E-health technology adopted in Radius rest homes

For immediate release
Monday 28th September 2009

Revolutionary new e-health technology adopted in Radius rest homes

Radius Residential Care rest homes are among the first in the country to employ a new e-health technology initiative that is revolutionizing the way doctors can access rest home patient clinical notes.

The leading edge computer technology system ‘NZHealthNet’ enables doctors to remotely link into their patients medical notes when attending rest home patient care appointments.

Doctors can easily refer to and update clinical patient notes, order laboratory tests, write referrals and print prescriptions with NZHealthNet - all without the need to carry confidential patient records during routine visits to rest homes.

“One of the main benefits of this new e-health technology is that patient safety is improved due to doctors having real time access to patient records and data. And for rest home patients the new technology will allow them all the benefits of a regular GP visit but without leaving the comfort of their own surrounds“, says Kirsten Stone, CEO Rotorua General Practice Group (RGPG) who have developed the new technology.

Radius Glenbrae Estate was the first rest home to adopt the new technology which was implemented by RGPG onsite last week. Other rest homes within the wider Rotorua region are also expected to become ‘online’ before the end of the month.

“Radius Residential Care is really excited to be leading the way with this innovative new technology in rest home care. Patient safety and continuity of care are paramount and this new technology offers both residents and visiting doctors accurate and up to date information right when they need it”, says Brien Cree, CEO Radius Residential Care.

Background information

Rotorua General Practice Group (RGPG) is recognised as having some of the most innovative technology and business services in New Zealand’s primary care sector and is leading the new rest home project and implementation.

RGPG Chief Executive Officer Kirsten Stone says the new system which meets stringent standards for privacy, authentication and security, allows doctors to attend to their rest home patients with the best information available at their fingertips.

“This is the way of the future,” says Kirsten Stone. “Connected patient health records will be a core enabler of the Ministry of Health’s vision for community-based integrated family health care centres delivering ‘Better, sooner, more convenient’ health services. Health boards and organisations across the sector are currently contemplating how such a platform can be developed, with some proposals costing hundreds of millions being suggested ... here in Rotorua we’ve already achieved this goal cost-effectively.”

Visiting clinicians will use a purpose-built workstation at the rest homes with connectivity to NZHealthNet infrastructure via a laptop computer, a printer, plus secure storage for data card.

The technology of RGPG-hosted connections is already being used successfully by 324 clinical providers from a wide range of disciplines in Rotorua, including school clinics, specialists, traditional Maori healers, after hours providers, community-based clinics and physiotherapists and general practices. RGPG is now working with a wide range of other health care providers with the view to installing customised systems. The next stage of development will be to enable patient access to information.

RGPG has also made a proposal to Lakes DHB for a longer-term, more complex project to provide secure, clinical records available to emergency and after-hours hospital clinicians at the patients’ request.

Rotorua General Practice Group (RGPG) pioneered the original NZHealthNet system about 15 years ago. All General practices belonging to Rotorua Area Primary Health Services are now linked to the NZHealthNet system, with the benefits for their practices and 70,000 patients of:

* Secure access to patients’ records from any setting

* User access to a 24/7 help desk providing first and second level support services

* Updates performed without interrupting practice workflows

* Reduced costs for new terminals/workstation upgrades/servers

* Better protection from hardware failure

* Access to an active, regularly updated directory

* Access to global exchange, email and calendar functions

* Connectivity to fax, SMS and VOIP services

* Customised population health analysis and support functions.

NZHealthNet has unique features for the benefit of patient care, and can be scaled up or down to cater for various primary health care requirements.

ENDS

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