Supporting your care with shared health information - HE2969

Supporting your care with shared health information

Expanded health information, better care

We’re expanding the information available to your doctors and other healthcare providers, no matter where you are in New Zealand. We’re doing this through a new health information connector called the Shared Digital Health Record.

• This lets healthcare providers see your important health information so they can give you the best care, including in urgent situations when you’re away from home.
• We plan to make this information available at medical practices, pharmacies, hospitals, ambulance services and residential facilities with responsibility for your care.
• Health information is already shared in some regions – we’re making it available nationwide through the Shared Digital Health Record.
• You can choose to block some or all of your information from being shared.
  Find out more at Supporting your care with shared health information

Information to be shared

The Shared Digital Health Record will collect and share health information. There are strong privacy and security controls in place to protect your health information and to monitor who accesses it.

Some of this information will come from the IT systems of places like your general practice, pharmacy, urgent care, telehealth and hospital services. Information from Health NZ’s national databases will also be shared.

• You don’t need to do anything if you’re happy for your health information to be shared with the healthcare providers caring for you.
• If you want to limit or block your information from being shared, your options are on the next pages. No matter what you decide, you’ll still receive healthcare.
• You can opt out of information sharing at any time.

We are rolling this project out carefully over time. We will progressively add the information detailed on this page. 

See the Health NZ website for updates on what information is shared: Supporting your care with shared health information

Information from general practice 

Health information we collect and share from your general practice will include your:

• allergies and intolerances – for example, an allergy to penicillin
• medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and other long-term conditions
• vital signs like your temperature, heart rate and blood pressure.

Other information, such as your appointment details, including clinical notes, may be included in the future.

Information from Health NZ’s datasets

Information from Health NZ’s national datasets will also be shared through the Shared Digital Health Record.

This will include medications, immunisations, diagnostic information from laboratories and scans or x-rays. Hospital information like referrals, clinical letters and discharge summaries will also be shared.

Your choices and what you need to do

Share my info

I want my healthcare providers to see my health information.

I’m happy for my information to be shared through the Shared Digital Health Record. This means my healthcare team will have the information they need to support me quickly and safely. 

Patient action: Do nothing 

Mark private

I don’t want other healthcare providers to see some or all of my information from this provider when giving me care.

I would like some or all of my information kept between me and this healthcare provider* and not shared through the Shared Digital Health Record. I understand this could mean other healthcare services don’t have all my information.

Patient action: Talk to your healthcare provider. *Please check with them which individual records can be made confidential.

Block sharing

I don’t want my health information shared through the Shared Digital Health Record.

I’m choosing to:

• opt out completely, or
• opt out of sharing specific information (like medications or immunisations).

This means that in an emergency the people treating me may not know my health information unless I’m able to tell them. I understand this may impact the care I receive.

Patient action: Contact Health New Zealand on 0800 144 751 or email customerservice@health.govt.nz 

How information sharing helps 

Travelling for work

Currently: A woman from Wellington visits Auckland for work. At a meeting she begins to slur her speech so she’s taken to hospital with a suspected stroke. Because she is from Wellington, doctors in the hospital in Auckland cannot access her medical information.

With shared health information: Auckland hospital staff can access her medical history. They see she has a history of migraines with speech loss. They are able to treat her quickly, knowing this important information.

Visiting whānau

Currently: An 80 year old man from Hamilton is visiting his grandchildren in Christchurch and is hurt in a fall. He is allergic to a pain killer but can’t remember which one. The ambulance crew can’t access his health information to check.

With shared health information: Ambulance crew access the man’s health information and see which medication he’s allergic to. He is given alternative pain relief safely and without delay.

Seasonal worker

Currently: A fruit picker from Whangārei has an asthma attack and visits a Nelson urgent care centre. The doctor cannot access her health information and treats her for worsening asthma symptoms.

With shared health information: The Nelson doctor can see the woman has previously had problems with specific agricultural chemicals. She has recently been exposed to these chemicals. Because they have this information, the doctor gives her different treatment and care.

Sick child

Currently: A rural woman is caring for her grandchildren. During the night, the two-year-old develops a cough and starts breathing faster. Nan knows he has had breathing problems before but cannot recall the details, reach his parents, or confirm his medicines or hospital history. Worried she might miss something serious, an online GP recommends ED assessment. Nan drives nearly an hour to hospital in the middle of the night with three children.

With shared health information: The online GP can see the child’s health record, including previous viral wheeze, prescribed inhalers, and no history of severe attacks or intensive care admissions. After a video assessment, the GP reassures Nan that the toddler is safe to stay home, explains his usual management plan, and outlines warning signs to watch for. A long trip to ED in the middle of the night is avoided.

When information sharing will start

Your important health information will become available to other healthcare providers over time, as they connect to the Shared Digital Health Record. Additional types of health information will also be shared over time – see Supporting your care with shared health information for details.

Questions? We can help

• If you have questions about the collection of your health information through the Shared Digital Health Record, talk to your healthcare provider, call us on 0800 144 751 or email customerservice@health.govt.nz
• You can also call or email to:
  • opt out of or back in to the Shared Digital Health Record
  • request a copy of your information in the Shared Digital Health Record
• If you have a privacy question or complaint, contact customerservice@health.govt.nz
• If you need help to make a decision, talk to someone you trust.

Are you aged 12 to 15?

If you don’t want to share some or all of your information – or want to start sharing again – talk to your parent or guardian, or your GP. If you would like to opt out of information sharing completely, call us on 0800 144 751 or email customerservice@health.govt.nz

Other ways information is used to support healthcare

Health NZ also collects some information from healthcare providers to help us plan and pay for services, check how well things are working, and support better health for everyone.

We use information for planning and reports. After we collect the information, we group it together to create a picture of what’s happening nationally and in your area. For example, we might look at the percentage of people who receive certain types of care.

We follow strict privacy rules, and we never publish anything that identifies you. Most of the time, your information is linked to a number, not your name or address.

Our systems are safe and secure. Anyone who uses this data must follow strict rules. We store your information in a secure cloud system that has strong protections, including encryption, controlled access, and constant monitoring.

Examples of some of the information we collect:

• how long it takes to get a GP appointment
• how many people in your community are enrolled or immunised
• whether a GP or nurse is providing your care
• health conditions, blood tests, lab results, and cancer screening information that help us understand what health services people need.

See Managing your primary care health information for more about how Health NZ manages information, including the new National Primary Care Dataset. 

Visit the Health NZ website Supporting your care with shared health information for more information about the Shared Digital Health Record, including your privacy and security.