Bus stopping throughout region to help people get onboard with digital health
A bus known as DORA will be exploring Te Tai Tokerau Northland during February to promote matihiko hauora (digital health) and help people make use of it.
DORA, which stands for Digital On-Road Access, will be promoting the benefits of having online access to your personal health information and can support people to use their smartphones, tablets and computers to access that information online.
The Digital Inclusion Alliance Aotearoa (DIAA) has partnered with Te Whatu Ora – Te Tai Tokerau, Mahitahi Hauora primary health organisation, Manage My Health and Far North District Council to bring the mobile digital learning centre to the region.
DORA will visit 21 rural communities throughout Northland, starting at the Waitangi Day Festival, where it will be parked at site K16 on the sports field from 10am to 4pm on Tuesday 6 February.
Below is DORA’s full itinerary for the month. People are welcome to drop-in, with no booked appointment needed. The service is free of charge.
| - Waitangi Day Festival, site K16 | Tuesday 6 February | 10am - 4pm |
| - Moerewa Medical Centre | Wednesday 7 February | 2pm - 4pm |
| - Broadway Medical Centre, Kaikohe | Thursday 8 and Friday 9 February | 10am - 4pm |
| - Bay of Islands Hospital, Kawakawa | Monday 12 February | 10am - 4pm |
| - Tōwai Hotel | Tuesday 13 February | 10am - 12pm |
| - Ohaeawai Rugby Clubrooms | Tuesday 13 February | 2pm - 4pm |
| - Russell Community Hall carpark | Wednesday 14 February | 10am - 4pm |
| - Broadway Medical Centre, Waipapa | Thursday 15 February | 10am - 12pm |
| - Hiruharama Hou Marae, Te Tii | Thursday 15 February | 2pm - 4pm |
| - KeriMed Doctors Partnership, Kerikeri | Friday 16 February | 10am - 4pm |
| - Hauora Hokianga, Rawene | Monday 19 February | 10am - 4pm |
| - i-Site carpark, Opononi | Tuesday 20 February | 10am - 12pm |
| - Hauora Hokianga, Waimamaku | Tuesday 20 February | 2pm - 4pm |
| - Community Trust, Pawarenga | Wednesday 21 February | 10am - 12pm |
| - Broadwood Clinic, Broadwood | Wednesday 21 February | 2pm - 4pm |
| - Panguru township | Thursday 22 February | 10am - 12pm |
| - Kohukohu Community Library | Thursday 22 February | 2pm - 4pm |
| - Ōkaihau Hall | Friday 23 February | 10am - 4pm |
| - Whangaroa Health Services, Kaeo | Monday 26 February | 10am - 4pm |
| - Kaitaia Hospital | Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 February | 10am - 4pm |
| - Northland Field Days, Dargaville, site L12 | Thursday 29 February to Saturday 2 March | 10am - 4pm |
| - Williams Road public carpark, Paihia | Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 March | 10am - 4pm |
| - Broadway Medical Centre, Kaikohe | Wednesday 6 March | 10am - 4pm |
| - Ki A Ora Clinic, Ōakura Hall | Thursday 7 March | 10am - 4pm |
| - Broadway Medical Centre, Kaikohe | Friday 8 March | 10am - 4pm |
Online patient portals
Online patient portals are an easy, convenient, safe and secure way for people to access their health information; anytime, anywhere. Some general practices also enable patients to book appointments and order repeat prescriptions online.
Nearly all 38 general practices in Northland offer an online patient portal, with the majority using Manage My Health. The DORA trainers will be able to help people with Manage My Health and also the Health 365 portal.
People with an active Manage My Health account can also receive their hospital clinic letters online and, if they stay in hospital, have their inpatient discharge summaries delivered via the portal. Later this year, hospital care referral notifications will also start to be delivered online.
This Te Whatu Ora – Te Tai Tokerau initiative has been developed in collaboration with the Northland Health Consumer Council.
Project lead Dr Di Davis says while people can opt out of viewing their hospital documents online, everyone has been happy to be able to access them.
Dr Davis says transitioning away from paper letters and other documents also avoids the risk of lost or delayed mail.
Plus, sending inpatient discharge summaries via the Manage My Health portal enables inpatients to be able to be discharged from hospital earlier in the day.
“An inpatient cannot be discharged until they receive a copy of their discharge summary, but now the patient can opt to have their discharge summary sent to their portal, allowing them to leave hospital right away, with any prescriptions they need. The discharge summary will be available to them via their Manage My Health portal by the end of the day, once completed by the hospital doctor.”
Dr Davis encourages anyone who has questions about online access to their health documents and records to visit DORA when it is in a community nearby.
For more information about accessing your health care information online, visit www.northlanddhb.org.nz/your-health/patient-and-visitor-information/access-your-healthcare-information/(external link)
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