Opportunities to help shape District Digital Health Vision

Opportunities to help shape District Digital Health Vision and Strategy

Members of the public are invited to help shape the future of digital health by contributing to the development of MidCentral District’s first-ever Digital Health Vision and Strategy.

The Vision and Strategy is part of the comprehensive local health and wellbeing planning being done to help address the needs of communities throughout the MidCentral District, with potential to apply wider.

Community consultation has identified people want more choice and to feel better informed about their care by making it easier for them to access their health information through improved technology, as well as enhancing connections between healthcare providers, enabling them to work together as one team.

MidCentral DHB, its Clinical and Consumer councils, and the Central PHO are jointly holding a regional hui next Tuesday at which people can learn about and contribute to the development of the District Digital Health Vision and Strategy. There will also be five public drop-in workshops on the vision and strategy in Palmerston North, Levin, Dannevirke, Ōtaki and Feilding the following week.

The Ministry of Health defines digital health as “the use of digital technologies and accessible data, and the associated cultural change it induces, to help New Zealanders manage their health and wellbeing and transform the nature of healthcare delivery”.

Key components of digital health include increasing access to health and wellness dataset, lifting the digital capacity of hospitals and strengthening preventative health IT capabilities.

Some of the innovations being explored globally include augmented reality headsets that bring health professionals into patients’ homes, drones that deliver prescriptions and the development of wearable remote monitoring devices.

DHB’s chief executive officer Kathryn Cook says it is meaningful that the strategy and vision will evolve in collaboration with the community.

“Digital health is a key enabler in the delivery of better healthcare and outcomes for all people living in the MidCentral District, including Manawatu, Tararua, Horowhenua and Ōtaki,” she said.

“The Digital Health Vision and Strategy will provide a practical pathway to assist a major change to the way we deliver health and social services across the MidCentral District.”

The District Digital Health Vision and Strategy will focus on;
· Achieving quality and excellence by design;
· Connecting and transforming primary, community and specialist care;
· Partnering with people and whānau to support health and wellbeing;
· Achieving equity of outcomes across communities.

“It’s an exciting time for the evolution of the enablers that will deliver health and social services in our District. Our new Vision and Strategy will guide us over the next five years on our digital health journey,” Ms Cook said.

The Digital Health Vision and Strategy project team has already started to reach out to key system participants across the District for help to develop this piece of work.
Regional Hui
• Tuesday 29 May, 9am – 2pm, Manawatu Golf Club, Centennial Drive, Palmerston North.
Drop-In Workshops
• Tuesday 5 June, 7am – 5pm, Palmerston North Hospital (seminar room in the Education Centre off Ruahine Street).
• Wednesday 6 June, 11am – 2pm, Horowhenua Health Centre, Liverpool Street, Levin.
• Thursday 7 June, 11am – 2pm, Dannevirke Community Hospital, Barraud Street, Dannevirke.
• Tuesday 12 June, 10am – 11am, Ōtaki Medical Centre, Aotaki Street, Ōtaki.
• Wednesday 13 June, 11am – 2.30pm, Feilding Health Care, Duke Street, Feilding.

Members of the public are invited to attend both the hui and any of the drop-in workshops.

To register for the Hui, visit: www.surveymonkey.com/r/DigitalHealthStrategy

For more information, please email: digitalhealth@midcentral.co.nz

For an example of the type of services digital health can offer, visit: https://vimeo.com/271582704

ENDS

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