New Zealand Air Ambulance has started rolling out a healthcare messaging platform by Celo Health to allow instant, secure communication between its aeromedical teams and third-party care teams.

The aeromedical service provider runs the largest aeromedical fleet in the country with 11 fixed-wing aircraft. 

WHY IT MATTERS

Interacting with every hospital in New Zealand from six bases, NZ Air Ambulance said having secure, real-time communication is crucial for "enabling swift coordination and informed decision-making." 

Celo's messaging platform meets the security requirements of both ISO and HIPAA. Aside from its security features, the solution was also chosen as it is purpose-built for healthcare and it is a standalone tool rather than an add-on, said NZ Air Ambulance CEO Annabel Toogood.

THE LARGER TREND

Additionally, Celo is already in use by some third-party care teams that NZ Air Ambulance interacts with. They include Third Age Health, which operates over 50 residential aged care facilities and some primary healthcare services in the country. The organisation first tried out Celo last year to ensure communication between staff prior to a COVID-19 surge. Later, its use was expanded to get its clinicians and aged care residential partners on board.

"Some of the third-party care teams we deal with already use the Celo system and we have ensured that our licence agreement with Celo extends to cover other third parties to enable full interoperability, as this is key to patient outcomes," Toogood explained.

Meanwhile, Celo is now deployed by Doctors Without Borders to their teams in over 86 countries.