Shared Digital Health Record update: August

SECTOR UPDATE - Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora

The Shared Digital Health Record team is working with early adopter general practices in Auckland, New Plymouth, Masterton, Taupō and Ashburton. These practices are testing the new Digital Service Hub onboarding and due diligence processes for health service providers wanting to connect to information sharing services like the Shared Digital Health Record.

The due diligence process looks at four key areas, including cyber security. A new security checklist, developed with General Practice New Zealand, is helping practices confirm that their cyber security arrangements meet the requirements for sharing personal health information with Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora. The development of the checklist highlighted the need for the information sharing and security awareness initiative now underway.  

Early feedback from practices has been very valuable. Some practices have looked to their practice management system (PMS) vendors, hosting providers or IT support partners to help complete the cyber security and due diligence requirements. Practices with existing internal security checklists or governance processes have found the security checklist easier to complete, while others have noted that smaller organisations may need additional support to meet requirements.  

Practices have also appreciated receiving draft materials and working copies of assessment documents in advance, so they can identify the right people to involve. 
The Access and Use Agreements and schedules related to providing patient data to the Shared Digital Health Record have now been shared with early adopter practices.

After the agreements are in place, the early adopter practices will begin communicating with their patients about the Shared Digital Health Record and their participation choices, before their health information is collected. Health NZ has developed patient brochures and posters and practice resources to support these conversations. The practices will help test these materials, providing feedback before they are used more widely.  

Focus will then move to working with primary health organisations (PHOs), to onboard their practices and corporates in Te Waipounamu | South Island, with other regions to follow. Health NZ will work with PHOs to support their practices to onboard. 

New resource hub
A new Shared Digital Health Record resource hub is now available on the Health NZ website. The hub brings together practical resources, training materials, patient communication tools and onboarding guidance.

The hub also directs providers to the right channels for onboarding, technical support, privacy and security questions, and patient enquiries.  

For a comprehensive, user-friendly overview of the Shared Digital Health Record, practices are encouraged to see the guide Introduction to the Shared Digital Health Record: Guide for primary care, which is on the resource hub. 

Source: Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora media release

Sector updates are provided by organisations to eHealthNews.nz and have not necessarily been edited or checked for accuracy. Any queries should be directed to the organisation issuing the release.

Do you have an item to add to sector updates?

Email your information to us at updates@hinz.org.nz

Return to eHealthNews.nz home page