Four PHOs call for national digital health strategy and single health record

NEWS  - eHealthNews editor Rebecca McBeth

Four of New Zealand's largest primary health organisations (PHOs) are calling for a nationally aligned digital health strategy with primary care at its centre, greater investment in AI and digital tools and the rollout of a single, secure health record.

The Network4 Alliance - Pegasus Health, Pinnacle Group, ProCare, and Tū Ora Compass Health – has released an election manifesto which also calls for national interoperability standards across health systems, better use and scaling of proven New Zealand-built platforms and technology investment focused on patient and clinician outcomes.

The group represents more than 350 general practices and more than 1.8 million enrolled New Zealanders and the manifesto outlines five priorities it is asking all political parties to support: ‘Technology in service of people’ is one of them.

“New Zealand’s digital health landscape remains fragmented and duplicated, creating inefficiency for both clinicians and patients,” it says.

“Clinicians are spending too much time on administration and navigating disconnected systems. At the same time, New Zealand has already developed proven digital tools and platforms that could be scaled more effectively.

“Technology should support better care, reduce burden, and free clinicians to spend more time with patients.”

Network4 chair Barry Bragg says the current situation is unsustainable and the proposals are grounded in the day-to-day experience of organisations supporting general practice across urban, rural, Māori, Pacific and high-needs communities.

"These are practical actions that would strengthen primary care and improve the performance of the wider health system."

The manifesto also addresses long-term strategic direction, sustainable funding, workforce development, and care closer to home. 

Technology is a critical enabler across all of these areas, particularly in reducing the administrative load on clinicians, which is causing burn out. It says well-designed digital tools, such as those using AI, could meaningfully reduce this burden and make general practice a more sustainable career pathway.

Also, in providing care closer to home as better information flow and shared care planning between primary, community and hospital services would reduce fragmentation and allow more care to be safely delivered in community settings.

“A better integrated, community-based system will improve patient outcomes while reducing unnecessary pressure on secondary care,” it says.

Bragg says, "we are asking every party to consider the same question: what does a sustainable primary care system look like over the next decade, and what commitments are needed to achieve it?" 

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