Do you live with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19?

Use our new household isolation tool to create an isolation timeline for your household.

The isolation timeline confirms who needs to isolate, the dates they need a test, and when they can leave isolation. It will also give you self-isolation dates for those in your house who have COVID-19. There is no cap on the number of people you can add.

The household isolation calculator doesn't save or store any data that is entered. You can use it again if anyone else in your household tests positive while isolating.

You can create an isolation timeline for your household here: https://covid19.health.nz/.../create-isolation-timeline

Find more information for household contacts here: https://covid19.health.nz/advice/household

Source: Ministry of Health 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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• Australian technology that kept ABC on air during Omicron arrives in NZ
• Gardian Test Tracker helps companies better monitor workforce and avoid shutdowns
• Simple Android/IOS Self Check App allows staff to regularly self-report tests from home
  

State-of-the-art software developed in Australia aims to give New Zealand businesses confidence that their COVID-19 testing programmes are keeping employees safe while reducing the risks of disruption, says pioneering medical technology company Gardian.

“The rampant spread of Omicron, and risk of further variants is putting pressure on businesses to strengthen surveillance testing of their workforce. The Gardian Test Tracker solution and Self Check app provide a business peace of mind that they are staying on top of the problem and can keep operating,” said Gardian chief executive Graham Gordon.

“We’ve seen this in Australia, and now in New Zealand - as Omicron spreads, the threats to businesses and staff are growing significantly.

“It’s why ABC was an early adopter of our solution - helping to keep multiple studios, film crews, news and camera teams operational and safe during the pandemic.

“Good businesses do all they can to look after the health and wellbeing of their employees and the Test Tracker solution gives them the confidence that they are not only regularly checking the COVID status of staff, but also ensuring they don’t come to work with the virus.

“The last thing a business needs is to be forced by employee shortages to close all or part of the operation, disrupting deliveries and services to customers and damaging relationships which is why implementing the right surveillance testing programme is critical from a business continuity point-of-view.

“We know a lot of businesses in New Zealand are testing workers on arrival, which carries with it a significant risk of the virus entering the workplace. And relying on workers to use rapid antigen tests regularly at home is not robust enough given the risks around reporting.

“Repeatable, self-managed COVID-19 testing and reporting via the secure software we have developed is a proven, effective way of monitoring the health of workers and keeping the virus at bay.”

How does Gardian Test Tracker work?
The Gardian Self Check app and Test Tracker management software allows staff to test at home, record that result and share the data with their manager before going into work.

Users take a rapid antigen test and then record the result via the Self Check app which operates on a cloud-based platform. The app provides step-by-step instructions to ensure the test is done correctly and that the result is recorded securely. This generates a digital test result certificate, which can also display the unique batch number of the test. The test result may then be shared with the employer or even their doctor, or a public venue. For an employer, the data is uploaded via Gardian’s secure Test Tracker software allowing a business to build a consistent set of data tracking the COVID status of all employees.

“It is the only way to effectively slow the spread of the virus and maintain a Covid-free work environment,” said Graham Gordon. “The software also ensures the records of employees are secure and remain private to the individual and employer.”

The solution has proven successful across multiple businesses in Australia where continuity of service is critical. Key clients include national broadcaster ABC, courier company Allied Express, the Victorian International Container Terminal, the Department of Community and Justice in New South Wales, and a host of clients in the aged care and disability sectors.

“We are all moving to a new normal and learning to live with COVID-19 which is going to be with us for some time yet, so businesses should be investing in the technology, which is going to allow them to operate effectively, look after the health and wellbeing of their staff and stay open in a COVID world.”

Gardian has also applied for Ministry of Health approval of its T3 saliva rapid antigen test. This is a faster and effective alternative to rapid antigen tests which rely on nasal swabs. Regular use of nasal swabs can result in some people suffering “nasal fatigue” and saliva testing avoids that.

About Gardian
Gardian is an Australian digital health company developing software and medical devices that provide a better way to care. The company, founded by telecommunications specialist Graham Gordon and wife Linda was formed initially to reduce alcohol and drug related harm occurring at music festivals.

Quote from ABC
Kamini Lallaiya, goods and services procurement manager of ABC Procurement, Finance Division said the Test Tracker and Self Check was critical to keeping programming and the organisation on track.

“Covid-19 and its implications and ramifications largely came out of left field. The rules have been onerous and continually changing – everything from vaccinations and travel bans to lockdowns and isolations; and when you’re trying to move news crews around and maintain programme continuity it’s hard to know how to best protect everyone involved while adhering to best practice.”

Source: Gardian 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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Improvements have been made to the Covid Clinical Care Module (CCCM) to make it more user friendly for GPs, who are struggling to deal with the large number of Covid-19 cases in the community.

The CCCM is a national shared care record for Covid patients. It is an iteration of the Border Clinical Management System, which was developed for use in Managed Isolation and Quarantine Facilities and is a modified version of the indici practice management system.

All Covid-19 care coordination hubs, general practices and some other healthcare providers, such as Urgent Care Centres and Emergency Departments, are able to access the CCCM.

When eHealthNews spoke to GP leaders in February, they said the system was creating more work and stress when GPs were already exceptionally busy and they wanted it to be an ‘option’ for them to use.

Ministry of Health COVID Care in the Community lead Joe Bourne says a number of improvements have been made based on health sector feedback and vaccination and medicine records are now automatically pulled through from the patient management system.

Another recently launched feature is that GPs can create a record in CCCM themselves if they see a patient with a positive result, rather than have to retrospectively add information once the record has been created by the system.

Bourne says the time taken for a new positive test result to generate a CCCM record had been the biggest barrier to GPs using the system.

“Change takes time, but we are lot further along than we were even a few weeks ago,” he tells eHealthNews.

“The digital team is working incredibly hard, but when you are redoing a system to work in a different context it’s going to take time to meet the particular needs of that context.”

Bourne acknowledges that it is difficult to adopt a new technology when general practices are already very busy and says while use of CCCM is not compulsory, where possible GPs should prioritise patients under ‘active management’, who may need out of hours care from another provider.

For the vast majority of people who are self-managing at home, GPs are being ask to briefly use the system to log that the person has been assessed as low risk

“We’re trying to be as pragmatic as possible, but it’s important that everyone interacts with the system - even in a nominal way - so the hub can see that the GP is aware of the case and that they’ve had an initial assessment,” explains Bourne.

“Use isn’t consistent across the country, but a number of areas are using it really well and we are continuing to encourage it because this provides better connectivity to the care coordination hubs, after hours and even emergency departments”.

In the future he would like to see the good aspects of CCCM retained and developed to create a national shared care record that is integrated with the GP patient management systems.

“More information helps to make better decisions and that’s why I’m keen to continue to iterate to make it more user friendly for GPs and other practice staff, because if we can get it right, it’s a significant legacy to leave to the health system beyond Covid,” Bourne says.



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The MidCentral District Health Board has put a call out today for the public to return any loaned pulse oximeters to DHB drop off points in exchange for a $20 grocery voucher.

Pulse oximeters, a small device which can be used to monitor people’s conditions while they have COVID-19, are in low supply following a rapid increase in demand during the Omicron outbreak, says COVID-19 Senior Responsible Officer Deborah Davies.

“With high numbers of community cases, we’ve been distributing pulse oximeters to people with COVID-19 who are at high risk of serious illness. Unfortunately, not all of these have been returned.

“We are asking the community to return devices they are no longer using as soon as possible to ensure we can give them to the people who need them. These may have been distributed by your GP, primary care provider, iwi health team or at the Emergency Department and other wards at Palmerston North Hospital.

“We understand that having COVID-19 in your household is a difficult time and know that many people may have simply forgotten that they have one at home. That's why we are offering an incentive for people to bring their device to MidCentral DHB drop off points and collect a $20 grocery voucher.”

Davies says that pulse oximeters are an essential tool for many adults who are at-risk from COVID-19.

“Not everyone needs a pulse oximeter, however, for some adults, the symptoms of COVID-19 can be very serious and can get worse quickly, which means they need to be more closely monitored to look for any changes in their condition.”

Davies says that a pulse oximeter can be potentially life-saving.

“COVID-19 can cause your blood oxygen levels to fall and your heart to beat faster - and with COVID-19, people can deteriorate very quickly. A pulse oximeter can help track and assess how well your lungs are working by measuring the level of oxygen in your blood to determine if you need to get medical help or call an ambulance.”

The MidCentral DHB have set up drop off points for pulse oximeters across the rohe.

Return sites across the rohe:

Palmerston North
THINK Hauora and Te Tihi, 200 Broadway Avenue, Palmerston North
Best Care (Whakapai Hauora) Charitable Trust, 140-148 Maxwells Line, Palmerston North
Te Wakahuia Manawatū Trust, 56 Pembroke Street, Palmerston North

Tararua
Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki nui-a-Rua, 171 High Street, Dannevirke
Rangitāne o Tāmaki Nui A Rua, 10 Gordon Street, Dannevirke

Manawatū
Ngā Kaitiaki o Ngāti Kauwhata, 139 South Street, Feilding
Rural Manawatū District: Text 0272441424 for pick up from mailbox in exchange for a grocery voucher.

Horowhenua
Muaūpoko Tribal Authority, 306 Oxford Street, Levin
Raukawa Whānau Ora, 152 Bath Street, Levin

Ōtaki
Te Puna Ōranga o Ōtaki, 51 Main Street, Ōtaki

Source: MidCentral DHB 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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Two years is not a long time when it comes to the evolution of technology, however, an enormous amount has been achieved since the COVID pandemic began.

More than 100 systems have been created as part of the COVID response and together these have more than 22,000 users across the system.

Nearly 3.7 million consumers now have access to My COVID Record and the COVID Tracer app, which was built by over 400 people across 20 suppliers.

And I’m pleased to say that we are increasingly seeing data and digital and technologies getting the recognition and the investment they deserve.

Care in the community
We have now moved into a phase of supporting ‘care in the community’ in response to Omicron.

This brings together a whole suite of the COVID-19 information platforms that we use; contact tracing, border management, testing, vaccinations, as well as a clinical and welfare solution called the Covid Clinical Care Module (CCCM).

CCCM is about connecting providers and patients and whanau through a shared integrated view of community care and welfare plans that ensure that people's needs are understood and are being met.

This package of tools is about freeing up capacity in the system, so that the people in most need can get the attention required and we can create a more manageable load across general practice and hospitals, whilst ensuring equity of access.

Maximising gains
Our next focus is about maximising recent gains to think strategically about the future and building on the momentum shift in digital health.

We would not have achieved the same speed, scale or coverage in our Covid response through our more traditional approaches.

Modern ways of working have enabled us to operate differently and respond rapidly to policy changes and put in place a technical solution. We've been able to iterate quickly and learn and adapt based on feedback, and over time, we've been able to empower people.

We now have a blueprint for national capabilities supporting locally delivered services and this is something that we want to take forward as we as we head into the future.

One of our strategic objectives, off the back of creating ‘care in the community’, is to develop a model blueprint (and the technologies) to allow us to respond to any condition that can be treated in home or the community, and continuing to relieve pressure across the system.

We have been trying to do this for years, so the challenge now is to get the basics right and capitalise on the momentum created by today's circumstances.


Realising value
There are many forms in which value has been delivered through the investments made during COVID.

We have created a different and better experience for consumers and workforce, recognising that one size does not fit all when it comes to technology approaches.

Although there is plenty of evidence to show the value of the technology versus the traditional approaches, for example - the difference in cost to the system of someone making a digital booking ($2.60) versus making an assisted booking using people is $36.

Experience over the last couple of years has shown that there is still a high demand for traditional approaches and this needs to be factored in our design phase early on.

Only then will we have created a foundation for an integrated digitally enabled health capability as we move forward.

We also need to leverage the shift that we've had in the role of digital to not just being an enabler, but being a partner and a thought leader to the business, which is what we've seen through COVID.

It’s about realising the art of the possible and will mean thinking about our technology operating model and how we can embed ourselves into the transformation.

We have a huge opportunity ahead of us and it's a really exciting time to be working in the health system, with plenty of opportunities as we consider our working model going forward.

This is an edited version of Shayne Hunter’s keynote presentation at the HiNZ Digital Health Conference 2022. If you are registered for the conference you can watch his keynote and other presentations on-demand until 31 May.

If you want to contact eHealthNews.nz regarding this View, please contact the editor Rebecca McBeth.

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The Covid-19 self-reporting tool has been streamlined, capacity has been increased for the Covid Clinical Care Module, and a bug in the RAT requester site has been fixed, the Ministry of Health says.

Group manager national digital services, Michael Dreyer gave an update on improvements to technologies supporting the Covid response at a press conference on 8 March, saying the systems had been “designed, developed, tested and delivered at pace”.

“However, with all new IT systems, there are initial bugs and process flows to sort out,” he said.

“We are constantly refining our systems, taking on board feedback from our health workers and health consumers.”

He said the Covid Clinical Care Module (CCCM) joins up health information about a case for healthcare workers, so they can ensure those with Covid-19 have access to appropriate clinical care and welfare support.

eHealthNews has reported on the “cacophony of complaints” from GPs about the new shared record system, with GP leaders saying it should be “very much an option” for them to use.

One issue was the time taken to get new patients loaded into the system, which meant a GP may have been caring for a patient for several days before they appeared.

Dreyer said when CCCM went live in mid-February it could handle around 4000 new cases an hour and further capacity built into system means it can now handle 20,000 per hour.

“We have also improved the online contact tracing form after we heard from the public it was taking too long to fill out,” he said.

The form has been streamlined to focus on high-risk events or exposures and welfare needs, reducing the average time it takes to complete from 30 minutes down to eight minutes.

The Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) requester site went live in early March and an initial bug was fixed within the first few hours, meaning it is now fully operational and being used nationwide.

On 7 March, 55,000 total orders were placed and all but 1000 of these were through the web form.

Dreyer asked everyone to report their RAT result via My Covid Record and said it would soon be possible to report results on behalf of others, particularly for children under 12.

He said a new system is going live with text messages to notify people that their isolation period is complete, and the Ministry is considering sending text reminders for those people that have ordered and received RATs, but have not submitted a result.

“We also heard that people wanted a single source of information about what happens when they or someone else close to them gets covered, so last month we launched the COVID-19 Health Hub,” Dreyer said.

Picture: Group manager national digital services, Michael Dreyer


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If you are symptomatic or a household contact, you can now order rapid antigen tests (RATs) through the newly launched RAT requester site.

“It’s one of a range of ways we are make testing more readily available for those who need it,” says Jo Pugh, Acting Group Manager of COVID-19 Testing and Supply.

“We have a good supply of RATs to meet demand during Phase Three of our Omicron response.

“On top of the 15 million that arrived last week, 2.6 million RATs arrived on Tuesday, followed by a delivery of 5.1 million RATs on Wednesday.

“These new RATs are flowing through the supply chain and into collection sites where they can be accessed by anyone assessed as needing one.”

There are 146 collection sites, 106 testing centres, and 21 providers supporting our priority population groups nationwide. And with the addition of participating pharmacies and GPs, there are now more than 500 access points for RATs, with additional sites continuing to be opened across the motu.

“The ability to place an order online ensures that the process is smoother when people go to collect them. It also means that the whole whānau don’t need to queue up at the testing centre when one person in the household gets sick, because you’ll be able to collect RATs for everyone in your household,” says Jo Pugh.

“People can still access free RATs without an order via Community Testing Centres, but only for an eligible individual.

“RATs are also available for purchase in some retail stores now for people who are not unwell or household contacts but want a RAT for other reasons.

“We want to make sure that getting tested is as easy as possible for people – it is an important part of our strategy to slow the spread of the virus to keep the pressure off hospitals.

“The website also contains features to prevent people from ordering too many RATs to ensure that everyone who needs one can get one. These include order limits by address and phone number.”

Jo Pugh says GPs will also be using RATs as part of clinical consultations, where appropriate. They will not generally be distributing to the public outside this regime.

“By the end of March, we expect to build up the number of places where RATs are available to 1000 sites around the country, so the majority of New Zealanders can access a free RAT within 20 minutes driving distance.

“The Ministry of Health is also exploring options to deliver RATs to those to order them.”

The tool is a timely initiative following large shipments of RATs into the country, says Jo Pugh

“In the past seven days, more than 7.7 million RATs have been dispatched from our central supply. And DHBs are working hard to push them out to the system.

“Increased use of RATs will ease some of the pressure on our laboratories over the next three to six weeks, while helping to ensure critical services and supply chains remain operational, our most vulnerable communities are protected, and our economy keeps moving.”

How to order:

• Requesting RATs on the Requester site is an easy step-by-step process. RATs can be requested on behalf of someone else.
• You can order the test kits from the website (requestrats.covid19.health.nz) or by ringing 0800 222 478 (option 3) from 8am to 8pm. People will need to have access to a mobile phone to validate their order.
• You will be issued an order number. You can then collect your RAT order from a collection site listed on Healthpoint, or have someone collect it for you.
• For people are not unwell or a household contact but want to get a RAT for other purposes, such as to visit an elderly relative, there are retail options now, including the Chemist Warehouse and Countdown.
  

So far, more than 9 million RATs have been distributed. This includes more than 3 million RATs to DHBs and community collection sites; 1.3 million to Primary Health Organisations; more than 1 million for aged care; more than 800,000 to GPs and Urgent Care; more than 600,000 to Pharmacies; and more than 650,000 RATs to first responders and other government agencies.

Source: Ministry of Health  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 new shared record system for Covid patients has caused a “cacophony of complaints” from GPs and should be “very much an option” for them to use, GP leaders say.

GP leaders spoken to by eHealthNews say the Covid Clinical Care Module (CCCM) is not fit for purpose and is creating more work and stress when GPs are already exceptionally busy dealing with the high volume of Covid-19 cases.

The CCCM is an iteration of the Border Clinical Management System, which was developed for use in Managed Isolation and Quarantine Facilities and is a modified version of the indici practice management system.

All Covid-19 care in the community hubs, general practices and some other healthcare providers are able to access the CCCM.

President of the Royal NZ College of GPs Samantha Murton hopes the system can be improved over time to make it useful during the next Covid peak, but says for now it should only be used by GPs where they see fit.

She says it works well for people not connected to health services, who need to have their care coordinated by one of the community hubs. Also, for high-risk patients where it is likely they will need to interact with HealthLine or out-of-hours services.

“For GPs there’s a sense that we are obligated to use it, but it needs to be very much an option for practices,” she says.

Funding for Covid-related care is linked to tasks being input into CCCM, but delays in getting patients loaded mean a GP may have been caring for a patient for up to four days before they appear on the system.

The patient record starts from the day they are entered, rather than the day they test positive, leaving GPs to find workarounds to enter information such as initial assessments and other care.

“With the volume of cases now there’s a whole load of work being missed,” she says.

Murton says while the basic idea of CCCM is a good one, the system has been developed for one environment and implemented in a very different one, without the time to change it to make it workable for users.

“It’s an iterative process, but the problem is the number of cases is going up so rapidly that it can’t be changed fast enough,” she says.

Also, a number of providers do not have access, such as ambulance services and emergency departments, so there is not visibility from across the system of patient interactions.

Chair of the General Practitioner Council, Vanessa Weenink, says there has been a “cacophony of complaints” from GPs about CCCM.

“The system has not been built for the people working on the frontline and the implementation of it has very much alienated GPs,” she says.

A key issue has been that people self-reporting positive results from Rapid Antigen Tests via My Covid Record were taking a long time to be loaded on to the system.

Weenink, who is a GP at Papanui Medical, says that time-lag and general slowness of the system seemed to have improved over the weekend, but usability remains “tricky”.

“There’s multiple click throughs and drop-down boxes that don’t necessarily improve things and make it very clunky,” she says.

One page asks the GP to manually enter the date, type and location of each vaccination the patient has had and will not let them move on until that is completed.

“It took me a while to figure out that if I just ignore all the boxes on that page it’s fine, but that makes the entire page pretty useless,” she says.

Another issue is that the system does not ask for the patient’s consent to share their information until the final page and several patients are refusing consent, making the data input a waste of GP time.

“The user interface is not pretty: it needs to be tidied up and the concern is that it’s so awful for providers that it puts them off using anything similar in the future,” Weenink says.

“My concern is that a lot of us love the idea of a national shared care record and can see the benefits, but this system is such a poor introduction for most people and might really put them off.”

A Ministry of Health spokesperson said it is aware of some issues with the speed that new Covid-19 cases are notified in the IT system used by GPs to manage patients and is working through these to continue to optimise the system.

"CCCM helps connect care across providers supporting people with Covid-19, and support cases and their households to be able to access the care that they need. It is also being used in some areas to support payment mechanisms," the spokesperson says.

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

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Positive results for treatment of anxiety and phobias, including fear of needles ahead of Covid-19 vaccinations.

Cantabrians struggling with Covid vaccinations because of needle fear are experiencing success thanks to a collaboration between local psychologists and a health tech startup specialising in virtual reality treatment.

The Psychology Hub and The Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Anxiety Clinic in Christchurch are collaborating with health tech groundbreakers oVRcome, offering patients treatment via remote VR headset to speed up access to treatment amidst significant demand. With the support of the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) material has been filmed in local vaccination clinics, creating an extensive library of needle exposure videos in local settings.

A tailored 6-week programme has been designed for those in the Canterbury region and a preparation pack including an oVRcome headset is sent to clients to begin programmes immediately.

Based on principles of exposure therapy, oVRcome is designed to desensitise through repeated exposure to stimuli delivered through virtual reality - an approach known as VRET (Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy). The realistic virtual environments remove the need to physically create exposure situations - a step that increases both delay and cost through traditional psychology methods. This unique merging of traditional treatment with technology is proving effective, with great results for clients and significantly increased accessibility.

Aimee Hanson, Clinical Psychologist and Director of The Psychology Hub says a number of clients have completed the self-help programme independently and have now been vaccinated successfully. Aimee is positive about the opportunity VR technology presents to close treatment gaps.

Says Aimee: “Despite only starting to use the programme from the end of last year, my clients who are using the oVRcome programme are reporting increased confidence in being able to receive their Covid vaccinations or have gone on to successfully receive their first vaccines. This is particularly impressive given the acuity of the group of people I am seeing, some of whom had attempted the vaccinations more than 10 times without success.”

At present, demand for psychologist services far exceeds availability, this collaboration is addressing the treatment gap in Canterbury. Says Aimee: “Psychologists in private practice are overwhelmed by the demand for services. It is typical for clients to have to approach multiple psychologists before finding someone with availability and even then, there will likely be a wait-time. Accessing treatment for specific phobias can be even more difficult.”

Needle phobia, in particular, has been traditionally difficult to treat outside of health settings due to the need for exposure to real needles. Mental health professionals faced the time intensive task of developing and creating exposure tasks. This has created a barrier to treatment for many phobias. Aimee is particularly hopeful about oVRcome’s Child & Adolescent programme with fear of needles often prominent in children. The programme provides skills to help manage anxiety for both parents and children who complete the programme. These skills are useful to all members of the family and can be used in all areas, not just the approach to needles.

oVRcome offers an accessible and affordable option that can be followed with individualised therapy if still needed. Programmes can begin immediately and treat phobias including fear of needles, heights, flying, spiders, public speaking and more.

oVRcome founder Adam Hutchinson says “We are very keen to work with more health professionals to help people overcome their fear of needles as well as some of the many other phobias that are negatively impacting people’s lives. We’re only just scratching the surface of the potential of VR in driving positive health outcomes, particularly when partnering with traditional treatment methods. Collaboration like this can only have positive health impacts for the community and scale access to treatment - which is what we are focused on.

For now - oVRcome is available directly via an app, www.oVRcome.io - or through partner psychologists.

A link for Canterbury residents with details of the package has been created here https://www.ovrcome.io/vaccine-programme-canterbury-residents

Source: oVRcome 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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People are expected to self-report a positive result from a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) on My Covid Record as these become the primary tool for Covid-19 testing.

RATs are now the primary test at Auckland community testing centres to help meet demand for testing as the Omicron outbreak grows.

The new testing regime, which will be rolled out across the country, means symptomatic people and/or asymptomatic close contacts whose RAT is positive will be considered a case and do not need to be verified through a PCR test.

They will need to record their result in My Covid Record, as well as advise their employer.

The increased use of RATs in Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Governments Omicorn response will relieve pressure on the PCR testing and reserve it for those who are unwell and more susceptible to the effects of COVID-19.

There are currently 6.9 million RATs in the system with around 14.7 million expected by the end of the month.

A Ministry spokesperson says it is not mandatory for people to enter their results in My Covid Record, but it is encouraged. Those who can't do it online should call 0800222478 to record their result.

(This is an edited version of a Ministry of Health press release)

NOTE - Do not report your RAT result to HiNZ, you need to do this via My Covid Record or by calling 0800222478

Source: Ministry of Health 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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Health Navigator has released the latest video in the Aotearoa e te toa! Covid in the community series. The website also has a new topic page, COVID and pregnancy. The pulse oximeter video is now available on a data free plan from the Government. Watch the videos on the links below.

Aotearoa e te toa! How to reduce the spread of infection in your home
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zfcbeh59rk

How to use a Pulse Oximeter
https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/videos/h/how-to-use-a-pulse-oximeter/

Covid-19 and pregnancy
https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/health-a-z/c/covid-19-and-pregnancy/

Source: Health Navigator media release

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A new shared care record has gone live across the country for clinicians involved in the care of Covid patients in the community.

The Border Clinical Management System was developed for use in Managed Isolation and Quarantine Facilities and is a modified version of the indici practice management system.

It has been adapted for the community and renamed the Covid Clinical Care Module (CCCM).

Ministry of Health primary care lead Joe Bourne says all Covid-19 care in the community hubs, general practices and some other healthcare providers are able to access the CCCM.

"By giving access to multiple providers, it means there is far better integration of a person's care," he tells eHealthNews.

"An after-hours clinical provider is able to access the notes that their regular provider has been keeping. This improves patient safety and continuity."

The module integrates with the MSD Community Portal for welfare support and the National Contact Tracing Solution, which automatically creates a record for every Covid case in the CCCM.

Bourne says the module allows providers to record patient notes, initial assessments, add welfare tasks and regular health checks. When a session is complete, the notes are sent to the GP outbox.

President of the Royal NZ College of GPs Samantha Murton says, “CCCM is a coordinated system that holds information about patients who have Covid and how they are managing. It’s a shared care record that’s nationally consistent and can be accessed by clinicians involved in that person’s care.”

Often this will be their GP during the day, but may be Whakarongorau – National Telehealth Service, or an out of hours service at other times.

“It’s great for patients as anyone connecting with them has visibility of their record and if someone needs to escalate their care, wherever they end up people can see what’s gone on before,” says Murton.

The system can also connect to welfare services, such as help with accommodation or childcare, if that is needed.

Murton accesses the CCCM directly through her practice management system via HealthLink and can see any of her patients who have tested positive. If she has received a positive result for a patient who is not on the system she can call or email to have them added.

If a GP has capacity, they can choose to be the lead carer for that patient and if not, their care is passed on to one of the new regional care in the community hubs to be allocated to a lead clinician. These hubs also coordinate care for anyone not enrolled with a GP.

“It’s been set up to ensure people don’t fall through the cracks when they have multiple people looking after them, but no one knows who the lead is,” she explains.

GPs will decide how often patients should be contacted, with high-risk groups being monitored more closely for deterioration.

Monitoring is usually done via phone call or text from the practice to the patient, asking about their symptoms and how they are coping.

Murton says there must be strict governance of the data being collected in the national system.

“As a data set it's quite significant so we need to be confident about who can see that data and understand there’s no risk of privacy breaches,” says Murton.

Chair of GPNZ Jeff Lowe says integration with GP practice management systems is key as that information enriches the data set to ensure resources are targeted to those people with the highest needs.

“This new system is an example of what can be achieved in terms of digital solutions, both for the workforce and the public, and will leave a legacy that we will be able to leverage off in the future,” he says.


Picture: President of the Royal NZ College of GPs Samantha Murton

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Positive Covid-19 cases will be notified by text message and asked to fill in an online form to assess whether they can self-manage safely at home, or will need some monitoring and support.

The Ministry of Health’s new self-reporting tool, developed by Abletech, is being used more widely as part of phase two of the government’s Omicron response.

Any positive Covid-19 cases will receive a text notification with an access code and link to the Covid-19 contact tracing form which takes around 30 minutes to fill out and asks about symptoms, household contacts and high-risk locations.

Director general of health Ashley Bloomfield said at a media briefing on February 16 that positive cases were previously notified via a phone call, but the large number of daily cases (which have hit more than 1000) necessitates digital tools being used to reduce pressure on the health system.

The Ministry’s primary care lead, Joe Bourne, said the form assesses people's clinical or welfare needs and any issues around self-isolating.

Click to view larger image

“All of that information then gets pushed out to the appropriate providers, so that they can take the actions that are needed in order to provide the care required,” he said,

People identified as low risk will be pointed to information on a newly developed Covid-19 Health Hub, about how to self-isolate safely and what to do if they need help.

“Somebody on the self-management pathway can expect very little contact from the health system or any of the other agencies,” explained Bourne.

A number of regional Care Coordination hubs have been set up and have oversight of all positive cases and whether they have filled in the assessment form, or need to be contacted via phone.

“The hubs have a responsibility to make sure that nobody slips through the net,” he said.

“This self-management pathway won't work for all our priority groups, but will create the capacity in the health system in order to be able to provide that higher level of care for priority populations.”

People will also receive a text notification when their self-isolation period has ended and these official text messages can be used in lieu of a medical certificate from a doctor.

Ministry of Health general manager of national digital services Michael Dreyer said at the press conference that previous experience with My Covid Record and My Vaccine Pass showed that 80 – 90 percent of Kiwis were able to use the digital tools being made available.

The remaining 10-20 percent need to be supported more directly, often by local providers. Websites and tools are data free for the public in most cases via the Ministry’s Sponsored Data initiative.

Chair of GPNZ Jeff Lowe says experience from the northern region of New Zealand shows age, ethnicity and vaccination status “give us a really good idea of who is most likely to suffer negative outcomes from Covid”.

GPs can combine the self-assessment data with their own assessment of other risk factors, such as co-morbidities.

“Then we can cluster support around high-risk patients to ensure they know what to do and when to seek help,” he explains.

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Results from Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) are being reported electronically and made available to view on My Covid Record.

On 6 December 2021, Covid-19 lab test results were added to My Covid Record using a FHIR-based API developed by Sysmex. The API queries the Environmental Science and Research (ESR) Eclair database, a Sysmex solution which holds all Covid testing data from around the country.

Following the roll out of RATs in pharmacies, pharmacy staff members must now report all results to the Ministry of Health using the RAT Reporting Solution in ESR Eclair.

These tests are currently free for asymptomatic unvaccinated travellers aged over 12 years and their use is due to expand under the government’s new three-phase approach to Omicron.

Sysmex head of software development, Graeme Hibbert, says the company was already in the process of developing FHIR-based APIs to allow third parties to query its lab test databases.

“That API was already in the works and we had a project to install it in the Northern region, so we were able to install it at the ESR to expose the data for Covid testing,” he says.

Hibbert says the API worked smoothly due to a lot of previous effort to ensure standardisation of the data being exchanged, such as ensuring a standard code for a Covid test is used.

Routine reporting of the Health Provider Index (HPI) means the provider where the test was performed can also be displayed to consumers.

“When we came to put the FHIR API on top of that data it worked well because the data underneath was already quite clean,” he explains.

A Ministry of Health spokesperson says pharmacies are currently the only providers of supervised RATs who use Eclair to enter results, but that role may be expanded shortly.

Pharmacies are required to report results in Eclair for payment purposes as that’s how they’re tracked by the Ministry.

Pharmacists create a report for the patient using the pharmacy RAT forms in ESR Eclair by searching for the patient by entering their NHI number or last name and date of birth, recording their contact mobile number and their RAT result.

Individuals that have tested negative are automatically notified via text and a patient’s RAT result(s) is available to view online on their My Covid Record via the API.

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A new online tool allowing Covid-positive people to self-report their symptoms, contacts and high-risk locations, is being piloted with one of the country’s largest contact tracing services.

Reach Aotearoa is trialling the COVID-19 contact tracing form, developed by Abletech for the Ministry of Health.

The tool is part of the governments three-phase approach to the Omicron outbreak, which involves greater use of technology in order to respond to large numbers of cases.

A Ministry spokesperson says technology has always played a part in the ongoing response to Covid-19 and the contact tracing form is the “next step to empowering people to self-manage in larger outbreaks, while easing the burden on the health system”.

During the pilot, only people who choose to use the form are given access to it, and only after they have completed an initial phone call with a case investigator. In Phase Two and Three of the Omicron response plan, it will be distributed to more cases.

“The form allows for contact tracing capacity to remain able to manage the number of cases with finite resources and focus on high risk and vulnerable cases,” the spokesperson says.

Users are texted a link and unique access code enabling them to share their information with the Ministry securely online – symptoms, household contact details, and information on high risk locations and close contacts - instead of doing an interview over the phone.

The form also allows people to upload their Bluetooth tracing keys and NZ COVID Tracer diary and is hosted on the Amazon Web Services platform.

When data is submitted it is uploaded to the National Contact Tracing Solution (NCTS) Case Record. The NCTS environment is operated on a Salesforce Service Cloud instance based on AWS cloud infrastructure, in Australia.

The Ministry spokesperson says the form takes around 30 minutes to complete and people can begin the form and come back over a period of 72 hours to complete it.

“If someone doesn’t access the form within 24 hours of being provided the link and access code, they’ll get a follow up call from a contact tracer. There is also a dedicated email address and phone number if people need help,” the spokesperson says.

The Ministry has published a Privacy Impact Assessment for the tool published on its website.

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Thousands of COVID positive Aucklanders required to isolate under health guidelines will be eligible to receive a range of funded medicines delivered free to their home in a new initiative welcomed by health experts.

Under the scheme, patients will not need to consult a GP for a prescription or be required to pay for a range of over the counter (OTC) medicines to treat COVID symptoms.

Prescription medicines will require a virtual GP consultation over video conference or phone and delivery costs of all medicines will also be fully funded during the isolation period.

The Northern Region Health Coordination Centre (NRHCC), the collective of the Northland and Auckland DHBs operating a regional response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has advised pharmacies in Tamaki Makaurau they can now register to be reimbursed for the delivery of prescription and OTC medicines for the treatment of fever, pain and dehydration - including paracetamol and electrolytes.

The NRHCC’s Whanau Home Quarantine (HQ) move will mean COVID-19 positive patients who have been advised to isolate by NRHCC within the metro Auckland area will be able to request selected OTC medicines for free delivery to their home without a prescription by contacting a pharmacy online or over the phone.

Din Redzepagic, pharmacist at Zoom Pharmacy, says the move is positive news for the potentially thousands of patients instructed to recover at home - particularly those on a limited income.

He says around 1.46 million people live in urban Auckland, approximately 90% of the region’s population, and the cost of seeing a doctor, purchasing medicines and having them delivered would be expensive for many residents - particularly if others in their household also test positive for COVID-19.

“The provision of funding for COVID symptom medicines is welcome recognition of both the cost and the logistical challenges of accessing health care for the potentially substantial number of Aucklanders who will be required to isolate at home in the coming weeks.

“With medicine home delivery also fully reimbursed it will mean that those isolating and anyone living with them will not need to risk interacting with others to collect their medicines,” he says.

Redzepagic says under the new initiative, pharmacists are also required to have discussions with patients about their broader prescription medication needs.

“What we know about the new scheme is that it will act as an intervention mechanism - allowing us to check in with patients about other aspects of their health care.

“In practice this could mean a patient with a chronic condition who may otherwise have poor access to regular health care will be able to talk with a pharmacist about other medicines they are taking.

“At this point we may be able to help get them back on track and liaise with their GP if new prescriptions or additional interventions are required to support their longer-term health outcomes,” he says.

Redzepagic says it is hoped that the funding model could be rolled out nationwide.

“What we know about COVID is that its treatment regime is unlike any illness that the majority of us will have encountered.

“On top of the symptoms and the disruption to the family unit there is a great deal of anxiety that goes along with how day-to-day household logistics and access to food and medicines might be managed while isolating for weeks at a time.

“We know from our experience specialising in virtual health care that delivering medicines to the home of the patient and consulting with a pharmacist by phone can reduce or remove a number of the barriers to accessing medicines and taking them correctly” he says.

Redzepagic says the Whanau HQ initiative will run from today through to 30 June 2022, with pharmacies that are able to provide home delivery services able to opt-in to the scheme on behalf of their Auckland patients.

Source: Zoom Health media release

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The three phases of the government’s response to Omicron will involve greater use of technology, including text notifications for cases and close contacts and automated contact identification.

A number of technology solutions are being developed ‘at pace’ and more information will be available over the coming weeks.

Associate Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall has announced a three phase Omicron response plan that aims to slow down and limit the spread of an outbreak.

She says a ‘self-service model’ for contact tracing and rapid antigen testing will be key to responding to a high volume of cases.

In phase two, a rapid escalation in case numbers and pressure on resources will require a shift from identifying all infected people to being more targeted to those most at risk and those needed to keep the country going.

“Digital technology is used more in this phase,” explains Verrall.

“Cases will be notified via text message and be directed to an online self-investigation tool which will focus on high risk exposures. Information will be provided via email and phone based interviews will still take place where it’s required.”

Phase three, when cases are in the thousands, will also involve use of a ‘self-investigation’ tool to allow people to report high risk contacts.

The tool will target very high-risk exposures, narrowing the number of contacts identified and these people will be automatically notified.

“Digital technologies will continue to be utilised at this phase, and people will be supported to self-notify close contacts,” Verrall says.

“There will be continued support for those members of our community who are not digitally enabled.”

Picture: Associate Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall speaking at a press conference on Jan 26

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Christchurch based “oVRcome” launches Child and Adolescent programme today.

With the Covid-19 vaccine now approved for those aged between 5 and 11 years, parents face the challenge of helping their children feel comfortable with the next stage of New Zealand’s roll out. A virtual reality startup out of Christchurch is set to provide a solution, launching a programme designed for children, that leverages virtual reality to treat a number of anxieties and phobias, including needles.

oVRcome has already been used to treat hundreds of adults in both New Zealand and around the world for fears including social anxiety, public speaking, flying, spiders and more.

The child and adolescent programme has been specifically developed to gently guide younger participants through virtual reality exposure therapy in preparation for real-world situations and environments, like - a vaccination clinic.

According to WHO, 16 percent of adults avoid getting the influenza vaccination because of a fear of needles and children are nearly three times as likely to hold this fear.

oVRcome’s child and adolescent programmes are designed for young people aged 5-13 with content designed age appropriately. A teens programme is due for release in early 2022.

The programme has been developed by founder Adam Hutchinson and Christchurch-based clinical psychologist Catherine Gallagher - a specialist in the treatment of anxiety in children. Through her evidence-based work supporting young people, Catherine advocates for facing the things we fear rather than avoiding them - an approach she believes VR can enable extremely well.

“It’s a great way to expose people to a variety of information and environments that aid their understanding of anxiety and teach them skills to stand up to it,” she says.

“In this day and age, accessibility is a barrier to treatment. Programmes like this allow people to virtually step into this therapeutic space in a supported and safe way”

Before beginning VR exposure, a child takes part in a psychoeducation component that builds foundations for both parent and child around concepts like “worry brain.”

Gallagher says children gain knowledge, understanding and coping skills through learning why they have fear and giving them skills to manage it in language they understand.

She says current uncertainty and messages around a lack of safety with no real end in sight has exacerbated difficulties that might already have been underlying or brewing.

“Children face particular issues - the return to environments that may now feel uncomfortable having been home in their bubble - and of course having to have vaccinations.”

Through oVRcome, parents can join their child on the journey, selecting VR simulations according to the situations and environments that affect their child most, all in the comfort of their own homes.

Accessibility was a key driver behind the creation of oVRcome for founder Adam Hutchinson.

Says Adam, “There can be difficulty in getting young people to workshops, support systems and so on - whether as a result of their own hesitancy - or simply wait as a result of wait times patients are currently facing”

Hutchinson thinks there is a real opportunity for young people to use programmes such as oVRcome to treat issues early, before they escalate through adulthood. Says Adam, “Children are digital natives who have grown up competent with technology, now accelerated by distance learning. They are used to collaborating and creating with classmates and teachers, using technology and immersive learning environments.”

For those looking for extra professional support - oVRcome can be used with the support of a clinical psychologist and relating dashboard.

Find out more at www.oVRcome.io

Source: oVRcome media release

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Border class exceptions for 600 much-needed specialist tech workers have been announced today by the Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications, Dr David Clark.

“The sector is now one of our top three exporters, and jobs in tech have been growing at twice the rate of the general economy. It has continued to expand during the COVID-19 pandemic, placing pressure on the demand for talent,” David Clark said.

“The class exception announced today will relieve some of the pressure on New Zealand tech firms and support their continued growth and export earnings.

“We’re carefully targeting areas of the sector where industry has highlighted a clear need for overseas talent including, software development, product managers, cyber security and interactive media.

“For the last two years, the Government has been working closely with the tech sector on addressing the key opportunities and challenges facing the industry. At the top of the list is a mismatch between the skills available domestically and what the sector requires.

“Providing this border exception is part of the next step in Government’s carefully phased approach to reconnecting with the world.

“We’ve seen other countries open up too early and have to reverse decisions. So it’s a balancing act of supporting our economy and minimising the risks to our communities and health system.

“Resolving the skills mismatch is crucial for the tech sector to grow. However, Government also realises the development of tech skills within New Zealand is fundamental for the industry to realise its potential.

“As part of an Industry Transformation Plan partnership between Government and the tech industry; the sector has made a commitment to invest in developing domestic talent, rather than relying on overseas talent to fill the gaps.

“I look forward to continuing to work with the industry on how to ensure the education system is supporting this, by delivering the skills that the New Zealand industry needs,” David Clark said.

Further details regarding the border exception process will be provided to industry in the New Year.

Source: Hon Dr David Clark media release

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Auckland DHBs are operating a Hospital in the Home programme for Covid-19 patients, keeping whole wards full of people out of hospital.

Devices and data are also being supplied to patients if needed for them to remain safely at home.

The service is for patients who need more support than the primary care and supported isolation and quarantine (SIQ) teams can provide.

“This service is provided for people who are diagnosed with Covid‐19 and who need extra monitoring and support during the acute or recovery phase of their illness and for whom without this service may be admitted to or have a longer stay in hospital,” a Northern Region Health Coordination Centre spokesperson says.

Counties Manukau Health general manager localities, Penny Magud, says Middlemore’s Hospital in the Home is managing on average 22 patients per day, which equates to a ward full of people in their own homes that would otherwise be in hospital.

The team are all clinical, experienced emergency department and community nurses, who are overseen by a nurse practitioner with the support of medicine and infectious diseases senior medical officers.

They use phones and video calls to contact patients, depending on each patient’s clinical indicators, and the hospital gives phones, tablets and data to patients if needed.

The team use the Border Client Management System (BCMS), which all providers managing Covid cases in the community use.

“This allows visibility across providers, especially when one member of the bubble is being clinically managed by Hospital in the Home and the others are receiving wrap around services by one of our community Māori or Pacific health providers,” says Magud.

“This also enables the Metro Auckland Hospital in the Homes to support each other from a capacity level as they are all using the same regional technology platform.”

A Waitematā DHB spokesperson tells eHealthNews the BCMS is also being linked with its hospital system.

Waitematā DHB has developed a service called COVID Care at Home (CC@H) which is for all Covid positive patients who are discharged from the DHB, whether from the ED or after an inpatient stay.

There are around 5–10 patients under the CC@H service, but this number can vary and is growing.

A Waitematā spokesperson says CC@H has two functions, one of which is the Hospital in the Home service, which involves patients being given a pulse oximeter on discharge and a chart for recording readings of their heart rate and oxygen saturation.

The CC@H team are trained nurses and typically they telephone and text patients in their care to review their readings and their symptoms at least once daily and provide advice on what to do next based on the information. They can use video calling too.

The second function is about ensuring that the patient’s welfare concerns are properly met by connecting them with welfare teams, cultural support or other services appropriate to their needs.

Waitematā DHB also provides devices and/ or data to patients to participate in the programme if needed.

The NRHCC says Hospital in the Home teams work with the patient and their primary care team during recovery and will refer to their local GP or agreed Community Isolation & Quarantine provider (if different) when they are ready to be discharged from the service.

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The Ministry of Health respects today’s decision in the High Court on the sharing of Māori COVID-19 vaccination data with the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency (Whānau Ora).

While the Court has commented on aspects of the Ministry’s decision making in making data available to both Whānau Ora and other Māori organisations, it has not directed the Ministry to release all data to Whānau Ora, acknowledging the progress made by the Ministry. The Ministry is required to:

• Complete its process of making decisions about providing the data, in those areas where it has not yet agreed to provide data to the applicants.
• Review its decision to provide data in relation to those Māori in Te Ika-a-Māui/North Island who have had only a first dose, in light of the Ministry’s publicly announced position in relation to the general population who have had only one dose.

The Ministry is now taking steps to meet those requirements.

The Ministry is currently consulting a number of iwi about data-sharing with Whānau Ora and will inform these iwi of today’s decision.

The Ministry wishes to acknowledge and thank the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency for their significant contribution to the overall effort to raise Māori vaccination rates across Te Ika a Māui.

Māori health providers who don’t already have access to specific, local data should talk to their usual DHB contact or to the Ministry.

Source: Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield media release

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“You’re Awesome”, a campaign acknowledging the incredible mahi and compassion of Auckland’s healthcare workers, launches today.

The campaign is a collaboration between the official charities of the region’s three DHBs – the Middlemore Foundation, Auckland Health Foundation and Well Foundation (Waitematā) and the Mental Health Foundation.

Stuff media are also supporting the campaign and will run a series of profiles on healthcare workers from across the region’s hospitals.

The campaign invites people to visit the You’re Awesome website, www.youreawesome.co.nz, and gift a voucher from a small business to workers at a hospital of their choice.

Speaking on behalf of the three DHB foundations, Auckland Health Foundation Director Candy Schroder said this is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our healthcare workers.

"COVID-19 has put a heavy load on our healthcare workers. This campaign gives people a chance to thank them and acknowledge the sacrifices they have made to keep us all safe."

Mental Health Foundation Chief Executive Shaun Robinson said, “The Mental Health Foundation has spoken to healthcare workers across Auckland about the pressures they’re facing and the mahi they’re doing every day to support us all and to look after each other through this tough time. Showing our gratitude is one way we can look after them as they continue to look after us.”

While many Aucklanders have been looking forward to having more freedom and enjoying themselves over Christmas, healthcare workers will be continuing to care for our communities.

Schroder said, "We know how much it will mean to healthcare workers for them to feel the community get behind them and show support during a pretty tough time.

“No donation is too small or too large. It’s a token of appreciation from the public and 100 per cent of donations will go towards providing a healthcare worker with a small business gift voucher to help them out and lift their spirits.”

Go to www.youreawesome.co.nz to show your support for Auckland’s healthcare workers.

The Ministry of Health has emailed a temporary exemption to up to 70,000 people who are waiting for help to get their My Vaccine Pass.

The exemption is a record of the person’s request for help and has a unique identifier. It can be shown to businesses and organisations that require a My Vaccine Pass and is valid until 11.59pm on 14 December 2021.

The Ministry says more than 3 million My Vaccine Passes have been issued to date and more than 95% of people who requested one have received their pass.

However there are around 70,000 requests for assistance, including people who need to add international vaccinations to their New Zealand record; people who need their name changed; and people whose records have other errors that need to be corrected.

“It is important these individuals are not unfairly disadvantaged when New Zealand moves to the Covid Protection Framework,” says Michael Dreyer, group manager national digital services.

“The temporary exemption is a pragmatic measure in response to the unprecedented demand our call centres are facing.”

Capacity at Ministry of Health call centres was increased after the My Vaccine Pass system went live on November 17 and nearly 70,000 calls were recorded on November 25.

Dreyer says despite scaling up their processing team significantly, not every request could be resolved by 3 December when the traffic light system starts.

“If you are waiting to hear back from our call centre or service desk, keep an eye on your email including your junk folder,” says Dreyer.

“Over the next few days we will also be phoning people who have outstanding requests with us but who have not provided an email address.”

People can request their My Vaccine Pass via the My Covid Record website , calling the helpline or at participating pharmacies, general practices, hauora, and DHB vaccination clinics.

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ProCare, New Zealand’s largest network of primary healthcare professionals, is partnering with Māori community providers to expedite vaccination rates of Auckland whānau.

It has signed a MOU with Taumata Kōrero, a collective of Māori providers that serve more than 200,000 Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau and Te Pae Herenga o Tāmaki, of Whānau Ora to reach unvaccinated whānau.

The data sharing agreement puts boundaries and personal registers aside to work at a higher level to ensure whānau – both Māori and non-Māori have access to being vaccinated.

The data will enable Māori providers to reach out to whānau at localities of interest faster.

Bindi Norwell, Chief Executive at ProCare says: “We’re really committed to Te Tiriti through ensuring equitable health outcomes for Māori by working in partnership and alongside Māori providers to find an effective approach that works.”

“This collaboration means collectively we have the capacity and capability to reach out to communities to provide the wrap-around support needed to increase vaccination rates for Māori,” she says.

The new partnership offers the potential for so much more into the future with practices at a local level working with the collective from the basis of trust, transparency, and a shared common outcome.

Chief Executive of Papakura Marae and member of Taumata Kōrero, Tony Kake says the outcome, thanks to the local GPs, is a welcome boost to everyone’s efficiency and effectiveness with the traffic light system just one day away.

“The key thing here is working together locally to achieve vaccination one town at a time – Papakura then Manurewa – we’ll all have our turn. This data is accurate to a household level – we will text, phone, knock on doors to confirm if whānau want a vaccination – if they do, we’ll do it. “

Data shared by ProCare not only includes COVID-19 vaccination status but is also risk stratified, meaning it identifies those who also have underlying health conditions which might put them at increased risk of severe complications from COVID, such as those with heart disease.

Mihi Blair, ProCare’s Kaiwhakahaere Māori says: “Māori whānau have been disportionately affected by the current COVID-19 outbreak. We want to ensure as organisations are all working together to reach out to as many whānau as possible, as quickly as possible, to provide COVID-19 vaccination and any other support that is requried. Sharing Māori vacciation data, especially that which prioritises those most at risk, really helps us put effort into helping the right people. We know this has the potential to save lives.”

The Māori vaccination data shared by ProCare was approved by the ProCare Clinical Governance Committee with approval from ProCare general practices. The data does not include someone’s full medical history, only their COVID-19 vaccination status, which is stratified for other underlying health conditions to ensure those most at risk can be prioritised.

Lack of integration and IT systems that are not fit for purpose are highlighted in a report into the “potentially preventable” deaths of two people in home isolation after contracting Covid-19.

The Northern Region Health Coordination Centre (NRHCC) commissioned the report into the Community Supported Isolation and Quarantine (CIQ) system in consultation with the Ministry of Health after a man died at home in Auckland on November 3. A second person died on November 5.

An independent review panel found there were “missed opportunities” that contributed to the deaths and the IT systems supporting the home isolation of Covid-19 patients , “have suffered from being unable to be either linked or effectively reconfigured to meet the priority needs”.

Also, “escalation pathways did not occur or function as planned, either for unclear reasons or due to software design issues”, the report says.

It recommends considering a “virtual ward round” model for the highest risk patients isolating at home and the NRHCC says it has since launched a Hospital in the Home initiative across all three DHBs, for cases needing a lot of health support.

The report says connectivity between all parts of the system is essential and clinical, welfare and other information that informs risk should be visible by the whole system from a common source.

“Supporting IT systems must be rapidly made fit for purpose with a focus on assessing and meeting clinical and welfare risks and needs,” the report says, adding that IT systems must ensure Māori particularly are not further disadvantaged.

"There is an absence of connectivity between the organisations providing different care and assessment functions," it says, describing each agency as 'blind' to the information in the other agencies systems.

It recommends that health information held in the Northern Region’s Clinical Portal and in general practice clinical records should be accessible to the clinicians and other teams doing an initial assessment of Covid-19 patients and ongoing health checks when they are isolating at home.

“Clinical support decision making tools should be embedded in the systems being used for screening of both inbound and outbound calls,” the review panel recommends.

A clinical acuity assessment tool has been reviewed and endorsed by the regional Clinical Technical Advisory Group and the panel says it should be urgently implemented.

The report says the re-emergence of Covid-19 in Auckland in August 2021 made community self-isolation “imperative and urgent” and the rapid increase in patients needing the service far exceeded planning and expectations, leading to the service being overwhelmed.

The report says the emphasis on technologies such as SMS, home oximetry, video conferencing and website-based information links is challenging for some patients who may struggle to access it due to low health literacy and lack of data or connectivity.

Patients isolating at home are given pulse oximeters to measure their oxygen saturation levels. However, one of the patients who died had difficulty using it, despite being given training while in hospital.

The Northern region chose to use the Border Clinical Management System (BCMS) software platform to manage patients isolating at home, but this was new to COVID Healthline staff and resulted in the loss of well-established “failsafe” features in the normal COVID Healthline platform called Odyssey.

“The COVID Healthline clinical decision software has been adapted for telephone consultation and the inability to use their familiar software (Odyssey) reduces the efficacy of the triage,” the report says.

There is no clinical decision software in BCMS to assess the severity of symptoms for patients with Covid-19 and the BCMS queue management system doesn’t automatically transfer details across to the nurses call back queues, posing a risk that call-backs could be missed, it says.

Northern Region Health Coordination Centre Lead Fepulea’l Margie Apa says the NRHCC accepts the findings of the report, which shows that more could have been done and needs to be done.

“The main lesson is the need for improvement, which is what we are all committed to achieve,” she says.

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

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