through the improved visibility of health and social services and integration of new tools and technologies such as AI Says Kate,

"We will press on looking for ways to improve the pathway that connects government, health service providers and whānau." 

 Source: Healthpoint media release

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