Manage My Health was launched in 2008 allowing patients to interact with their general practice online along the same lines as internet banking (New Zealand Doctor, 22 October 2008).
The application that went live today allows providers such as the PHO’s practices and accident and medical providers to be able to access patient records – including an individual’s medications, lab results, and NHI number – online.
After hours in mind
Ta Pasefika PHO chair Siro Fuata’i says the application was developed with after hours in mind.
After hours care is a challenge in general practice and primary care with fragmented services and the increasing costs of provision, Dr Fuata’i says.
“The after hours portal is an effort by Ta Pasefika and its providers to address some of these issues,” he says.
Next application ED?
Mangere GP Gary Sinclair, who demonstrated the portal at the launch today, says the next obvious application of this technology is to allow hospitals access to patient records.
Counties Manukau DHB director of primary care development Allan Moffitt, who was also at the launch, says the DHB is very interested in this technology.
Seven-DHB project canned
Meanwhile, an electronic health records project being worked on by a seven-DHB consortium has been canned.
The Government’s Health IT Board will instead lead a drive to share patient information through buying interoperable systems.
The DHBs (Canterbury, Nelson Marlborough, South Canterbury, Wairarapa, Whanganui, Northland and MidCentral) sought to establish a system which would hold a complete record of a person’s health history that could be accessed by all health professionals and even patients themselves.
Graeme Osborne, chair of the Health IT Board, told the Dominion Post the decision to disband the project reflects a move towards a national approach to health IT.
Related links
Axe falls on electronic health records – Dominion Post story