Page 7 - TOH Ka mua Ka mori_2022

WALK INTO THE FUTURE WITH
A SECURE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PAST
DIGITAL ENABLEMENT
The development of digital accessibility and telehealth is a key part of our strategic plan. Based on learnings from COVID and patient feedback it was a priority for the 2020/21 year.
Application was made to the Ministry of Health through the Telehealth and Digitally Enabled Health Services for Primary and Community Care programme for funding to support our initiatives. This application was successful which enabled:
• 0800 patient line – to reduce barriers to calling for medical and clinical support
• Mobile phones for loan to patients
• iPads for loan to patients to enable digital capability and access to service where attendance is a barrier
• TEAMs rooms for all GP services in our region to enable an interdisciplinary team approach to all palliative patient care.
LEGACY PROJECT
The project ran from August 2021 to February 2022 with equipment offered to all Hutt Valley GP practices.
Te Omanga Hospice fully implemented the 0800-patient line, mobile phones are now available to loan to patients via our equipment loan services and iPads are available to support telehealth initiatives or patient psychosocial needs through digital connection. Uptake from GPs for the equipment available was limited due to pressures and time constraints in practices as a result of the impact
of COVID, lack of internal IT support and general change fatigue. The results of this project will be reported back to the Ministry of Health in July 2022. The findings of our project, the obstacles and issues faced will be valuable feedback in the consideration of further developments towards digital health.
Above: The Legacy Team
We have been storing our history off-site since moving out of our ‘old Woburn’ building and returning to the new building. We brought together a group of our recently retired staff with much knowledge about our history, to work through the 30 or so boxes of history to categorise this information into decades and identify the people in the hundreds of photographs. The Legacy Team met each Thursday for approximately a month. They enjoyed the opportunity to meet together and share memories. We contacted our local Library regarding advice on the next steps which is to approach the National Library for support as they believe our information is of national importance.
Thank you, Kate Gellatly, Janice Henson,
Esther Sweet, Denise Walsh and Lindsay Tanne for sharing so many memories with us.
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