Nearly 98% of health IT experts and healthworkers say proposed cuts to Health NZ's digital services budget will hurt patients, according to a new survey.
The report by Health Informatics NZ (HiNZ) shows:
- 97.5% of respondents believed cuts would worsen or delay improvements to patient care
- "Patients are waiting longer for less. We are seeing the cracks widen, particularly for those already on the margins." - survey participant
- 94.3% said slow and inefficient IT systems mean staff spending more time on admin and less time with patients
- "Every minute spent wrestling with an outdated system is a minute I'm not spending with my patient. It's demoralising and dangerous." survey participant
- 95.5% said "limited operability" between systems meant clinicians did not always have patients' full history/clinical picture.
Frustrations with IT were leading to extra workload and fuelling burnout, some reported.
"We are already disillusioned. Simple basic IT functionality will now get in the way of us delivering care and impede research into how we can improve. We will burn out," said one.
Crumbling and inadequate IT systems were having a direct impact on patients now, another said.
"I cannot in good faith assure my patients they are receiving high quality, equitable care."
HiNZ said its December survey received 358 responses from digital health experts across the sector, of which a quarter were clinicians directly involved in patient care.
Health Minister Simeon Brown has asked officials to reconsider the draft plan to slash the number of data and digital roles from 2400 to 1285 as part of Health NZ's wider Reset.
Axing roles - including those currently vacant - was expected to save $100m a year, in addition to the $380m for IT projects "recalled" in Budget 2024.
HiNZ said the new digital budget of $658m a year equated to just 2.2 percent of total health spend, which undermined Health NZ's stated commitment to using digital solutions to treat the current health crisis.
"While budget cuts may appear to save money in the short term, they can have long term consequences on patient care by reducing efficiency, increasing errors, limiting access to care and impeding technological innovation," the report said.
HiNZ chief executive Scott Arrol said the survey also asked respondents to identify the "opportunities" for digital health solutions.
They were:
1. National Shared Health Records - shown to save 10% in hospital related patient care costs.
2. AI driven diagnostics to reduce clinician workload - could save 5-10% of overall health spend
3. Telehealth and remote monitoring to boost access for patients, help with earlier diagnoses
4. Real-time hospital tracking to reduce ED wait times etc
5. Predictive analysis - cost savings from preventative care
"These solutions were those identified as being most likely to both significantly reduce patient harm and achieve substantial cost savings."
