nHIP RFI released

eHealthNews.nz: Interoperability

Sunday, 8 November 2020

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NEWS – eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

A Request for Information for the national Health Information Platform has been released by the Ministry of Health, detailing seven requirements for tranche one of the project.

nHIP is described as a wide-ranging programme, which includes the “creation of digital products and services to enable access to an individual’s health information throughout the healthcare system”.

The platform will be delivered in multiple tranches. Work on the first tranche was originally due to begin in June of this year but has been pushed back to 2021 due to the impact of Covid-19 and is now expected to take 2.5 years, rather than three, to complete.

Key to Tranche one will be the nHIP data service, which will provide access to federated sources of data that are stored in a variety of technology platforms.

“The data service will be the foundation for all nHIP products and services and… will establish capabilities that will support access to health information on the nHIP platform, enabling sector and market vendors to consume nHIP products and services,” the RFI document says.

A consent service will ensure that the rules governing access to data are applied transparently and remain under the control of the consumer and the consumer service will give all consumers access to, and use of, their health information.

“The nHIP consumer service will be an app available on both iOS and Android, and a website that will allow an individual secure and authenticated access to their health information using the nHIP data service,” the RFI says.

The nHIP provider service will also be an app, which “will allow a registered health practitioner secure and authenticated access to health information for individuals to whom they are providing services and care”.

Provision of this service will target health practitioners who do not currently have access to relevant health information through existing clinical or organisational systems.

The RFI also details an event notification and record locator service; developer engagement; and service change and adoption as requirements of tranche one.

The RFI says the objectives of the programme of work are that by 2026, New Zealanders will have easy and trusted access to, and use of, their health information. The health and disability sector will have more accurate and timely access to, and use of, health information to support decision making and service delivery.

The platform will also enable the sector to shift demand to primary and community care, reducing year-on-year growth in demand on acute services from 2026, the document says.

“Access to, and use of, information across the health sector has the potential to improve equitable health outcomes and experience of care, and to enable transformed models of care by promoting collaboration and innovation,” it says.

NZ Health IT chief executive Scott Arrol says the RFI is an excellent opportunity for members to provide feedback on their capabilities, either individually or collectively.

“NZHIT encourages its members to get engaged in this process as the Ministry team work their way through the next phase of business case development and funding considerations,” he says.

Responses are due by 27 November 2020.