The 25th anniversary of New Zealand’s Healthline was marked by a parliamentary breakfast hosted by Associate Minister of Health Matt Doocey and the announcement of a new booking initiative for the telehealth service.
At the event, Whakarongorau – who run Healthline – announced that from next month, when a Healthline nurse or paramedic recommends a caller should see a GP, they will be able to book that appointment for the caller.
Whakarongorau expects the booking service to boost access to timely healthcare, improve health outcomes, and reduce pressure on emergency departments.
The new capability will give callers access to available GP appointments across the country without having to make multiple calls themselves, and with the aim of easing the patient journey from triage to treatment.
It was expected the Whakarongorau Healthline GP booking initiative would be suited to people who call Healthline and are advised they need GP-level care, but who cannot access their regular doctor quickly or easily enough, or who don’t have one.
The Healthline clinician can then book the GP appointment for them, or they can book it themselves. It is planned that initially, this would be a telehealth appointment – but would soon include in-person appointments.
While Healthline’s support and advice is free, people would have to pay for their GP appointment.
Whakarongorau said around a third of people who call Healthline are referred to their GP or another health service – while another third have their issue resolved on the call with appropriate self-care advice, and the final third are advised to attend urgent care, afterhours, or an emergency department.
DIGITAL FIRST
The GP booking system has been developed through a strategic alliance between Valentia Technologies and Whakarongorau, whose chief executive officer Glynis Sandland said it was the first example of a Whakarongorau-led initiative to create a hub for connected care using a digital platform.
“When they contact with one of our services, we can get people faster access to health support, and in the future to wellness and other services too. This booking capability for Healthline is just the start.”
“This first example will be a gamechanger for Healthline clinicians and callers and provides continuity of care. We are proud of the Whakarongorau commitment to enhance access to health and wellness for everyone in Aotearoa and we are excited at the potential this solution has to integrate across other services over time.”
“Knowing what appointments are available across the country and sharing the load throughout the entirety of our health system will ensure guidance to the right care with no booking delays and no guesswork.”
TECH SUPPORT
Valentia Technologies CEO Dr Ahmed Javad said his company had developed the platform in collaboration with Whakarongorau “as a sector-strengthening initiative, backed by significant investment to give back to the health and social care ecosystem.”
“The platform will enable people to navigate services more easily, helping them discover and access the right services through multiple channels including webchat, voice, video-enabled support, and guided digital pathways,” Dr Javad said.
Valentia has been the telehealth system provider since Whakarongorau launched the national telehealth platform and services in 2015.
Whakarongorau said Valentia’s support through COVID, and more recently in the successful migration of the Spectrum telehealth system to the Microsoft Azure North environment, establishing Whakarongorau as an anchor tenant, marked “significant milestones in the Whakarongorau digital transformation journey, ensuring systems are robust, scalable, and ready to meet the future needs of our services.”
Meanwhile, Whakarongorau also acknowledged Spark as being “instrumental in providing the underlying connectivity that enables the voice platform, allowing Whakarongorau remote workers to securely deliver services.”
Spark and Whakarongorau said they were planning to explore “further technological advancements to ensure Whakarongorau virtual healthcare services continue to evolve and innovate to meet the growing and changing needs of the people of Aotearoa.”
BIRTHDAY BASH
In a statement issued to mark its 25th anniversary, Healthline said its service had grown from an initial 16 nurses managing 20,000 calls in its first year, to over 150 nurses and paramedics managing 400,000 contacts annually – equivalent to 1,000 calls a day.
“What started as a phone service in May 2000 has expanded to include online services, with callers able to share videos and photos to help Healthline clinicians provide the most accurate advice.
“In addition to calling the trusted 0800 611116 number, people now access Healthline’s healthy.org.nz website for reliable health information, and can request a call back from a clinician, if their query isn’t urgent.”
The service also now includes the option for people to speak with a Māori clinician.
Healthline is funded by Health New Zealand and has been run by Whakarongorau Aotearoa – New Zealand Telehealth Services since 2015.
Ms Sandland said Healthline was a “virtual first responder for health queries, across multiple digital channels.”
“It also plays a critical role in the health sector – with 84 per cent of Healthline callers managed through self-care at home or directed to community care, significantly reducing strain on our hospital emergency departments.
“We know that Healthline is considered by many as a taonga (treasure) for the people of New Zealand.”
