About the Ministry of Health

National Systems Development

The Ministry of Health manages national payment and information systems on behalf of the wider health sector. These systems are vital to the development and implementation of health and disability policy, and to the delivery of health and disability services.

In response to a lengthy period of under-investment in national health information systems, the Government agreed to a National Systems Development (NSD) programme in 2006.

National Systems Development programme overview

The purpose of the NSD is to:

Stabilise – address known issues with national systems so that current levels of operational risk are reduced to acceptable levels
Standardise – implement a health information architecture and standards to support future improvements in health information
Integrate – develop a ‘Connected Health’ business model so the national systems provide more value to the health sector.

The NSD is managed within the Programme Management Office of the Information Directorate, Ministry of Health. A programme management office supports the following six programmes.

Connected Health
Supporting connectivity that enables health providers to share and access medical data and information securely.

Recipient and Provider Identity
Improving clinical service delivery by increasing the availability and accuracy of identity information.

Health Statistics and Reporting
Improving access to and the quality of analytical services from the national health information systems and collections.

Health Payment Systems
Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of health payment processes across the sector.

Capitation Payments and Information
Stabilising the systems supporting the Primary Health Care Strategy and developing detailed future requirements.

Access and Integration
Providing the infrastructural building blocks for the delivery of NSD and secure information exchange with the Ministry of Health.

The Capitation Payments and Information programme was completed on 30 June 2008. The main activities and focus of the remaining five programmes for 2008/09 are listed below.

Programme objectives and focus for 2008/09

Connected Health

Objectives

Improved secure access to health information and applications for registered health practitioners.
Connectivity meets anticipated future requirements for health due to national standardisation.

Description and focus

National standards for interoperability, security and health data transfer.
An interoperable networking environment for the New Zealand health system to link up existing networks including the government shared network where appropriate.
A new controlled second-level internet domain for the health system to assist with electronic collaboration.
A centralised health service directory to connect health providers to other health providers and applications.

Recipient and Provider Identity

Objectives

Improved clinical service delivery through increased availability and accuracy of patient and provider identity information.
Improving the value of available health information through tailored, targeted identity information services.

Description and focus

Implementing a database of all postal addresses in New Zealand to allow validation of the address at the point of data entry.
Complete the design of a new, standards based, national health index directory that will offer significantly faster and more accurate searching.

Health Statistics and Reporting

Objectives

Introducing a single approach to the collection of information and the establishment of a ‘single version of the truth’.
Improved accessibility and quality of information.
Improved business ability to analyse, and report information.
Agreed Ministry of Health and wider sector roles, info needs and capabilities to inform service improvements.

Description and focus

Improving the current data warehouse system to support future information demands.
Pilot implementing of a Sector Knowledge Space to enable wide access to knowledge about health information.
Implementing a sector-led Data Quality Framework and Improvement programme to improve data quality and data collection efficiency.

Health Payments Systems

Objectives

Quality customer-oriented environment able to meet current and future service needs.
Improved sector control and reporting of health payments information.
Reliable, cost effective and flexible health services payment model.

Description and focus

Implementing a single payment process and single payments system for all national payments.
Defining the strategic business model for Health Payments (sector wide) to inform a Stage 2 Business Case for improvements to the health payments environment that includes:

Access and Integration

Objectives

Systems are maintained to ensure sustainable service delivery.
Secure, efficient and convenient access to information services.
Productivity improvements with no unplanned loss of quality.
Ability to implement policy and business change in a timely and cost effective manner.

Description and focus

Implementing the infrastructure, standards and business processes required to support all National and Ministry information systems.
Development of a secure electronic portal and data exchange gateway as the Ministry’s connection to the ‘Connected Health’ environment - to enable the secure and easy exchange of data and information between the national information systems and sector users.

Page last updated: 30 September 2008.