About the Shared Digital Health Record

Currently, in some cases:

• the healthcare provider has to diagnose and treat based only on the information the person can tell them
• there may be no access to information about the patient’s health conditions, vital signs, or allergies to medicines
• healthcare providers can spend time trying to find this information
• tests or investigations may have to be repeated
• the patient has to remember and repeat their medical history, which can be stressful and difficult, especially when they are unwell.

With the Shared Digital Health Record the:

• healthcare provider can access the patient’s core health information, even if they are from another region, and give them the best treatment
• patient receives care quickly, making it less likely they will return to their GP even sicker — this takes pressure off their general practice by reducing workload
• person’s practice can view information about the visit and the care they received, so they can maintain continuity of care.

The Shared Digital Health Record is currently being developed by Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ). We are working with:

• healthcare consumers
• health professionals
• health IT vendors.

At first, it will collect and share health information held in practice management systems (PMSs) such as:

• allergies and intolerances
• medical conditions
• vital signs.

Later it will also include information from national datasets, such as:

• immunisations
• prescribed and dispensed medicines
• radiology and laboratory results
• hospital information, such as referrals, clinical letters and discharge summaries.

In the future, information like appointment details, including clinical notes, may also be shared from PMSs. These would be treated separately from other shared data, with a separate opt in for practices and patients. Only notes created from a specific date onward would be shared. 

This data will be available to healthcare professionals through shared electronic health record (SEHR) service providers who meet strict security and privacy requirements.

Health information is already shared through SEHRs in some regions. SEHRs are expected to be able to start using the Shared Digital Health Record as a national source from around mid-2026.

Strong privacy and security controls are in place to protect health information and monitor who accesses it.

Shared Digital Health Record data, privacy and security

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. There are 2 new collections of primary care data, which are separate and for different purposes.

• Shared Digital Health Record: Data will be used by healthcare providers to provide clinical care.
• National Primary Care Dataset: Data will be used for performance monitoring and health service planning.

Primary care dataexternal link