Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand is at the forefront of a groundbreaking digital project aimed at streamlining access to patient health information for clinicians nationwide. The Shared Digital Health Records (SDHR) project is a significant step towards connecting data from existing shared digital health records and nationally available clinical data into a unified view. This initiative, led by Darren Douglass, the acting Chief Information Technology Officer of Te Whatu Ora, is set to revolutionize the way healthcare professionals access and utilize patient information.
With an initial funding of NZ$4 million ($2.29 million), the project is currently focused on ensuring the health system’s readiness by testing privacy controls and gauging consumer priorities regarding data usage and consent. This phase also involves expanding clinicians’ access to patient records that are not currently accessible through existing systems. Collaboration with primary care partners is key to determining the data that needs to be made available for clinical use and ensuring its security and privacy.
One of the primary applications of the SDHR is to support the recently introduced 24/7 GP telehealth service. Additionally, future plans include extending access to urgent care facilities and emergency departments. The project’s roadmap includes enhancing data capabilities and widening access to other parts of the healthcare system, such as first responders, hospitals, and specialist services. These developments are prioritized based on the value they bring to both patients and clinicians.
The significance of the SDHR project lies in its ability to provide consolidated access to digital health records across Te Whatu Ora regions. Currently, clinicians do not have uniform access to shared digital health records for patients in all regions, leading to fragmented and inconsistent access to systems like Health One, Your Health Summary, and TestSafe. By centralizing this information, the project aims to empower clinicians and patients alike, ensuring that they remain informed and in control of how their health information is distributed, accessed, and utilized.
The development of the SDHR project has been informed by other data-related initiatives such as Hira, which provides access to patient information and vaccination records through My Health Record. Additionally, Te Whatu Ora’s National Data Platform, launched in July last year, is creating a secure environment for managing personal medical data to drive evidence-based policy decisions. With datasets like the Medicines Data Repository and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment already available to analysts, the platform is poised to revolutionize healthcare data management in New Zealand.
As the SDHR project continues to evolve and expand its capabilities, it promises to reshape the landscape of healthcare information management in New Zealand, setting new standards for digital health records and data accessibility. Stay tuned for more updates on this groundbreaking initiative as it progresses towards its goal of revolutionizing healthcare information access and utilization.
