Published on the 11/09/2009 | Written by Newsdesk
125,000 New Zealander MedicAlert users set to benefit from emergency access to vital medical records…
A new MedicAlert system – which will provide emergency services with immediate online access to potentially life-saving medical records for over 125,000 New Zealanders from next month – is said to be a world-first innovation.
Jointly developed by MedicAlert and Medtech Global, the system connects emergency service providers immediately to relevant
Currently, MedicAlert enables emergency services to access “patient vitals” records for people wearing a MedicAlert emblem. This is particularly critical for people suffering from conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, or who may have adverse reactions to standard treatments or drugs.
However as the information is entered in paper form, it can only be as complete as the last time it was updated.
The new Patient Vitals Electronic Health Record Service will enable emergency services in New Zealand and around the world to quickly and directly access relevant parts of an individual’s “patient vitals” using Medtech’s ManageMyHealth online portal.
“Providing accurate up-to-date information urgently when doctors or emergency services need it is a potential life saver. It is also fast and simple for patients to enrol in which means people can have the benefits of MedicAlert coverage more quickly,” said Murray Lord, chief executive of MedicAlert.
The new system will enable GP’s to efficiently enrol patients with MedicAlert through Medtech technology that automatically “populates” an application form with all the relevant data from the patient’s records.
Medtech says its practice management system is used by over 80% of New Zealand primary healthcare professionals.
