Technology to enable new approach to providing care – Te Whatu Ora board

eHealthNews.nz: National Systems & Strategy

Technology to enable new approach to providing care – Te Whatu Ora board

Thursday, 27 April 2023

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NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

New Zealand’s health system has historically invested in hospital information systems, but the majority of patient contact is happening in communities, says Te Whatu Ora chief executive Fepulea’i Margie Apa.

At a board meeting on 28 April, Apa said Te Whatu Ora has inherited systems from previous entities (DHBs) where the emphasis has been on hospitals.

“Most investment has been going into hospital systems, and that’s necessary, but most of the contact work is actually happening in communities,” she said.

Interim board chair Naomi Ferguson said the board has a role to play in thinking about technology that will enable a different approach - providing more care in the community - and how the various parts of the system work together to deliver this.

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“As we think about the investment choices ahead, we need to rethink some of that,” she said.

“We are a people business and we will always be a people business, but we know the value that tech can bring to really help the information flows to link primary, pharmacy, community and patients.”

Apa said the Hira programme will help to move the data and digital ecosystem to the point where information can move around more easily, and people can get access to it.

“We have a jigsaw of lots of systems and these vary in how they are connected up both locally, regionally, and nationally,” she said.

“We have got a bit of building to do and I'm quite excited that starting on Monday is our chief data and digital Leigh Donoghue, as that is a really important enabling role for a lot of the reforms that we're talking about.”

Board member Jeff Lowe said the key thing the system is trying to achieve is continuity of care, and technology enables that.

He spoke about $44 million in funding announced this week to build comprehensive primary care teams and said these teams will need access to the same data and information, so they can provide continuity of care.

Board member Vanessa Stoddart said while it is important that clinicians can see the information, the system must put patients at the centre.

“We start from the patient, whether they are accessing the GP, pharmacist, ambulance, midwife or the hospital: that is the nucleus of the system,” she said.

“It is the patient's record, and patients should be able to give access to anybody they choose, who are dealing with them. That might be alternative providers, or whānau members.”

Lowe agreed, saying giving patients ownership and self-determination about their own health is key to moving people from ill health to health to wellbeing.