NZ's Ministry of Health has received a positive report card for its efforts to help the primary care sector roll out patient portals, but it should start collecting statistical information on their benefits to encourage wider use, the Auditor-General says.

Patient portals have been available in New Zealand since 2008 but a concerted effort was undertaken to encourage uptake in 2014, resulting in 50 per cent of all general practices now offering one to patients.

However, only nine per cent of patients are registered to use a portal, below the 25 per cent global benchmark and the 40 per cent the ministry thinks it needs to achieve for their full benefits to be realised.