Archive
Information in this archive was previously available on the now retired Health Information Strategy Advisory Committee (HISAC) website.
There are strong links between HISAC and the IT Health Board's vision and plans. HISAC was directed by the Minister of Health to morph into the IT Health Board following the recommendations of the Ministerial Review Group Report in July 2009.
Pre-January 2010
What HISAC's vision was:
To achieve high quality health care and improve patient safety, by 2014 New Zealanders will have a core set of personal health information available electronically to them and their treatment providers regardless of the setting as they access health services.
- information will be recorded in digital formats throughout the health system
- personal health information will be available, with appropriate access, across health care organisations
- people will be more involved in the collection and use of their personal health information
- health care providers will have clearly defined roles when collecting, using and sharing personal health information
- information improvements will be prioritised to enable clinicians to optimise their resources (time, facilities and equipment) and focus on the delivery of quality health care
That vision was enabled by three principles:
- ensure the community understands and supports appropriate use of, and access to, electronically stored personal health information
- clinicians are integral to the development and ongoing use of personal health information solutions
- electronic information will be centred around each individual patient/consumer.
HISAC believed that the New Zealand health system can be more effective, achieve higher quality health care outcomes, improve patient safety, and reduce error, through the appropriate access and use of personal health information.
Within five years, New Zealanders should enjoy the same degree of confidence with the access to, and use of, their personal health information electronically that they currently enjoy with their banking information.
HISAC would engage with the community and clinicians to advance this agenda.
HISAC acknowledged the foundations laid by the action zones set out in the Health Information Strategy for NZ 2005 and strongly supports the current focus on 'eEvents', such as electronic prescribing, exchange of laboratory ordering and results, and electronic referrals and discharge summaries.
HISAC believed the development of a core summary record of personal health information to be stored and accessed electronically is the next logical development area.
HISAC's tasks were to:
- provide advice to the Minister of Health in matters regarding the HIS-NZ, and
- to assist, at the Minister's direction, the Ministry of Health by facilitating the development and implementation of eHealth initiatives, including:
- assessing the appropriateness of ownership and responsibility for HIS-NZ initiatives by health and disability systems stakeholders including funders, primary, secondary and community providers, and non-government organisations
- representing back to the Minister of Health, the views and interests of both public and private sector health and disability sector organisations in relation to HIS-NZ
- working with the Ministry of Health to facilitate key Strategy activities, and with the Ministry of Health and other agencies, to identify and as requested, to assist in the removal of barriers to the implementation of the HIS-NZ Action Zones
- advising the Minister of Health in respect of the planning process, to identify key constituencies impacted by the HIS-NZ Action Zones; and as requested, advising on business cases for investment to achieve progress in the HIS-NZ Action Zones
- reviewing, assessing and commenting on progress against the business plan approved by the Minister of Health for the implementation of HIS-NZ
- undertaking such research as is considered necessary to better inform advice provided to the Minister of Health on the implementation of HIS-NZ
- contributing to the process of reviewing, assessing and supporting the standards published by Health Information Standards Organisation (HISO) as operated by the Ministry of Health. Advice may be sought or given as to any additional standards considered necessary to the further development of the health and disability system
- identifying opportunities for review of HIS-NZ, and reporting these to the Minister of Health.
