Digital Health Association (DHA)

As we wrap up another massive year for the digital health ecosystem in Aotearoa, the Digital Health Association would like to extend our warmest Christmas wishes to our wonderful members, stakeholders, partners, and the entire digital health community. We know this year has not been easy but your dedication to advancing healthcare through technology continues to drive our strategy, vision, and purpose, and we're hugely grateful for your ongoing support and collaboration throughout 2024. Wishing you and your whānau a restful and joyous Christmas break. We will be offline from 21 December - 13 January and we look forward to continuing our mission together in 2025!

🎄 The final Digital Health Digest for 2024: A Year in Review In our final newsletter for 2024, we reflect on a transformative year featuring our inaugural Digital Mental Health Summit with Minister Matt Doocey, our successful Parliamentary Reception strengthening trans-Tasman collaboration, and significant sector developments in digital health. Despite the challenges faced by our sector, including changes in data and digital services, we've seen remarkable innovation and collaboration from our members. You can read some of the latest member news in this edition including from Orion Health, MEG | Healthcare Quality Management Software, Sysmex Corporation, and we welcome our newest members TELUS Health | TELUS Santé and Datanova Cloud. Read the full Digital Health Digest here: https://lnkd.in/g3ukgHsV #DigitalHealth #Healthcare #NewZealand #HealthTech Ryl Jensen

Congratulations to Digital Health Association (DHA) member Orion Health on their exciting acquisition by HEALWELL AI (TSX: AIDX), marking a significant milestone in healthcare technology innovation. This strategic union combines Orion Health's extensive global presence serving over 150 million lives with HEALWELL's cutting-edge AI capabilities, promising transformative advances in population health management and clinical research. 👉 Click the link to learn more about this game-changing merger that's set to revolutionize healthcare through AI and data-driven innovation. https://lnkd.in/gFKYAh-N #HealthTech #DigitalHealth #Innovation #Healthcare #AI Ryl Jensen Ian McCrae Brad Porter

Exciting results from our member Wise Group, whose organisation Workwise has shown how their integrated housing and employment support has helped over 400 people in Housing First programmes, leading to 127 job placements with 61% being full-time positions. Through partnerships with LinkPeople and The People's Project, Workwise is proving that housing and employment support can work hand in hand to create lasting change for individuals and whānau. Read more about how this innovative approach is transforming lives and creating intergenerational impact - including their recent meeting with Minister Nicola Willis to discuss the integration of employment and housing support. https://lnkd.in/gzCKvTVB Ryl Jensen Naomi Singer

Congratulations to our member ACC New Zealand on awarding one of their newly established scholarships (funded conjointly with Universities New Zealand Te Pōkai Tara) to Adrian Pretorius, an MPH student at Massey University, for his innovative research into digital health solutions for fall prevention. Adrian's research focuses on understanding how older adults engage with mobile apps for fall prevention, aiming to improve the design and effectiveness of digital health interventions. This collaboration between ACC and Universities New Zealand showcases their commitment to supporting research that creates practical, user-friendly solutions for our aging population. You can read more about this wonderful news here: https://lnkd.in/gmravW5F Ryl Jensen Elsabé Ferreira Michael Dreyer

I am lost for words... Kia kaha team.

The Digital Health Association (DHA) responds to today's projected workforce cuts across the digital directorate of Health New Zealand. 27 November 2024 More Health New Zealand funding cuts could cripple the health system The Digital Health Association (DHA) has warned that further cuts to Health New Zealand’s data and digital services funding and workforce could have catastrophic consequences for the country’s health system. DHA chief executive Ryl Jensen expressed significant concern following today’s announcement of 1,120 redundancies within Health New Zealand’s data and digital teams—representing 47 percent of its workforce. “Many of these people are responsible for keeping the health system’s aging IT systems operational,” Jensen said. “These systems need regular maintenance and updates to function effectively. Without this critical support, the health system could face significant disruptions, and front-line clinicians may struggle to deliver timely and efficient patient care without the necessary digital tools.” Jensen highlighted that New Zealand’s health ecosystem currently relies on more than 6,000 IT applications, many of which need urgent attention. “The team had made good progress over the past two years on systems poised to transform how our health system is connected,” she said. “However, the legacy of 20 different DHB systems has created significant challenges, perpetuating a postcode lottery for healthcare delivery and outcomes. These cuts risk undoing that progress. “The cuts don’t just impact the present—they stall the future,” she added. “Numerous transformative IT projects designed to bring the health system into the 21st century have already been mothballed following over $380 million in cuts to data and digital programmes in Budget 2024.” Read more in our media release below: https://lnkd.in/g-KHi-VQ Ryl Jensen Daniel Paul FPRINZ Zoe Barnes Becy Roberts

The Doctors Whakatipu are empowering patients though partnership with kiwi health tech innovators Webtools and BPAC Clinical Solutions LP  This partnership utilises innovative Care Kiosks and integrated patient apps, enabling patients to record and view their own vital measurements while saving clinical staff up to 2.5 hours daily. Through this groundbreaking collaboration with BPAC Clinical Solutions LP, patients can now use The Doctors app to authenticate on Care Kiosks, automatically sending measurements to their health records and empowering them to take charge of their healthcare journey. This successful pilot, which integrates seamlessly with practice management systems, is set to roll out across The Doctors' national network of 66 medical centres - read more about this innovative solution transforming primary healthcare delivery in Aotearoa. https://lnkd.in/gC4B8Ych Ryl Jensen Harry Hawke Bridget Holland

Exciting news from Digital Health Association (DHA) members Medtech Global and Awanui Group who have revolutionised lab result reporting with their new ALEX® API integration, enabling real-time delivery of test results directly to GP practices. The new system, already live across 64 sites, replaces legacy 'store and forward' methods, eliminating delays and communication gaps while providing instant visibility of result delivery status. This foundational development paves the way for future enhancements like real-time urgent result notifications and automated follow-up test prompting - click through to read the full story of how this collaboration is transforming patient care delivery! https://lnkd.in/gkXWxgsn Ryl Jensen Belinda Rowles Geoffrey Sayer Jeremy van de Klundert

Issue 16 of the Digital Health Association (DHA) Digital Health Digest has landed! In her latest update, CEO Ryl Jensen reflects on a significant month for New Zealand, from the historic Treaty Principles Bill hikoi to crucial discussions about digital health funding with the Health Select Committee. She shares concerning insights about the impact of funding cuts on the health sector, including a poignant reminder of why digital health investment is literally life-saving, while also celebrating positive developments like the DHA's new website features offering enhanced visibility for members. Click through to read the full newsletter, including exciting member news, insights, events and more! And a huge welcome to new members, Griefity! https://lnkd.in/gm7XT2DF