Healthline gives GPs ‘a speedy heads-up’

Healthline gives GPs ‘a speedy heads-up’

22 June 2011

New Zealand’s free telephone health advice service – Healthline – just got better, with the introduction of a system which ensures callers can share important information with their usual family doctor (GP).

Healthline, a Ministry of Health service which is delivered by contracted provider Medibank Health Solutions, is a free service, available 24 hours a day nationwide. Registered nurses answer each phone call, assess the caller’s health needs, and provide advice and information on what the caller should do next.

The service answers more than a thousand calls a day, nearly 80 percent of which involve people (or their children) who are feeling unwell and need advice on what they should do next and in what timeframe.

Each day around one-quarter of all callers need to see their GP within 24 hours or less.

The latest enhancement to the Healthline service will see those recommendations shared with GPs - enabling the GP to incorporate that information or incident in the patient’s file, and to give the patient priority if they seek an appointment.

GPs around the country are now being sent these summary reports, which record when the patient called Healthline, what their symptoms and level of discomfort were, and noting that Healthline recommended the patient see their GP quickly.

Patients can opt out, if for some reason they do not want their GP to know this information, as patient consent is sought before information is shared. The reports are transmitted electronically via a secure and encrypted service directly to the GP.

Waitakere doctor Jann Singer is one of many GPs who have welcomed the additional information. “These patients often turn up for consultations the next day and these summary reports help with those consultations,” she says.

“What I really like is that it’s a very concise report, which lets us see exactly what the patient told Healthline.

“I’m really pleased we’re now getting these reports. Anything that allows us to use our consultation time more effectively is a welcome move,” Dr Jann Singer says.

The additional service has been rolled out nationally by service provider Medibank Health Solutions at no additional cost to the Ministry.

Healthline is accessible at any time, free of charge via landline or cellphone, on 0800 611 116.

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