Digital health services ‘could work’ for Pacific communities

The Government’s new 24/7 digital health service is being welcomed for its convenience and accessibility, but questions remain about its effectiveness for Pacific communities.

Dr Amio Matenga-Ikihele, general manager of Moana Connect, says the initiative offers an alternative for parents and families who may need medical advice outside regular business hours.

“Often our children get unwell in the evenings or at night time, so it does provide the extra opportunity to be able to get advice from a GP.

“You don't want families staying at home and not being able to access any type of health advice, so this approach could work.”

Last week, Health Minister Simeon Brown announced plans for around-the-clock digital healthcare, which includes video consultations with GPs and nurse practitioners for urgent issues.

“People will be able to be diagnosed, get prescriptions, be referred for lab tests or radiology and have urgent referrals organised,” Brown says.

Matenga-Ikihele says the platform must be “simple and seamless for our families” to ensure access to the service.

“Not all households have a laptop so mobile phones are a main entry point into the internet.”

While the service will operate on a “user-paid” basis, Matenga-Ikihele questions its accessibility and whether it will be added to the Government’s list of health and support websites that can be accessed without data.

“How are people accessing the platform online? Do they need WiFi? Do they need data on their phone? How much money is it going to cost for somebody to access it?”

Building health and digital literacy

A study by Counties Manukau district health board in 2021 explored Pacific equity in using telehealth for outpatient services.

The study suggests that phone and video consultations could benefit Pacific patients by making it easier for them to schedule appointments around work and family commitments. However, the report raised questions about cultural safety.

“Telehealth may perpetuate current inequities in the quality of healthcare experienced by Pacific populations and in the worst case may actually worsen experience of care for Pacific populations.”

Photo/File

Matenga-Ikihele says patients need to feel safe when interacting with health professionals.

“As Pacific peoples, we love the in-person relationships, we love the in-person connection and being able to build that trust and it's really, really different in an online platform.

“It's easy for health professionals to say ‘Yes I've done all this, I've greeted them in their first language, I've been able to provide care’, but if the person that's interacting with the health professional hasn't felt safe then that's culturally unsafe care.”

Families can contact Healthline for free advice from trained medial workers. Photo/Healthline

Current telehealth services include Healthline, a free 24/7 health advice hotline with interpreters available during specified hours, and PlunketLine, which offers 24/7 parenting and breastfeeding advice, with interpreters as needed.

While there is no timeline for implementing the digital health system, Matenga-Ikihele believes youth may play a key role in its rollout.

“Our young people are quite digitally savvy and they're the ones who are able to teach our elders to be able to navigate these new technologies that are being released every day … building up confidence among our elders and churches and communities to be able to navigate online health platforms.”