NZ National Data Platform expected in June

The third stage of Te Whatu Ora's National Data Platform (NDP) project, which involves its build and deployment, is expected to be completed by June 2024.

This stage will also involve the migration of priority data sets (seven of which are already in development), planning for complex data set migration, transition to business-as-usual, and developing a data catalogue for National Collections.

This update came as part of the response by the organisation, along with the Ministry of Health and Te Aka Whai Ora, to an independent assessment of the implementation of reforms across the New Zealand health system. Findings have shown that Te Whatu Ora, the consolidated organisation that replaced the previous 20 district health boards, is still reliant on manually compiling data for reporting purposes. It also noted that work is needed to standardise the national dataset. 

"There is intent to standardise and automate data collection, but this is still some time away. Work to deliver on the implementation plan now needs to be a priority to ensure robust data and information is accessible at all levels of the system," the assessment read.

"While some manual processes still exist, Health NZ is now in a much stronger position as a single entity to understand system information and performance, with flow-on benefits to planning and performance improvement," Te Whatu Ora said in response.

Te Whatu Ora previously contracted Accenture as its implementation partner for the NDP.

API standards up for NZ health sector

Te Whatu Ora Data and Digital recently announced the release of the first API standards for the New Zealand health sector. 

Reviewed by a technical standards community on GitHub, the standards cover guidance and expectations for API design and development and API security. These are expected to promote interoperability, data exchange, and innovation within the healthcare ecosystem.

"These are a technical guide to providing and deploying a modern API service. They are the baseline for the sector to use to provide a more consistent and reliable approach for the delivery of health information services," said Hira Programme Director Gerard Keenan. 

Australian aged care's current financial position hinders innovation: report

Financial viability issues within Australia's aged care sector are impeding innovation, including the adoption of IT-based solutions for fall prevention and monitoring. 

"[T]here is support for innovation but there also was concern innovation was a byword for ‘efficiencies’ and cutting costs. The current financial viability issues are creating a barrier to innovation, including where innovation would allow providers to improve quality and the amount of revenue they receive," the Aged Care Taskforce noted in its final report.

Encouraging innovation is one of the recommendations offered by the task force, which was established to advise on funding arrangements for the sector. 

"The Taskforce supports addressing viability and sustainability issues, as they are a necessary pre-condition to an innovative culture," it said.