Patient info shared across the South Island

Health Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman says the expansion of the electronic health records system HealthOne means that most South Island patient records are now shared on one system.

“The HealthOne initiative is a great example of the use of technology to help improve patient outcomes for over one million New Zealanders,” says Dr Coleman.

“The initiative allows general practice teams, hospital clinicians, pharmacists and a growing number of community providers in the South Island access to patient health information when and where they need it.

“Shared information includes test results, allergies, medications, previous hospital admissions and appointments, medical imaging, and GP information.

“With Nelson Marlborough DHB officially joining HealthOne today, all five DHBs in the South Island are now using the same system.

“The system is very secure with clinical staff allowed different levels of access according to their role. Access is strictly audited to ensure it is appropriate.

“HealthOne was conceived in the aftermath of the Canterbury earthquakes, which highlighted the need for health professionals to access up-to-date patient information.

“The system is currently accessed by health professionals in the South Island over 3,000 times per day.”

HealthOne was initially developed through a partnership between Canterbury DHB, Pegasus Health and Orion Health and has been rolled out across the South Island through the South Island Alliance.

The initiative won the award for Best Technology Solution for the Public Sector at the recent NZ Hi-Tech Awards.