NZ urgently needs immediate digital health tech investment

Auckland - There must be no further delays from the Minister of Health in releasing the findings and recommendations of a comprehensive report of the health and disability system review panel, a leading New Zealand digital health expert says. 

NZ Health IT (NZHIT) chief executive Scott Arrol says the covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of the health sector to all New Zealanders and the report’s recommendations must be considered and actioned with urgency.

“Across the health sector there is a growing ground swell of support for locking in the beginnings of transformational gains made over the last seven weeks and now is the time to maintain this momentum and desire to create a world class health system” Arrol says.

“We often hear the phrase the pandemic is a one in 100-year event which has forced significant parts of the health sector to quickly adopt service changes that would have been unheard of under normal circumstance. 

“Just look at the primary care sector for example where GPs had to close their doors within a matter of a handful of days and move to providing care to their patients via virtual means.

“This was tough on everyone involved but GPs and patients alike are acknowledging that continuing to provide a percentage of care remotely using virtual health technology must continue. 

“However, the traditional structures and funding mechanisms in health makes it incredibly hard to sustain the new business models to make this a long-term eventuality.”

Chaired by Heather Simpson, the health and disability review panel was commissioned by Health Minister David Clark in mid-2018 and has carried out an extensive review of New Zealand’s health system.

This has included engaging across all layers of the system and drawing on experiences of staff and consumers. It has taken nearly two years and many millions of taxpayers’ investment to produce the report, so it is imperative to hasten its release without any further delay, Arrol says.

When the panel was established, NZHIT supported the minister’s initiative and has actively engaged with the panel to provide input relating to virtual and digital health.

“If the release of the full report is not palatable at the moment,  I strongly urge the minister to seriously consider releasing the recommendations as they relate to data and digital technologies,” he says.

Last August, the panel provided an interim report to the sector that was effectively an update on their findings to date and didn’t contain any recommendations. 

Significantly, the interim report highlighted advances in digital technologies would have huge potential to enable an information-rich, data-driven, people powered approach to health care and to support the health sector in achieving better outcomes, Arrol says.

“The rapid change we’ve already seen in recent weeks during the lockdown combined with having a number of sound digital systems and good leadership already in place means we must seize the opportunity with both hands to push on with the national health information platform. A business case currently sits with Cabinet for approval, identifying the key priority areas so we can get on with the job.

“There’s one thing we know for sure and that is full-enablement of digital technology must happen if we truly want to have a world class health system for all New Zealanders. Choosing to not grab this opportunity with both hands will continue to make this an aspiration that becomes increasingly unachievable.”

For further information contact Make Lemonade NZ editor-in-chief Kip Brook on 027 030188