Published on the 23/06/2016 | Written by Clare Coulson

Chai Chuah, director general of the Ministry of Health, has thrown down the gauntlet to the tech sector as he searches for a CTO to take health digital…

Chuah has laid out his plans for a more digitally savvy health service that will see him appoint a chief technology and digital services officer at the Ministry of Health. “We recognise that information and technology lie at the heart of the future health of New Zealand, and of New Zealanders,” he told iStart.

The new technology and digital focused role “will play a key role in the Ministry’s executive leadership team” and will be “the single point of contact and accountability for delivering technology services to the Ministry and for the health and disability system’s technology and digital delivery,” Chuah explained.

He unveiled his plans in a presentation to an invited group of New Zealand Health IT (NZHIT) members and stakeholders in April, and expects to announce the successful candidate in early July – in the interim, Giles Southwell is acting in the role.

Scott Arrol, CEO and director of NZHIT, said he is very encouraged by the move to appoint a technology representative at a tier two management level, reporting to the director general himself.

“IT and technology are being clearly positioned across the health sector,” he said, also commenting that the role’s title suggests that it will be much broader than a purely technical role, important as health is still about “great people doing great stuff for other people” but IT is the key enabler.

Asked if the move to promote technology to the top level of management is several years late, Arrol said he did not think so. “The stage that we are at now, it’s the right time to be doing what Chai Chuah is doing. The groundwork has been done in the past to enable these senior appointments to be made,” he said, referring to the establishment of the Health IT Board five years ago which has helped to create a single view of technology in the health sector.

Rod Hall, a member of NZHIT, was of a slightly different opinion. “I think for the whole health sector that this is a vital and overdue role given the pace of change of technology,” he said. “For the Ministry to recognise a clear focus on that sort of role is really important.” He also noted that it was interesting how the new role only came about once a new director general of health was appointed – one who has “a canny grasp on technology”.

“Today, a lot of the government agencies including health need to focus on improving efficiencies through technology,” he said.

For Arrol, if there is one thing that he would like to see come out of the appointment, it is an alignment across the sector when it comes to technology. “There is a lot of fragmentation in approach and if we can start to get some alignment in what’s happening – what systems, what solutions when it comes to technology – then that would be good,” said Arrol.

The appointment is part of the redesigned executive leadership team which Chuah has fashioned in response to the reinvigorated New Zealand Health Strategy that will be implemented over the next 10 years. The health strategy intends to give citizens easy access to their health and social services using electronic records and patient portals. It identified the need to collect and share data consistently to avoid inaccuracy and duplication and to better direct health resources and services to areas of need. It also recognised the importance of keeping up with developing technologies such as robotics, genomics and nanotechnology in terms of its potential impact on our health system.

To achieve this Chuah said: “We want to elevate the focus on the system’s technology and digital systems and infrastructure to the executive level, and develop and drive the system’s technology and digital architecture, standards and systems agenda, as well as building the system’s technology and digital delivery capabilities for the purpose of enhancing customer outcomes.

“I expect this role to take a future focus on the trends in technology (five years and beyond) and scan the broader technology landscape, including but not limited to genetech, biotech, nanotech, robotics and advanced computing and analytics.”

Arrol said: “I support what Chai is doing because he is not just talking the talk – he is taking a leadership role in the changes that have to be made across the board. He has thrown down a gauntlet to us and challenged us to be part of the change.”