Connecting current health IT assets to save costs and improve health outcomes

VIEW - Brad Porter, CEO, Orion Health

You know what people say about square pegs and round holes? I’ve been thinking about that in light of the challenges in front of Health NZ as they focus on meeting the government’s targets to tackle wait times.   

With budget constraints the key headline, thinking outside the box for solutions is essential. And it’s what’s sparked the formation of the Aotearoa Connected Care Alliance (ACCA), a Kiwi partnership with a plan to deliver efficiencies within our healthcare system that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. This is not an ask for new funding, we believe we can do a lot within existing investment levels.   

Currently, patient information across Aotearoa is fragmented across various providers, creating errors and knowledge gaps that can lead to delays, time wasted on administrative tasks, and serious patient care shortcomings.   

Our solution? For Health NZ to implement a national shared care health record that is both practical and cost-effective.

By leveraging existing technology, Health NZ can avoid the high costs and logistical challenges that come with building an entirely new system from scratch.  

Yes, ACCA’s members have skin in the game. And all the better for it, because that’s what gives us the knowledge and capability to offer a solution. We can do so much better by working together – particularly when the aim of the game is to open up and connect existing data sources. We know we can save time and money by working together and building on what’s already there. 

We also know that shared care records, when deployed properly, are hugely effective at streamlining services and reducing costly inefficiencies.  

What does New Zealand stand to gain by deploying a national shared care record? 

A shared care record is an all-inclusive, secure digital system that can connect patient records nationwide. Connecting information across hospitals, clinics, and other health providers, ensures that every healthcare professional involved in a patient’s care has accurate, up-to-date information.  

In a system where money is tight, a shared care record could significantly reduce money wasted on administrative tasks and errors. We know it works because we’ve seen it happen elsewhere. Within two years of launching a shared care record, Alberta, Canada, saw significant improvements including:  

• 34% reduction in ED admissions 
• 41% reduction in ER visits for asthma  
• 31% reduction in client bed days 
  

Over in Hampshire, England, doctors have saved 22 minutes of administrative time each day since implementing a shared care record in 2021. That equates to annual cost savings of £6 million and if we apply the same potential to New Zealand’s 250,000 healthcare workers, we could be saving upwards of NZ$350m per year. 

Shared care records can unlock and harness the power of health data and decrease administrative burden. That translates into not just cost savings, but reduced waiting times and better patient outcomes. It’s people’s health, their lives, that stand to gain from a focus on getting fundamental health infrastructure right.  

Together, ACCA has more than 60 years’ experience, with close to 1000 employees here in New Zealand. Our collective interest is in supporting a high performing health system on our home turf.  

We want to see a healthcare system that allows clinicians to focus more on patients than paperwork. Because ACCA’s proposal builds on existing infrastructure, we can get started quickly and have a solution in place within a matter of months. 

In a physical demonstration of the collaboration, ACCA will have a shared stand at the upcoming Digital Health Week NZ. This is well within New Zealand’s grasp if we all work together, please visit the ACCA stand and join the conversation.  

The Aotearoa Connected Care Alliance (ACCA) includes Kiwi healthtech providers: MedTech, Orion Health, Sorsix and Sysmex. 

If you want to contact eHealthNews.nz regarding this View, please email the editor Rebecca McBeth.

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