New Zealand Releases A Draft Health IT Plan. Looks Good!

Across the pond they have just released a new Draft Health IT Plan to cover the next few years.

The plan can be viewed here:

http://www.ithealthboard.health.nz/

The Introduction – which is found here says it all.

http://www.ithealthboard.health.nz/content/draft-national-health-it-plan

Introduction

The Minister of Health, Hon Tony Ryall received advice from the Ministerial Review Group Report in July 2009 that the leadership of health IT must be strengthened within the context of improving the overall performance of the health system. In October 2009 the Minister directed the newly formed National Health IT Board to create the first National Health IT Plan for the sector, based on achieving the eHealth Vision[1]:

"To achieve high quality health care and improve patient safety, by 2014 New Zealanders will have a core set of personal health information available electronically to them and their treatment providers regardless of the setting as they access health services."

The National Health IT Board understands that it will take more than a national plan to achieve the vision. Equally, without a plan we will fail. The challenge therefore is to create a plan that drives a culture of innovation, partnership and respect to support health sector leaders to make appropriate health IT investments in the context of the whole sector. Like any long term plan we must build a strong foundation first.

Person-centred healthcare has been a mantra within clinical circles for more than 10 years, yet the information solutions to support this have not materialised. Every day clinicians are managing patient care, while working around the fact that information is held in separate locations, creating barriers to a better, sooner and more convenient health experience. The plan recognises the critical role clinicians play in leading the development of integrated clinical pathways to improve the design and operation of health IT solutions.

New Zealand does not have the luxury of continuing with the fragmented, organisation centric approach to health IT investments. Economics, demographics and scientific discoveries are stressing health systems both here and around the world. The benefits on offer to the health system by utilising information more effectively must be captured by: enabling new models of care, improving patient safety, or, through other general productivity improvements. We must also develop the human capability to identify opportunities and achieve desired outcomes.

Many insights have been gleaned from formal meetings with leadership groups and informal discussions with individuals who have extensive front line experience in the health system. I trust that we have reflected your ideas appropriately in this first draft of the National Health IT Plan and that after reading it you will see some of your own thinking in it. Most importantly, I hope you are engaged in the challenge of achieving the eHealth Vision.

Please take time to read this plan and understand both the priorities set out as well as the impacts it could have on the way healthcare is delivered in your part of the health system. I welcome your engagement and feedback on this, the draft National Health IT Plan.

Graeme R. Osborne, Director - National Health IT Board

I have to say the two paragraphs I have highlighted in italics sound pretty close to what we need, but are apparently not being offered right now!

I especially liked this diagram.

Covered something we might aim for quite nicely!

I also find that, as opposed to our health policy approach, draft documents get released for discussion rather than just ‘dropped’ on us, of in the case of e-Health simply being essentially undocumented, a rather refreshing approach!

David.