The NZ Telehealth Forum & Resource Centre has welcomed a new 12-month funding contract from Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, running until 30 June 2027, securing the Forum's immediate future and providing renewed momentum for the Forum’s role as the national voice for telehealth and virtual care in Aotearoa New Zealand.

While the funding allocation is lower than in previous years, the Forum's Chair, Dr Ruth Large, says the investment represents an important vote of confidence in the value of telehealth and the critical role the Forum plays in bringing together expertise from across the health sector both nationally and internationally.

"We are delighted to be able to continue this work on behalf of our members and the wider health system. The funding enables us to maintain a collaborative national platform that supports the development of equitable, accessible and sustainable models of telehealth care that complement in-person care provision."

As part of this next chapter, the Forum is focusing on quality deliverables that support the sector to implement and evolve telehealth uptake.

The Forum has recently welcomed a new Programme Manager, Jess Morgan-French, who will help drive the next phase of the Forum’s growth and impact. Jess will lead programme delivery, stakeholder engagement and implementation of the annual work plan, supporting members, working groups and Communities of Practice while helping strengthen connections, maintain momentum and advance strategic priorities across the telehealth sector. This builds on more than a decade of work in which the Forum has provided leadership, advocacy, education and expert advice to support telehealth adoption across New Zealand, helping improve healthcare access for people regardless of where they live.

Dr Large says the developments have created a renewed sense of energy and enthusiasm throughout the Forum.

"There is a genuine feeling of optimism about what lies ahead. Our members remain deeply committed to improving access to healthcare through telehealth, and this funding gives us the ability to reconnect, refocus and accelerate important work already underway across the sector."

“Telehealth continues to play an important role in modern healthcare delivery. While there is still much work to do, this funding gives us the opportunity to continue supporting clinicians, health services and policymakers to realise the full potential of telehealth, in all of its forms including virtual care."

Source: NZ Telehealth Forum media release

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Primary care leaders are worried that telehealth is shifting from being a complementary tool into being seen as a replacement for in-person general practice, putting continuity of care at risk, particularly for rural and remote communities. 

The case for continuity  

GenPro has launched its election policy manifesto, Seven Steps to Restore General Practice and the second step is ‘Support long-term GP–patient relationships’. 

The organisation says face-to-face consultations should remain the foundation of primary care, with telehealth used to complement rather than replace in-person care. 

Christchurch-based GP and chair of GenPro Angus Chambers believes there has been a shift in the way Health New Zealand has positioned telehealth in its messaging. 

"The words are often that it is meant to be an enhancement, but it is clearly being positioned as a replacement in many ways," he says. 

“Continuity of care is not just about convenience, it contributes to better health outcomes and can reduce avoidable pressure on hospitals.” 

A national telehealth service 

Chambers tells eHealthNews there is no evidence that the new 24/7 telehealth service launched in July 2025 is reducing demand on Emergency Departments as intended. 

The national Online GP Care service has released its first full year of data, showing the 24/7 service delivered just under 96,000 funded video consultations in the year to June 2026. 

When launching the service health minister Simeon Brown said it would help to ease pressure on emergency departments by treating non-urgent issues earlier and in the right setting.  

“This digital service is giving people greater access to the care they need, but does not replace the critical role of GPs, who are responsible for their patients’ continuity of care,” he said at the time. 

Andrew Swanson-Dobbs, chief executive of WellSouth PHO says the data shows the busiest period for using the service is ordinary daytime hours when general practices are already open and the most common reason patients give for using it is that they could not get a timely appointment with their own GP. 

"When a patient turns to a national video service because they cannot see their own GP, we have not solved an access problem, we have relocated it and separated that patient from the thing that makes general practice effective: continuity," he says. 

“This is not a new front door to the health system, it is an overflow valve and the pressure it is relieving is pressure we created by under-investing in the front door itself.” 

A question of funding 

Swanson-Dobbs says that when set against the more than 20 million consultations general practice delivers across New Zealand every year, the Online GP Care figures represent a narrow slice of total demand, but the service is getting around $40 million in annual public funding. 

Chambers is also concerned about the funding model, saying telehealth providers can receive up to four times more in government subsidy than a GP would receive for seeing the same casual patient in-person and the disparity "completely perplexes" him. 

"We do not think we are investing in the parts of the health system that we need to in order to mitigate the problems we have got," he says. 

There is also concern that the financial attractiveness of telehealth is drawing the clinical workforce away from in-person practice.  

"Telehealth is definitely easier and pays better, and people are being taken away from in-person care in clinics," he says. 

Chambers says there is a significant difference between ad hoc virtual care and telehealth delivered within an existing patient-practice relationship. 

Swanson-Dobbs agrees saying a one-off consultation with a clinician who has never met the patient simply “deals with the presenting issue and returns the patient to the same queue they started in.  

The technology is not the problem, or the solution 

Ruth Large, chair of the NZ Telehealth Forum, says the issue is not telehealth versus primary care, as telehealth should be “an and, not an or”. 

She argues that the focus should be on systemic primary care reform rather than getting caught up in debates about which technology is used to deliver healthcare. 

"Telehealth is supposed to be an extension of healthcare," Large says.  

"It is not helpful for us to concentrate on the mode of care delivery when we should really be thinking about what patients need." 

She says continuity of care is an issue even within practices as patients often cannot see their own GP within a reasonable time. 

The workforce concern is a real issue as particularly younger doctors are drawn to telehealth roles for their flexibility, reduced administrative burden and ability to work remotely. 

There is also no evidence that offering telehealth can reduce pressure on emergency departments, as shown by a number of trials in EDs around New Zealand that have failed to scale. 

"The majority of the problem with emergency departments is not the patients coming into the waiting room, it is getting beds in the hospital," she explains. 

A broader redesign 

Large says there is a tendency to treat telehealth as a quick fix rather than part of a broader system redesign.  

"We keep doing the same thing, we just add a layer of technology over the top without actually saying ‘we know what the problem is, what are innovative ways of solving it?’, she says. 

Questions also remain about availability of a patient’s health record and the impact on population health outcomes, such as whether children seen via telehealth are still being asked about other health need such as vaccinations. 

"Primary care arguably is the place that you will have the biggest impact in healthcare provision," Large says.  

"That is where you are going to prevent disease, particularly if you can do continuity of care." 

Swanson-Dobbs is not advocating abandoning virtual care, but wants investment to go where the data says the need is, which is in general practice capacity, workforce, and funding.  

“Virtual care works best as a tool in the hands of a patient’s own practice, not as a substitute for one,” he says. 

If you have any questions re the above feature article, please contact the editor Rebecca McBeth.

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Valentia Technologies has welcomed the launch of Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora’s enhanced Online GP Care service, built using Valentia’s OctansCare digital health platform.

The new platform provides a simpler digital front door through which people can compare participating healthcare providers, appointment options and pricing before connecting with available care. It is intended for situations where someone cannot see their usual GP, needs care after hours, is travelling or cannot secure a timely appointment.

The platform was delivered through a three-party arrangement involving Health New Zealand as the client and commissioning organisation, Valentia Technologies as the technology provider, and Whakarongorau Aotearoa as the delivery and coordination partner.

At the centre of the solution is OctansCare, Valentia Technologies’ configurable digital front door platform. Rather than requiring healthcare organisations to adopt a standard, off-the-shelf model, OctansCare can be tailored to the services, workflows and communities of individual healthcare providers.

“Health services and the communities they support have different needs. A digital front door should reflect those differences rather than forcing every provider into the same model,” said Malik Rizwan, Executive Lead, Valentia Technologies.

“OctansCare gives healthcare organisations the flexibility to create digital access pathways that fit their services, while making it easier for people to find and connect with appropriate care. We are proud that our platform is supporting this important national initiative.”

The launch builds on Health New Zealand’s broader Online GP Care programme and its work to expand access to online consultations through community settings, including pharmacies, rural health providers and urgent-care services.

“Digital healthcare works best when technology connects people, healthcare providers and established community services rather than operating as a standalone channel. This collaboration demonstrates how a flexible technology platform, effective service coordination and strong community partnerships can work together to make healthcare easier to access.” said Malik Rizwan.

Source: Valentia Technologies media release

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Light It Orange for Patient Safety & Health System Safety!

For the first time Aotearoa Is lighting Up for World Patient Safety Day
17 September 2026 will be a little different in Aotearoa New Zealand

World Patient Safety Day is a Global Day of Recognition and action, established by the World Health Organization to bring patients, families, health workers, health leaders, policymakers and communities together around a shared goal: reducing avoidable harm in healthcare. It is marked internationally every year on 17 September.

This year, Aotearoa is not simply acknowledging the day. We are showing up!

Led by the Health Consumer Advocacy Alliance, Patient Voice Aotearoa and Kaitiaki Hauora, 2026 will see New Zealand's first nationwide coordinated, patient and whānau-led World Patient Safety Day campaign. And there is already real momentum behind it.

Health organisations, health workers, patients, whānau and communities are finding ways to take part. Some will wear orange. Others are making patient safety visible in their workplaces and communities. Organisations across the country are getting involved, and the campaign continues to grow.

Light It Orange!

On 17 September, landmarks across Aotearoa will be illuminated in orange, joining a global movement of landmarks, buildings and public spaces lighting up to demonstrate a shared commitment to safer healthcare.

Auckland's Sky Tower and landmarks in Wellington, Tauranga, Whangārei and Dunedin are already confirmed to take part, with more expected to join. 

These lights will create powerful images, but the real story is the people behind them.
People whose lives have been changed by preventable harm. Patients and whānau who have had experiences they never expected to have. Health professionals who know that safer systems are possible. And decision-makers who have the opportunity to listen and act.

View PDF version here

Source: The Health Consumer Advocacy Alliance media release

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The use of digital health technologies to help people prevent and manage chronic conditions is central to the mission of the new Institute for Chronic Disease Research at the University of Waikato, its director says.

Ralph Maddison has returned to New Zealand after 11 years at Deakin University in Melbourne to lead the newly established Institute and he tells eHealthNews that exploring the use of digital health and AI will play a key role.

"Our mission more broadly is to reduce the economic burden of chronic diseases on government and the burden on people through research into prevention and management of chronic diseases," he says.

Chronic diseases cover a wide range including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and respiratory conditions and many people live with multiple conditions, making the scale of the challenge significant.

He says digital health technologies are a critical enabler because they place people at the centre of their own care. Tools that allow people to track symptoms, monitor physical activity, manage medication, and communicate directly with their care teams can make a difference by supporting in-person care.

"I think a real key point of the pervasiveness of digital health is that we can begin to empower people to have understanding of their own health condition, the data that they own and can view, but also to start to communicate with healthcare providers and healthcare organisations in the prevention and management of their own disease," he says.

Maddison says there is a gap between research and real-world implementation that he wants to address.

"The trouble with a lot of digital technologies is that we evaluate effectiveness, but few are then translated into everyday practice," he explains.

Newer technologies such as wearables, AI, and agent-based support are developing rapidly, and the evidence base has not yet caught up enough to support their full integration into clinical practice, so further evaluation is needed.

Maddison’s team in Melbourne were developing a large language model digital twin to support the prediction of cardiovascular disease risk and help people manage their health through lifestyle and medication support over the long term.

He has also helped to develop telehealth and remote monitoring platforms for people with cardiovascular disease and heart failure. 

"I think we do need to reimagine how healthcare is provided, where people are managed in the community as much as possible, and they have access to healthcare services both in person and remotely,” he says.

Maddison’s goal is to build a collaborative research platform that spans prevention, prediction, and long-term management, while growing the next generation of researchers and establishing authentic partnerships with Māori, Pacific, and community organisations.

"Success is probably not the number of projects or technologies we produce, but whether we can help people live healthier lives in a system that can provide early, more equitable and sustainable care," he says.

Image: Ralph Maddison, director, Institute for Chronic Disease Research, University of Waikato

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habithealth+ has passed 19,000 downloads, and we have recently released the second version, built with our development partner Intervengine.

The idea behind the app is connected care. Recovery does not happen in isolated appointments. It happens over weeks and months, in the gaps between sessions, in the small decisions people make when nobody is watching. habithealth+ gives people a way to stay connected to their recovery and the support around it, and gives clinicians a clearer view of progress over time rather than a snapshot taken in a twenty-minute consultation.

It is free for anyone in New Zealand to use.

The main addition in our second version is a daily self-check, using a built-in WHO-5. It takes under a minute. It gives people a simple way to see how they are travelling, and brings that picture into the room at the next appointment.

Based on how someone answers, the app offers practical suggestions for looking after their mental health, or points them towards support when that is the right step.

We have also improved the interface, making it simpler for people to move around the app and find information that is relevant to them.

There is one thing we have deliberately left out. There is no AI-powered support in the app.

That was a decision rather than an oversight, and it is worth explaining because a lot of organisations are working through the same question right now.

AI is cheap and accessible. Adding a conversational support layer to a health app has never been easier or less expensive to build. Some of that work will prove genuinely valuable, and I expect the evidence base to develop quickly over the next few years.

Our position at the moment is that people recovering from injury, or managing their wellbeing, benefit most from contact with another person in a safe clinical context, with someone accountable for what happens next. A great deal of daily life is already spent online with very little real time connection in it. Adding another screen to that did not feel like the right contribution for us to make.

So we built habithealth+ to support the clinical relationship. Track what is happening between sessions. Bring that into the room. Leave the parts that require judgement, context and trust to the clinician.

We will deploy AI where it clearly gives our team time back to spend with the person in front of them. Ambient documentation, administrative load, navigation. We are in less of a hurry to put it between a clinician and a client.

This position may change. We are watching the evidence closely and I would rather revise our thinking than defend it. For now, getting people in front of people still looks like the right direction.

Source: Habit Health media release

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At Tāmaki Health, we're always looking for new ways to make healthcare more accessible, personalised and proactive.

That's why we're proud to be the first primary healthcare provider in New Zealand to integrate an AI Health Coach into routine patient care.

Working alongside our Health Coaches and clinical teams, the AI Health Coach gives patients practical support before, between and after appointments. Whether someone is looking to build healthier habits, better manage a long-term condition or simply stay on track with their health goals, the AI Health Coach provides personalised guidance and encouragement whenever they need it.

Supporting people beyond the clinic

We know that improving your health doesn't just happen during an appointment. The biggest changes often happen at home, between visits, when you're putting advice into practice.

Our Health Coaches and Health Improvement Practitioners have already helped thousands of patients make lasting lifestyle changes, better manage chronic conditions such as diabetes and improve their overall wellbeing.

The AI Health Coach builds on this successful model by making support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It doesn't replace our people—it complements them. If additional support is needed, patients can be seamlessly connected with one of our Health Coaches or clinical teams.

"Our healthcare system needs to evolve alongside the needs of our communities," says Sam Ranchhod, Chief Digital Officer at Tāmaki Health.

"Primary healthcare cannot simply rely on adding more appointments to meet growing demand. We need new ways to support people earlier, help them stay engaged between appointments and make it easier to access care when they need it."

A digital front door to care

The AI Health Coach acts as a digital front door, allowing people to start a health coaching conversation before they've even booked an appointment.

Patients can receive personalised support for lifestyle and behaviour change, including help with diabetes, gout, weight management, anxiety and other long-term health goals. If the AI identifies that someone needs additional clinical support, they're referred directly into our existing care pathways.

This hybrid approach combines the convenience of AI with the expertise and compassion of our healthcare professionals.

Built for healthcare

Our AI Health Coach is powered by Groov, a New Zealand digital health company specialising in clinically designed AI tools.

Unlike general-purpose AI, the platform has been built specifically for healthcare using clinically reviewed content, clear referral pathways and strong privacy, security and governance standards.

Encouraging early results

Early results from more than 4,500 AI Health Coach conversations have been encouraging.

After a single coaching session, users reported a 32% increase in their confidence and capability to manage their health and wellbeing. By the second month, this increased to 75%, with users rating the experience 8.5 out of 10 for helpfulness.

As we continue rolling the AI Health Coach out across selected Tāmaki Health clinics, we'll keep evaluating how it improves patient engagement, access to care and long-term health outcomes.

This is another step towards delivering more connected, accessible healthcare—helping people get the support they need, when they need it.

Source: Tāmaki Health media release

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OctansCare is proud to announce the successful delivery of a completely redesigned website and online booking experience for Ka Ora Telecare. The new digital platform has been created to provide a more accessible, user-friendly experience, making it easier for patients to find information, access services, and book appointments online.

The project focused on more than just a visual refresh. Working closely with the Ka Ora team, OctansCare developed a digital experience that supports Ka Ora's unique model of care while improving navigation, simplifying the booking process, enhancing accessibility, and ensuring the website performs seamlessly across desktop and mobile devices. The result is a modern digital experience that reflects Ka Ora's commitment to delivering high-quality healthcare while making it easier for people to connect with the services they need.

Unlike many telehealth providers, Ka Ora operates with a bespoke service model that requires patients to meet specific eligibility criteria and follow tailored booking pathways based on their individual circumstances. To support this, OctansCare designed and implemented a customised booking experience that seamlessly incorporates eligibility checks and patient screening processes, ensuring patients are guided to the right services quickly and efficiently.

"At OctansCare, we believe digital healthcare should remove barriers, not create them. This project was about understanding how patients interact with healthcare services and designing an experience that feels simple, intuitive, and welcoming from the very first click. We are incredibly proud to have partnered with Ka Ora on this transformation and look forward to seeing the positive impact it has on their patients and community." Malik Executive Lead, OctansCare

Ka Ora praised the collaboration and the outcome of the project.

"Ka Ora engaged the Octans team to deliver our new website, and we were very impressed with the professionalism, reliability, and responsiveness they demonstrated throughout the project. Their team consistently delivered on time, communicated clearly, and made the entire process seamless from start to finish. Nothing was ever too difficult, and they were incredibly easy to work with, providing solutions quickly and efficiently whenever needed. Their commitment to delivering a high-quality outcome was evident at every stage, and they approached this significant project with a genuine focus on achieving the best result for our organisation. We are extremely satisfied with the final outcome of our new website and would not hesitate to recommend the Octans team to others." Hayley McConnell, General Manager Ka Ora 

This project reflects OctansCare's continued commitment to helping healthcare providers modernise the way they engage with patients through thoughtful digital experiences, human-centred design, and innovative virtual care solutions. As healthcare continues to evolve, OctansCare remains focused on delivering technology that improves access to care, enhances patient engagement, and supports healthcare organisations in providing better outcomes for the communities they serve.

Source: OctansCare media release

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A Wellington-based Pacific health provider has halved nurse travel time after deploying an AI-powered remote monitoring tool that allows patients to submit their vitals, food logs and health updates from home through WhatsApp.

Pacific Health Services Hutt Valley serves more than 17,000 Pacific people in the Hutt Valley region and decided to pilot Speedback in December 2024 following a study tour to Singapore. 

Candice Apelu Mariner, general manager of Pacific Health Services Hutt Valley, presented at the Te Tītoki Mataora Forum on July 2 where she told attendees that within three months of launching the pilot, it had cut both nurse travel time and administrative workload by 50 percent.

This allowed the organisation to scale its use of RPM to 321 clients without increasing staff levels.

The platform, developed by Singapore-based Equitech, uses WhatsApp and SMS rather than a dedicated app.

Apelu Mariner said WhatsApp is already used by Pacific communities to stay connected with whānau in the islands, making the platform a natural fit rather than a new behaviour to learn.

Patients submit blood pressure readings, wound images, blood sugar levels, and photos of their food through the messaging platform, which are interpreted by AI.

Patients can access AI chat for general queries, education, and condition specific guidance and clinicians monitor trends and send personalised nudges to patients in the community.

"Before Speedback, we were looking at time-consuming phone calls and home visits: we would have referrals from GPs for our nurses just to go and take a blood pressure for families at home because they didn't have transport," she said.

Before using Speedback, a single clinician could actively monitor around eight clients through in-person visits, she explained.

"You look at 321 clients that we can monitor every day versus only eight that could come into a clinic to see one person. That is our return on investment in a tool that enables us to scale and see more people rather than just have one FTE seeing low numbers of people,” said Apelu Mariner, 

She said the AI-powered tool is multilingual so messages can be sent in Samoan and other Pacific languages, as well as Te Reo Māori. 

Megan Barnes, New Zealand business development manager for Equitech, told the conference that continuous technology-enabled monitoring shifts healthcare from “episodic events or reactive visits to persistent presence or proactive actions.

"It is not merely a digital substitute for a physical visit, it is a mechanism to extract meaningful care moments from the background noise of daily life,” she said.

Image: Candice Apelu Mariner and Megan Barnes presenting at the Te Tītoki Mataora Forum on July 2

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CareHQ is marking more than a quarter of a million consultations delivered to New Zealanders, reflecting growing demand for faster, more accessible healthcare and additional support for general practice. 

For many patients, virtual care is reducing wait times, improving access outside standard clinic hours, and providing timely support when in-person appointments are difficult to secure. At its peak, CareHQ is now delivering over 500 consultations per day, helping patients across the country connect with a GP or nurse when they need care.

“Reaching this milestone is really about the number of people we’ve been able to help,” says CareHQ Chief Executive Brett Butler. “Every consultation represents someone getting timely advice, treatment, or reassurance, often when access would otherwise have been limited.”

CareHQ’s expanded clinical model is also helping ease pressure on its GPs. Over 10% of patients are now seen by nurses, who support a wide range of conditions including dedicated sore-throat, UTI, sick-note and sexual health clinics for those needing same-day care. This allows GPs to focus on more complex and acute cases.

CareHQ Clinical Director, Dr Firdaus Aziz says the service continues to attract high-quality clinicians, with referrals from existing team members proving to be a large source of new GP recruitment.

“The flexibility to work from anywhere in New Zealand - or even overseas - and choose preferred days and hours means we have been able to retain many experienced GPs in the workforce. That flexibility is helping fuel our continued growth.”

CareHQ continues to broaden the services available through virtual care. Recent additions include a GP-supported bowel screening service, with a spot and skin check service launching in the coming month. These services aim to make it easier for New Zealanders to access early detection and preventative care without unnecessary barriers.

As demand for healthcare grows, virtual services like CareHQ are playing an increasing role in improving access, supporting general practice, and helping patients receive timely care wherever they are.

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The rapid rise of connected medical devices such as continuous glucose monitors and smartphone apps that control insulin pumps is leading New Zealand's medicines regulator to rethink how patients get critical safety alerts and recall notices.

Chris James, group manager at Medsafe, told the MTANZ conference on June 30 that while digital connectivity opens new channels for reaching patients to notify them of safety issues or recalls, it also creates significant gaps that regulators and importers or manufacturers need to address.

The devices increasingly allow companies to contact patients directly through apps or through the device itself, which can assist with recalls but also introduces new uncertainties.

"How many people will get an alert and just push it without looking, how many people will just ignore an alert, how many people are not using an app when they should?" he asked.

James said the stakes are high as devices like continuous glucose monitors, which can feed data directly into insulin pumps, carry serious risks if a safety issue is not addressed. 

"With some of these devices, if you have issues, they can be very serious very quickly, so it is about trying to make sure we are getting out to every single patient who may be impacted."

Medsafe's medical device team is just three people responsible for all post-market regulation of medical devices in New Zealand. James said they rely heavily on the companies importing or manufacturing devices to communicate quickly and accurately when issues arise.

James told attendees that recall letters must be approved by Medsafe before being distributed and the regulator also expects a report back. 

He said this is becoming increasingly important as direct patient contact through apps and devices becomes more common, raising questions about how many patients were successfully reached and whether there is any ongoing risk.

Image: Chris James, group manager at Medsafe, speaking at the MTANZ conference

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Healthpoint has launched a free AI-assisted service navigation tool that helps New Zealanders find health services by describing what they need in their own words.

‘Ask Healthpoint’ uses Healthpoint's directory of 12,000 verified health services to return specific, locally relevant results such as opening hours, contact details, and whether an appointment is needed.

"It is one of the first of its kind," says Healthpoint chief executive Kate Rhind. 

"It is built to search through the trusted national health data on Healthpoint. It has been rigorously tested by both end users and service providers over the past 12 months. It is free, available now, and can be used in multiple languages."

The tool is designed for people who may not know the right clinical term or where to start. Ask Healthpoint identifies which types of services match what someone has described and presents a curated list of nearby options with practical details.

"A person could simply say or type something like 'I have a sore ear' and Ask Healthpoint will provide available options in the area," Rhind explains. 

The tool was developed over 12 months with 25 rounds of testing across more than 600 real-world scenarios, including sensitive areas such as mental health and emergency care. 

Associate health minister and minister for mental health Matt Doocey says it addresses a well-documented barrier to care. 

"Not knowing where to go or who to talk to has been reported as the reason for unmet mental health needs in one third of children and more than a quarter of adults. This new platform will help remove those barriers and guide people to the right support," Doocey says.

The tool supports te reo Māori, Samoan, and many other languages and Healthpoint says language recognition will keep improving over time.

"Ask Healthpoint is a navigation tool, not a replacement for your doctor, nurse, or helpline," Rhind says. 

"Its goal is to make it even simpler to find a health service that can help you, no matter the time of day, no matter the type of health concern, even if you don't understand medical terms or English is not your first language."

For people in rural and smaller communities, Healthpoint says the tool can make a meaningful difference by surfacing options such as online GP consultations, pharmacies, helplines, and community health providers that people may not have known were available to them.

Organisations can embed the tool on their own websites as a widget, integrated with a single line of code. 

If you would like to provide feedback on this news story, please contact the editor Rebecca McBeth.

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Stuff’s inaugural Health of the Nation survey caught my attention, not because the findings were surprising, but because they put numbers around something many of us in health see every day: people are surrounded by information, yet still searching for confidence. 

When people have a health question, they increasingly turn first to whatever is fastest and easiest to reach. Sixty-three percent of us turn first to Google or similar search tools, ahead of seeing a doctor at 56 percent. One in five turn first to an AI platform such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude, rising to one in four among those aged 18–44. 

Yet trust runs the other way. Doctors top the list at 89 percent, nurses at 86 percent and pharmacists at 83 percent, while search engines sit at 52 percent, AI at 28 percent and social media at 18 percent. 

The behaviour-trust gap

It is tempting to read this as a disconnect between what Kiwis do and who they believe, but I would argue the opposite: people are behaving rationally. 

With a health worry at 11pm, you reach for what is instant, free and already in your hand as that is also the moment when the formal system is hardest to reach. 

Seventy percent of us have delayed care because of cost, access, or uncertainty about whether a problem is worth a clinician’s time. When the front door is that hard to open, the phone wins.

That behaviour–trust gap is not a moral failing, it is a design brief. 

The same pattern is emerging overseas. Pew Research Center’s April 2026 report found that health care providers remain the most-used and most-trusted source of health information for Americans, even as social media and AI chatbots become part of the mix. 

Trust has not disappeared, but expectations about access, immediacy and convenience have changed. 

Clinical guidance

Information is easy to find, but the help needed to make sense of it is not. 

People are looking for reassurance, context and guidance about what to do next. That is what good clinicians provide, and why they continue to command such high levels of trust. 

AI sharpens this tension rather than resolving it as many tools people use sit outside the privacy, accountability and clinical governance frameworks they associate with healthcare. 

As more people seek health support through digital channels, trust will depend not only on the accuracy of information, but also on how those services are governed, how clearly their limits are explained, and how safely they hand people on to human care when needed. 

The question is not whether people will use AI for health information as they already are. The more useful question is what people are telling us through that behaviour: they want health support that is immediate, conversational and available when they need it. 

They are also telling us that trusted guidance needs to show up where people are, rather than expecting people to find their way back to traditional entry points every time. 

Turning information into action

For digital health, that has important implications. Clinical accuracy, governance and evidence remain essential, but information alone is rarely enough. 

People need help understanding what information means for them, what actions they can take next, and when they need professional care. 

The challenge is not finding information, it is knowing what to do with it, and that is where the next opportunity sits: helping people turn information into confidence and action. 

Understanding a diagnosis; preparing for an appointment; managing a condition between visits; knowing when symptoms can be managed at home and when they need urgent attention. 

This is the space between information and care. It is also where organisations like Healthify He Puna Waiora and Health Navigator Charitable Trust focus much of their effort. The goal is not to replace clinicians or services, it is to help whānau turn knowledge into skills, confidence and action they can realistically take. 

We see a similar pattern among rangatahi. Youthline’s 2026 State of the Generation report found that many young people turn first to parents or carers and friends, social media, and increasingly AI when they need support. Yet formal services such as counselling and helplines continue to be seen as among the most effective channels of support. 

The equity gap

None of this is automatic. Digital access, health literacy, disability, language, cultural relevance and trust in institutions all shape who benefits. Built carelessly, digital tools can widen inequities. Built well, they can strengthen the relationships people have with the healthcare professionals they trust most. 

Clinically reviewed, plain-language resources such as Healthify’s can help people prepare for appointments, understand their conditions and treatments, manage them between visits, and recognise when to seek urgent care. That supports primary, secondary and community care; it does not replace clinicians or services. 

The future of digital health will not be defined by who publishes the most information. It will be defined by who helps people use it safely, wisely and at the right time. 

The goal is not to win people back from Google or persuade them not to use AI. People will continue to use the tools that are convenient, useful and available to them. 

The goal is to ensure that when someone reaches for the fastest answer, a trustworthy, clinically governed, plain-language one is there to meet them and that it knows when to hand them to a person. 

For those building these tools, governance is not a feature to bolt on later and for those commissioning them, it should be one of the first things to ask for. 

For the rest of us, it means showing up in the spaces people already use, rather than ceding them. 

Information is everywhere. Trusted guidance, and the judgment to know when a human is needed, is what is worth building. 

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Partnership supports expanded pharmacy services, connecting medications, service bookings, rewards, and patient engagement through the Centrik platform.

Building on a longstanding partnership, Webtools and Green Cross Health are expanding their digital health collaboration into community pharmacy through a connected digital platform supporting pharmacy services, medications, and patient engagement across the Unichem and Life Pharmacy network.

The partnership comes as community pharmacy takes on an expanded role in healthcare delivery, following recent Government investment in pharmacist-led services and the establishment of the Extended Pharmacy Services Fund to improve access to care through pharmacies nationwide.

Representing more than 300 pharmacies across New Zealand, Green Cross Health pharmacists dispense more than 36 million prescription items annually and provide a growing range of health and wellness services in communities throughout the country.

Available across web, iOS, and Android, and powered by the Centrik platform, the Unichem and Life Pharmacy app enables customers to access healthcare services, manage medications, request prescription repeats, receive notifications, and engage with the Living Rewards loyalty programme through a single digital experience.

With more than two million Living Rewards members, the platform brings together pharmacy services, medications, rewards, and customer engagement through a single digital front door. Pharmacy medication connections continue to be rolled out across the network as participating pharmacies are onboarded.

The platform supports Green Cross Health’s Care + Advice Health Hub strategy by making it easier for customers to discover and access care, while providing pharmacies with the digital tools needed to manage appointments, communications, service delivery, and patient engagement.

Rachael Newfield, Chief Executive Officer of Green Cross Health, said:

“Community pharmacy is playing an increasingly important role in how healthcare is delivered in New Zealand. As pharmacists take on a broader role in supporting patients and delivering funded services, it’s important that we make those services easy to access and easy to navigate.”

“Digital is now a critical part of that experience. Whether it’s booking a service, managing medications, or connecting with your local pharmacy, our focus is on making healthcare simpler and more accessible for the people we serve.”

The Centrik platform already supports more than 200 pharmacy locations across New Zealand and has facilitated more than 70,000 healthcare appointments. More than 11,000 pharmacy app users have been onboarded since launch, demonstrating growing demand for digital access to pharmacy services.

Al Duncan, Chief Growth Officer of Webtools, said:

“We’re excited to be partnering with Green Cross Health to help build the digital foundations for the next generation of pharmacy services.”

“Our vision for Centrik has always been to provide patients with a single digital front door to their healthcare. Whether that’s pharmacy, general practice, or community care, the experience should feel connected and seamless.”

“With more than two million Living Rewards members and over 200 pharmacy locations already supported through the platform, we’re seeing that vision begin to reach real scale.”

The partnership represents a significant expansion of the Centrik platform beyond general practice and demonstrates how connected digital experiences can support healthcare delivery across pharmacy, primary care, and community health settings.

As community pharmacy continues to evolve, Webtools and Green Cross Health believe digital infrastructure will play an increasingly important role in improving access to care, supporting service delivery, and creating a more connected healthcare experience for New Zealanders.

Source: Centrik 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.

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Online therapy platform, Just a Thought, is making it easier for Kiwis to look after their mental health, with the launch of two new free courses: Coping with Stress and Just a Pause – Intro to Mindfulness.

Developed with subject-matter experts and whānau with lived experience, both courses offer a practical, accessible option for early-intervention support, helping people build resilience and strengthen wellbeing before things get harder. 

Coping with Stress is a four-lesson course grounded in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) principles. It helps tāngata whai ora understand their own stress responses and build resilience, through practical, evidence-based techniques.  

“The course recognises that while stress is unavoidable, how we respond to it is within our control,” says Just a Thought communications and engagement lead, Kimberley de Jardine. 

Just a Pause – Intro to Mindfulness is a four-lesson course that supports tāngata whai ora to feel more grounded and calm. It teaches practical mindfulness skills to help  connect to the present moment, rather than getting caught up in worries and unhelpful thoughts. 

Both courses are free to access and have been made possible through funding from Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora’s Mental Health Innovation Fund. 

How to access the free courses

The Coping with Stress course is available at justathought.co.nz/stress.

The Intro to Mindfulness course is available at justathought.co.nz/mindfulness.

Source: Just a Thought media release

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Australia's My Health Record system has more than doubled its weekly pathology result uploads and the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) is soon launching  push notifications in the 1800MEDICARE app, says its chief digital officer.

Peter O'Halloran spoke at the Digital Health Festival in Melbourne in May where he said that over the last three years weekly uploads of pathology results to My Health Record have more than doubled. 

The agency has also released Australia's first national digital health standards framework and is preparing to launch push notifications for test results in the 1800MEDICARE app within months.

The app allows users to access and store electronic prescriptions, check pathology and diagnostic test results, share immunisation records and view their medical history.

"What is going live in the next few months is going to be like every other app on my phone where I get push notifications," O'Halloran said. 

"Up pops a notification saying you have got a new diagnostic test result or a discharge summary has been released."

The notifications will also include proactive health reminders, such as flu vaccination prompts, with direct links to health service booking functionality.

He said consumer engagement with the system has increased substantially as the agency recently celebrated over one million downloads of the MEDICARE app, with users increasingly accessing their health information through the app and the website.

O'Halloran said clinicians are also using My Health Record to provide better care by accessing information from other healthcare providers, including discharge summaries and blood work results when patients present for emergency care.

"Often the benefit of My Health Record really is not for the consumer, it is often the clinicians using it to provide care," he explained. 

"Seeing what happened elsewhere, seeing a discharge summary for a presentation that you never knew occurred, seeing some blood work that might have been done in community when the consumer turns up at three in the morning in ED."

He told the conference that the ADHA has released its first national digital health standards framework, which adopts a principle-based approach, prioritising use of international standards.

"We always try to adopt international standards rather than reinvent the wheel and make things different in Australia," O'Halloran said. 

"It makes it so much harder to share with everyone else."

The framework covers clinical safety, security, privacy, and terminology standards relevant to Australia's healthcare system.

Image: Peter O'Halloran 

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Valentia Technologies today announced a major enhancement to its indici platform: a fully integrated, patient-controlled dispensing and pharmacy fulfilment workflow designed to support modern telehealth services and specialist prescribing models, with real-time medication safety verification built into every step.

As telehealth adoption continues to grow, healthcare providers face an increasingly common challenge. A patient may be prescribed a total quantity of medication that is clinically appropriate, yet only wish or be able to obtain part of that prescription at a given time. Affordability, personal preference, treatment adherence, delivery timing and safe dispensing practice often mean patients prefer to receive their medication across multiple dispensing episodes rather than in a single supply.
The new indici functionality lets patients, clinicians and pharmacies take part in a single digital workflow that supports safe, compliant and flexible multi-part dispensing of prescribed medicines, including those commonly prescribed through telehealth services. By connecting steps that were previously coordinated by hand, it reduces administrative effort, avoids unnecessary repeat consultations, and removes the manual back-and-forth between prescribers, patients and pharmacies.

“Patients have told us for years that they want more control over how and when they receive their medication - but that flexibility cannot come at the expense of safety. By building real-time verification into every step, we have made multi-part dispensing something clinicians and pharmacists can trust, not just something that is convenient for patients. That balance is what makes this clinically sound rather than simply easier.” - Sufian Mehmood, indiciLite Product Lead, Valentia Technologies

Real-time safety through MDR and NZePS integration

 A cornerstone of the new functionality is its deep integration with New Zealand’s national medicines infrastructure. Prescriptions flow through the New Zealand ePrescription Service (NZePS), while the Medication Data Repository (MDR) provides the source of truth for what remains available to dispense.

Before a patient is permitted to place an order, indici verifies in real time against MDR records how much medication remains available under the prescription. The same check is repeated before a pharmacy dispenses. This two-point verification is designed to prevent over-supply and ensure that every dispensing episode stays within the limits set by the prescriber.

“Staged or partial dispensing has always been clinically valuable, but the coordination has historically been manual and error-prone. Having the available balance checked automatically at both ordering and dispensing gives prescribers and pharmacists real confidence that supply matches the original prescribing intent.” - Brendon Ogilvy, NZ Managing Director, Alternaleaf NZ Clinic 

Availability

The new dispensing and pharmacy integration capabilities are available now to eligible indici customers and service providers. By bringing teleconsultation, prescribing, payment, dispensing, delivery and medication-safety verification into one connected workflow, indici extends its role as a core health technology platform for New Zealand primary care and telehealth.

To learn more or arrange a demonstration, contact the Valentia Technologies team.

Source: Valentia Technologies media release

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One in five New Zealanders now turns to artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude as their first port of call for health information, according to Stuff's inaugural Health of the Nation study.

The figure rises to 25 percent for those aged 18-44, but trust in AI-generated health advice remains low at just 28 percent.

The study of 1,480 New Zealanders reveals 63 percent of Kiwis turning to Google or similar search engines for health-related information. This is higher than those who go to an actual doctor (56 percent) or health websites hosted by organisations like the Ministry of Health or WebMD (35 percent).

Tania Moerenhout, a GP and senior lecturer at Otago University’s Bioethics Department, says the findings reflect broader international trends. 

"I am not surprised that people turn to it for health information, you see AI now entering all aspects of life" she says. 

Moerenhout says that AI has become increasingly difficult to avoid, as these days if you run a search on Google, the first thing that pops up is the AI response.

However, the low trust levels may indicate a “healthy scepticism”.

"I think that could be a good sign that people are not just taking it at face value, but really questioning it," she says. 

"People are aware that it comes with the risk of hallucinations: generative AI can tell you things that are wrong."

The human touch

Despite the digital shift, the survey shows medical professionals maintain overwhelming trust among New Zealanders. Doctors come out on top with 89 percent trusting them for health information, followed by nurses at 86 percent and pharmacists at 83 percent. Search engines achieve 52 percent trust, with social media at just 18 percent.

Chris Paton, associate professor at the Liggins Institute and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Auckland University, says there is growing use of consumer AI chatbots by people looking for information about health, rather than directly visiting websites that have reliable information or talking with a healthcare professional.

"There are still considerable concerns with privacy, security, and inaccurate information produced by consumer AI chatbots," he says. 

"The low level of trust in AI shown by the survey demonstrates that most people have already experienced AI making errors so are rightly cautious."

Rosie Dobson, associate professor at Auckland University’s School of Population Health, says the results are not surprising and reflect what researchers are seeing in their work. 

“People are trying AI because it is accessible, but when it comes to their healthcare, they still want a human to be the one responsible for their care,” she says,

“Trust in health services and health professionals directly impacts patient engagement with health services and patient health outcomes. Current low levels of trust in AI further highlight the need for a careful approach to the use of AI in healthcare to ensure patient trust is not harmed, and the benefits of AI in healthcare can be realised.”

Enter Dr ChatGPT

Moerenhout says ‘Dr ChatGPT’ has already entered the clinic room. She recently had a very young patient who had clearly been interacting with an AI platform and came in with certain ideas about what was wrong.

She says this experience is similar to the earlier emergence of ‘Dr Google,’ but with additional complexities in terms of hallucinations and some people going down rabbit holes.

"The sycophancy problem is something we encounter as AI wants to please the user and so it is not going to tell you that you are wrong usually,” Moerenhout explains.

She says that for healthcare providers, these developments create both opportunities and challenges and she welcomes open discussion about AI-generated information.

"If you have got a shared decision making process going with your patient and a good relationship with your patient, I think you can have a conversation about that,” she tells eHealthNews.

"But the more we have this conversation, the more time it takes and we already work in a health system, especially in primary care, that is really time poor."

Current and future state

Paton says things may improve in the future as it is likely that soon free consumer-facing AI chatbots will be able to deliver reliable health information for the public which will help people find health information more easily.

"In the meantime, I would recommend that people continue to use the existing verifiable websites from the government and healthcare providers when trying to find information about healthcare conditions," he says. 

"If their concern is serious or urgent, then they should phone 111, Healthline, or book an appointment with a healthcare professional rather than using an AI chatbot."

If you have any questions re the above feature article, please contact the editor Rebecca McBeth.

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Bupa New Zealand is rolling out an app designed to connect families with loved ones in aged care.

Blua is being piloted across four Bupa facilities and provides real-time updates on residents' daily activities, meals, mood and care. 

Josh Byers, head of customer and transformation at Bupa New Zealand, says the platform aims to solve fundamental challenges around connection, transparency and accountability in aged care.

"Many families are not in the same town or city as their loved one, so they are not fortunate enough to be able to just pop in to a care home," he says. 

"Many of the family involved are what we call the ‘sandwich generation’, where they have dependence on both sides. They have got their kids or grandkids, and then they have their parents, and it is pretty hard for them on a daily basis to be connected with their loved one."

The app has been in development for around a year and has been co-designed with families and residents.

Blua pulls information from Bupa's existing clinical systems as well as incorporating new digital touchpoints created for the platform. Staff now document additional things including photographs of meals and more detailed records of a resident’s day for family to see.

It allows families to see when their loved one was bathed, what mood they were in, what they had for lunch, and which activities they participated in throughout the day. 

Byers tells eHealthNews that by recording all of this information digitally, it creates a higher level of accountability and transparency than traditional paper-based systems.

However, not all family members want the same level of information and future versions will allow users to customise which metrics and updates they want to see.

Byers says initial feedback has been "phenomenal," with families particularly liking the increased transparency and accountability, saying the real-time updates have increased their trust.

The app is the foundation of Bupa's broader digital health strategy for older people in New Zealand and plans are to eventually integrate medical-grade wearables, alert systems, and remote health services through the platform.

"We believe there is a real opportunity whereby Bupa plays a far bigger part in the healthcare sector for older people," he says. 

Blua is currently focused on family communication, but Bupa plans to expand functionality for independent living residents in retirement villages.

The future could include 24/7 monitoring through wearables, medication reminders, digital physiotherapy sessions, and video consultations, he says.

Image: Blua app screenshots

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National telehealth provider CareHQ has expanded its offering to include bowel screening, in collaboration with accredited clinical laboratory IGENZ.

Launched to coincide with Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, CareHQ CEO Brett Butler says the new service provides New Zealanders with an option to proactively check their bowel health before becoming eligible for the national screening programme.

For New Zealanders in their 30s and 40s, bowel cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths, and our rates are increasing faster than most other places in the world¹.

“Our screening test is non-invasive, convenient, and highly accurate. When bowel changes are detected early, treatment outcomes and survival rates improve significantly1,” says Butler.

Unlike traditional faecal immunochemical tests (FIT) that primarily look for traces of blood in the stool, the CareHQ screening kit utilises advanced molecular technology to identify early biological changes. The test detects specific markers in cells naturally shed from the lining of the bowel, which can indicate the presence of precancerous polyps or early-stage cancer - often before any physical symptoms or bleeding occur.

CareHQ Clinical Director Dr Firdaus Aziz emphasises this technology is a tool for proactive health management rather than a replacement for diagnostic procedures.

“This service is specifically designed for asymptomatic individuals - those who feel well but want to be proactive about their health or have reached a milestone age where they want extra peace of mind,” says Dr. Aziz. 

“It is not intended for people currently experiencing symptoms, who should consult a GP immediately. Because CareHQ is a national telehealth provider, we offer wraparound services to everyone across New Zealand. We work closely with patients and their regular GPs to ensure any positive results are followed up with the appropriate clinical pathways, including referrals for colonoscopies where necessary.”

The bowel screening service is now available to the public. It can be purchased directly via carehq.co.nz or through the MySouthernCross app for eligible members.

Source: CareHQ media release

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Digi-physical healthcare provider Tend Health has entered into an agreement to buy the medical division of Green Cross Health Limited, integrating 65 medical centres operating under The Doctors brand onto Tend's technology platform.

This will expand Tend's patient base by more than 400,000 registered patients, bringing the combined network to over 550,000 patients across 90 clinics throughout New Zealand. 

Launched in 2020, Tend describes itself as a ‘digi-physical’ provider of care. Fifteen of its 25 current clinics use its technology platform, which centres around an app where patients can book video consultations, access their medical records and get repeat prescriptions online.

The transaction has backing from iwi investors, with Ngāi Tahu Holdings increasing its shareholding in Tend and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei also expanding its stake. New shareholder Nāti Growth and existing shareholder Ahuahu Group are joining the investment group, making iwi investors one of Tend's largest shareholder groups.

James Robinson, co-chief executive and co-founder of Tend Health says the transaction maintains local ownership of primary care infrastructure, "while continuing to build a long-term healthcare business focused on supporting access, improving patient health outcomes and sustainable primary care”.

Todd Moyle, chief executive of Ngāi Tahu Holdings, says his organisation is excited to support a New Zealand-owned business building a technology-enabled platform. 

"Over the past few years, Tend has continued to invest in technology that supports primary care, with a focus on improving access, patient experience and continuity of care," he says.

Lisa Davis, chief executive of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, says, “we see primary care as critical social infrastructure, and this proposed acquisition reflects our commitment to long-term investments that are responsive to the needs of whānau, communities and patients across the motu”.

The transaction is subject to Green Cross Health shareholder approval and is expected to complete by 31 July 2026. 

Patients will continue to be cared for by their existing clinical teams and medical centres and until completion, both businesses continue to operate as usual.

Image: Tend Health Founders: L-R  Josh Robb (COO), Cecilia Robinson ONZM (Co-CEO), James Robinson (Co-CEO) and Dr Mataroria Lyndon (Director of Population Health and Equity)

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Birds sit at an important interface between animal, human, and environmental health. Backyard flocks, aviary birds, and some companion birds can be a vector for zoonotic disease risks.  These include: salmonellosis, psittacosis, campylobacteriosis, and avian influenza-related concerns. While the absolute risk varies by species and setting, the public health dimension is real. Poor access to knowledgeable avian care does not just affect the individual bird; it can also reduce early recognition of risks to households, flocks, and the wider community.

Distance compounds all of this. New Zealand’s geography, rural client base, and limited number of veterinarians with extensive avian expertise means that many owners face long travel times or no practical access at all. Yet even if a veterinary clinic is available, transport itself can be a welfare problem. For sick birds, capture, handling, confinement, temperature changes, and prolonged travel may significantly worsen clinical condition. In some cases, the journey may be more dangerous than the initial disease process.  Biosecurity also needs to be considered.  Sick birds with potential zoonotic diseases should not be transported to help minimise risk of disease transfer to the general public.

Therefore, a more flexible model of care matters. Telehealth, when used appropriately, can help bridge the gap between owners and knowledgeable avian veterinarians. It allows earlier triage, detailed history-taking, review of husbandry, visual assessment, follow-up, and guidance on whether transport is truly necessary. It is not a replacement for all in-person care, but it is an important tool for reducing unnecessary stress and bringing more bird owners into a responsible veterinary framework rather than leaving them outside it.

Lee’s story with Griffin shows exactly why access to knowledgeable avian care matters.  Unable to get assistance for her beloved pet chicken from local veterinary clinics, Lee was able to arrange a telehealth consultation with Avian Empire, a veterinary clinic with extensive expertise in avian medicine.  Griffin had become critically unwell with suspected botulism and was, by Lee’s account, fully paralysed, able to do little more than breathe. What followed was not a quick fix but weeks of intensive supportive care: constant nursing, assisted feeding and hydration, close monitoring, and ongoing guidance through a long recovery. For Lee, the challenge was not simply finding any veterinary contact, but being connected through telemedicine to people with the right avian expertise who could help her make sense of the case, support her practically and emotionally, and stay involved across the full course of recovery. Publicly, Lee has credited Avian Empire with helping her get Griffin through that paralysis, and Griffin has since gone on to live a happy life and even have chicks of her own — a powerful example of how timely remote access to the right expertise can change an outcome completely.

As in human health care, the problem for bird owners in New Zealand is often not simply accessing a veterinarian. It is accessing a veterinarian with the knowledge, confidence, and practical experience to manage avian cases well.

In practical terms, this model is built around simple, familiar technology: phones, photographs/videos, Zoom consultations, digital history forms, and owner-recorded observations from the home environment. It can also include home sensors such as temperature and humidity monitors, digital scales for body weight trends, and coop or pen cameras. Avian Empire is now looking at a web camera service that would allow better visualisation of bird patients recovering at home in dedicated "hospital pens", as well as an app that lets flock owners track key health indicators such as vaccination history, appetite, water intake, droppings, egg production, mortality, behaviour, weight, and treatment responses, giving the veterinary team better longitudinal data between consultations.

Bird medicine is not just small animal medicine applied to a different species. Birds have unique anatomy, physiology, behaviour, husbandry needs, and disease patterns. They mask illness, deteriorate rapidly, and can be highly vulnerable to stress during handling and transport. Clinical decisions that may seem straightforward in dogs and cats can be quite different in birds.  A general practice veterinarian may be highly competent in companion animal medicine and still have limited capabilities for avian patients. That is not a criticism of general practice; it is simply the reality of a field that requires particular experiences and clinical infrastructure.

This distinction matters because poor experiences have consequences. When bird owners feel dismissed, receive advice that does not fit the species, or are told to transport fragile birds long distances for issues that might have been assessed remotely, trust is eroded. Some owners then delay seeking care, rely on online forums, attempt treatment themselves, or stay entirely outside the veterinary system until a case becomes severe. In effect, they are pushed underground. That is bad for welfare, bad for antimicrobial stewardship, and bad for disease surveillance.

Telehealth can also contribute meaningfully to public health where avian patients are concerned. Backyard poultry and other birds may carry infections that have relevance beyond the individual animal or flock, including organisms such as Salmonella, while avian influenza viruses remain an ongoing One Health concern internationally. Remote access to knowledgeable avian advice allows early questioning around symptoms, exposure history, household risk and creates an opportunity to give immediate guidance on isolation and interventions as well as to determine when urgent escalation is needed. In that sense, telehealth is not only a welfare tool, but also a practical way of reducing avoidable human exposure and improving biosecurity behaviour at the earliest stage.

Just as importantly, telehealth can function as an early warning layer within a broader veterinary and public health system. In New Zealand, suspected avian influenza has clear reporting implications, and internationally the risk of human infection is closely linked to contact with infected birds and contaminated environments. When owners can connect quickly with avian expertise, unusual illness is less likely to be dismissed, delayed, or handled in isolation. Instead, the case can be triaged appropriately, documented well, and moved into the right in-person, laboratory, or regulatory pathway. Used properly, telehealth helps bridge the gap between the backyard coop or aviary and the formal surveillance system, which is exactly where many public health failures begin.

If we want better welfare outcomes for birds in New Zealand, we need to define the problem correctly. It is not just access to any veterinarian. It is timely access to knowledgeable avian veterinary care, delivered in a way that respects both the biology of the patient and the realities of distance. When that does not exist animal welfare suffers, public health risks are harder to detect, and owners are more likely to disappear from the system altogether.

A modern avian care model should recognise all three realities: birds are different, expertise matters, and distance can itself become a welfare issue. In that model, telehealth is the practical bridge that brings expert avian care to the birds and owners before distance turns a manageable problem into a crisis.

*Names (of person/birds) have been changed.

Source: Avian Empire media release

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CardioNexus today announced the launch of its new Clinician App, a mobile companion to the CardioNexus remote cardiac monitoring portal, developed in partnership with New Zealand technology company Webtools.

The app is rolling out across Australia, where CardioNexus already supports cardiology services with triaged remote monitoring of implanted cardiac devices.

Designed for cardiologists on the move

Cardiologists rarely spend their day at a desk. They move between clinics, wards, cath labs and hospitals, where access to a laptop is limited but their phone is always within reach. The CardioNexus Clinician App is built for exactly those moments.

Today, monitoring patients with implanted cardiac devices typically means logging into a separate portal for every device manufacturer. Each portal has its own interface, its own login and its own alerts.

The CardioNexus Clinician App removes that burden. Every alert, from every device manufacturer, is brought into a single view on the clinician’s phone. Critically, each alert has already been triaged based on the Cardiologist’s alert preferences reviewed and summarised by a CardioNexus cardiac physiologist. That means cardiologists see only the alerts they have asked to see, presented with the clinical context that matters and with the noise already filtered out.

From the phone, clinicians can:

• Read a clear summary of the alert and why it was escalated
  
• Open the full device manufacturer report when they want the underlying detail
  
• Request adjustments to alert parameters, so monitoring is tuned to each patient
  
• Acknowledge alerts and close the loop
  
• Assign follow up tasks to their support team directly from the alert
  

The result is a digital experience that fits the way cardiologists work.

Built in partnership with Webtools

The app was developed jointly with Webtools, a New Zealand based technology company with deep
experience in clinical and enterprise software. The partnership pairs CardioNexus’ clinical and
cardiac physiology expertise with Webtools’ engineering and digital product capability.

“Cardiologists told us they were tired of logging into four or five different manufacturer portals just to stay on top of their patients. Our cardiac physiologists already do the clinical heavy lifting, reviewing and summarising every alert before it reaches the cardiologist. The app simply puts that trusted, prefiltered view in their pocket. Working with Webtools, we have built a product that respects their time, their workflow, and the clinical seriousness of every alert.” CardioNexus spokesperson

“This is a great example of trans-Tasman collaboration in health technology. We are proud to have helped bring this product to market.” Webtools spokesperson

Talking to New Zealand cardiologists

The CardioNexus service is currently delivered in Australia. With Webtools as a New Zealand partner,
CardioNexus is keen to hear from New Zealand cardiologists who would be interested in exploring
how the service could support cardiac care locally. Interested clinicians are warmly invited to get in
touch

Source: CardioNexus 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.

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A few weeks ago I posted on LinkedIn that I was sick — not as a patient, but as a GP — of watching AI and digital health being used to make the old hospital model run faster. The post struck a nerve. The reaction told me what I already suspected: a lot of people in digital health quietly disagree with the direction we are heading. 

The wrong unit of care 

Every week another announcement: virtual wards, hospital in the home, remote monitoring “replacing admissions.” These are framed as transformation, but they are not. They take the most expensive, most clinician-intensive, least patient-controlled unit of care we have - the hospital - and re-export it into people’s homes via apps and sensors. 

And they will inevitably re-export the hospital’s organisational shape with it. Hospitals are organised by organ system: cardiology, renal, psychiatric, surgery. A hospital-led virtual ward will be a cardiology virtual ward or a renal virtual ward and inherit the constraints, each running its own monitoring stream into the same patient’s home, blind to the others.  

Compare that with how a blood test or an X-ray works, they are services organised around the patient’s need, not around a hospitals department’s territory. Primary care is built on the same patient-centric logic: the integrating layer that already holds the whole patient. Putting RPM only in the hospital reproduces the silo. Putting it in primary care does not. 

Hospitalisation is what happens when life has broken down enough that autonomy disappears. It is sometimes necessary, but is never the goal. We should be aspiring to a system in which it is needed less often, not delivering more of it more efficiently in more places. 

The leverage is on the other side 

Vote Health for 2024/25 is around $29.6 billion or roughly $5,500 per New Zealander per year. Of that, only $300 to $500 reaches primary care. We spend five to nine percent of the per-person health dollar on the part of the system that keeps people well, and the rest on what happens when that fails. Hospital in the home does not move that ratio, it just changes the address at which the ninety percent is delivered. 

Take blood pressure as the worked example. Around a million New Zealanders live with hypertension. Lifting national control rates from 10 percent would put 100,000 more people in target range, most concentrated where the inequity sits. Māori carry 1.5 times and Pacific peoples 2 times the stroke risk of NZ Europeans, and present at mean ages of 60 and 62 against 75. The Ettehad meta-analysis (pooling trials with mean follow-up of around 4 years) found that a sustained 10 mmHg drop in systolic BP delivers, over that period, a 27 percent reduction in stroke risk and 13 percent reduction in all-cause mortality. Applied to the 100,000 cohort over five years, that implies of the order of 1,000 to 1,500 cardiovascular hospitalisations and 200 deaths averted. 

Compare the two paths. A reactive Hospital-in-the-Home model wraps acute services around the 1,500 patients who event, at a cost of roughly $35,000 to $40,000 each, after the damage is done. A preventive primary-care model touches all 100,000 with a three-month intensive programme at around $500 to $700 per patient. The five-year programme cost is similar in both, between $50 to $70 million, but one model manages disease the system has already failed to prevent, and the other reaches the populations carrying one-and-a-half to two times the risk before the event. Beyond five years, the preventive path compounds across CVD, CKD, diabetes and dementia. The reactive path does not. 

A familiar referral, brought into the present 

What is being described here is what would be possible as “Better healthcare in the home”, brought into the present: a cuffless device worn for three months, the patient seeing their own data shift in response to sleep, salt, stress, exercise and medication. The 24-hour ABPM is a measurement. Three months of engaged monitoring is a behaviour-change programme that happens to start with BP, is proactive and evidence based. 

And it does not stop at BP. Combine continuous BP with continuous ECG, movement, sleep and weight, and the model stops being disease management. It becomes proactive risk detection across the patient as a whole - atrial fibrillation found before the stroke, deconditioning found before the fall, sleep apnoea found before the cardiac event. One platform, several pathways, and the underlying logic is anticipation rather than reaction. Not stopping an organ getting sick, but keeping the person well.  

Patients who learn to interpret their own data and adjust their habits do not unlearn those skills when the device comes off; they redeploy them, to glucose, weight, medication adherence, and the next chronic disease conversation. Heart rate variability is a good example: a single reading in clinic tells you very little, but a personal baseline trended over months, and then available the day someone presents unwell, turns the same data into a genuinely informative health measure. 

Prevention is currently a luxury good 

People with discretionary income already buy prevention: they wear the Garmin, they pay for the gym, they take half a day off for the ABPM, they have the kitchen and the time and the health literacy to act on the results. The existing paradigm quietly assumes all of these things and the people without discretionary income end up presenting at ED with the disease the discretionary-income population prevented years earlier. 

The equity case for primary-care RPM is that it turns prevention from a luxury good into a public good. There is no version of “close the equity gap” that does not run through structured, publicly funded, primary-care-delivered prevention. 

Four things have to change 

Move the unit of measurement upstream. Bed days avoided is the wrong KPI when the goal is fewer bed days needed. Population-level BP control by ethnicity, ED avoidance and continuity of care should sit alongside HitH bed-day numbers in any digital health dashboard. 

Move the money with the work. If primary care is to absorb monitoring at scale (and it should), the capitation envelope has to reflect it. RPM-enabled targeted titration of interventions and self management should be funded as a distinct activity. The 1 July 2026 capitation reweighting is the obvious moment. 

Move the data with the patient. A virtual ward without the primary care AND consumers trend of data is just an inpatient unit with a longer cable. The Shared Digital Health Record is a start; bidirectional flow is the play. 

Move the time horizon. Today’s ED presentations are not failures of last month’s primary care funding, they are failures of the prevention investment we did not make a decade ago. We have to fund both the strokes happening now and the prevention that bends the curve in 2031. Different time horizons need different funding streams. 

Where this lands 

Digital health has a once-in-a-generation chance to redesign the system. We will waste it if we use AI and remote monitoring to make a 1950s hospital model run faster. The future we should be scaling is not hospital in the home, it is life in the home - supported by primary care, enabled by good technology, with hospitalisation reserved for the moments when everything else has genuinely failed. That is the harder system change. It is also the only one that meaningfully closes the equity gap.

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Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora has saved $22 million over three years through a website consolidation programme that has merged 130 websites into a single digital platform.  

The programme began three years ago to address a fragmented digital landscape inherited from the 29 former health entities that formed Health NZ.   

Josh Mens, digital lead for national platforms at Health NZ, says that at its peak, the organisation managed 350 public-facing websites, creating confusion for users and inefficiencies for staff.  

"The web environment we inherited was very, very fragmented," he says.   

"There were multiple websites covering the same health topic, inconsistent branding, navigation, terminology, and varying degrees of publishing and content standards.  

"For the public it was just messy and confusing."  

Benefits of consolidation  

The consolidation programme initially focused on the 20 former district health board websites and shared service agencies. This has expanded to include recruitment websites, creating a single national recruitment channel, and now consolidating mental health websites.  

Mens says the programme was not originally designed as a cost-saving initiative but rather to reflect the single organisation Health NZ had become. However, the financial benefits have enabled reinvestment in higher-quality digital services.  

"We are able to spend that money more wisely so we can engage different development vendors to help us produce a higher quality result," he explains.  

The consumer experience  

For the public, the changes mean simplified access to health information through a single, authoritative source.   

The new Health NZ website won the Best Public Sector Website award at the Plain Language Awards in 2025, reflecting improved quality content in accessible language.  

"Having a single place where people know they can go and feel confident in the information they are receiving is a massive booster for trust and confidence in Health New Zealand," Mens says.  

“Many households have that single person who is responsible for the health of the household.  

"By having all of these different health topics in one place, presented with a consistent interface, it just makes it a lot less stressful."  

Enhanced accessibility compliance with New Zealand government web standards means websites work with assistive technologies like screen readers for users with disabilities or impaired vision.  

A trusted source  

The consolidation has also improved search engine performance, with Health NZ no longer competing against itself for Google rankings. It optimises content for traditional search engines and artificial intelligence-powered search tools, including ChatGPT and Microsoft's AI search functions.  

During health emergencies or outbreaks affecting multiple regions, Health NZ can publish consistent messaging once and deploy it across relevant areas of the site, ensuring all audiences receive the same information.  

Analytics data shows increased user engagement with the consolidated content, and user testing confirms improved experiences compared to the previous fragmented system.  

"People generally only engage with us when they have to," Mens says.   

“It is often a high stress time where they access our services, so presenting it all in a way that is well tested, well written and very easy to navigate just makes it easier."  

Future plans  

The next phase will address remaining website categories such as pregnancy and maternity services, smoking cessation, vaping information, and cancer services.   

Mens says future developments may also include AI-driven search capabilities and chatbots to connect users with appropriate services, as well as integration with services like My Health Record and Book My Vaccine.  

"We want to create an experience where people can come to our website, find the right information the first time, get directed to the correct service the first time, rather than trying and failing and potentially giving up," Mens says.  

The programme supports Health NZ's broader digital strategy of directing patients to appropriate care settings, including an online GP service  

With 220 websites still needing to be consolidated Mens expects the programme to continue delivering cost savings while improving user experience and organisational efficiency.  

If you have any questions re the above feature article, please contact the editor Rebecca McBeth.

Developed in partnership with Health New Zealand

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