Our mahi

Our healthcare system is facing increasing pressure from rising costs, workforce shortages, medicine supply issues, and complex health needs. Digital options can ease this strain by offering scalable, cost-effective, round-the-clock care with growing evidence of equivalent outcomes when carefully matched to people’s needs and preferences. Increasingly, whānau are appreciating the convenience, timeliness, privacy and personalisation available through e-health options, with the added benefit of freeing up wait lists and in-person services for those who prefer more traditional care.

 

The Digital Health Accreditation Pathway (DHAP) in Aotearoa New Zealand is a proposed accreditation framework to underpin and enable this shift by facilitating the assessment of digital tools for health conditions. The framework establishes an assessment criterion based on global best practice for clinical safety, data protection, user experience, and software development practices. Additionally, it includes an enhanced Aotearoa New Zealand review process that evaluates data sovereignty, cultural safety, advertising ethics, social responsibility, equity, and responsiveness to user feedback. This combination ensures relevance and appropriateness for use in New Zealand.

 

By setting these robust standards, the Digital Health Accreditation Pathway provides a framework and process for assessing which of the thousands of apps are not only technically and clinically sound but also culturally relevant and user-friendly. This initiative aims to provide individuals, whānau, and clinicians with trusted, high-quality digital health resources they can safely use and recommend to improve health outcomes and quality of life for whānau in Aotearoa New Zealand.