Telehealth transforms healthcare access for rural island communities

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth 

A Starlink satellite is enabling virtual consultations for people living on Matakana and Mōtītī Islands, reducing travel costs and time for the isolated communities.

The Tāpiri Mai programme aims to use digital solutions to improve access to healthcare services. It is a collaboration between Te Awanui Hauora, Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation, and Ngāti Kahu Hauora and was co-designed with residents of Matakana and Mōtītī Islands.

Matakana Island has around 330 permanent residents, with 225 enrolled in healthcare services, plus an additional 31 whānau on Rangiwaea Island. The population is 95 per cent Māori, who are in the highest deprivation level.

People living on the islands rely on barge services and have no permanent doctors, with fortnightly visits from a doctor or nurse practitioner from Ngāti Kahu Hauora and monthly visits from Allied Health professionals. 

The islands also have unreliable internet. Tāpiri Mai was supported with Health NZ funding via the Hira programme to pay for a 4G radio bridge. The recent introduction of Starlink technology provides high-speed connectivity for virtual consultations.

Hera Murray, community nurse at Te Awanui Hauora on Matakana Island, says infrastructure is critical to a successful telehealth project.

"A lot of rural communities are being offered telehealth services but do not have the infrastructure or broadband connectivity to even hold telehealth consultations," she says.

Starlink enables successful virtual consultations in real time, with her providing support during, before and after the appointments.

"It has made a huge impact on the community, saving them time and money, and there are a lot who are accessing healthcare now who were not in the past just because it was too expensive or too hard to get to," says Murray.

The telehealth connection meant that a palliative care patient who wanted to die at home rather than travel to the mainland hospice, was able to do so.

Kiri Peita, general manager Māori population health and equity for Western Bay of Plenty PHO, explains that the project was developed with the community rather than for them.

"We went to different communities, just for whanaungatanga and to understand how we could best support them as a primary health organisation," she says.

"Virtual consultation was one thing they said would address access barriers and also the social and economic costs that our island communities face. There is a significant cost, especially economically, to coming into Tauranga for in-person consultations."

Peita says the service extends beyond GP consultations to include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and hospice services, and the team is working to expand to hospital outpatient services as well.

She says Tāpiri Mai is based on genuine authentic engagement with people and that telehealth does not replace in-person care.

"Our goal is equitable healthcare and that is removing the barriers in terms of access and having it as an option,” Peita says.

Image: Anthony Ririnui, Hera Murray and Te Uta Roretana

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