Summary
The cancer health sector is operating in an age where expectations concerning information are high. New technologies foster an expectation of access to real time and accurate information at the touch of a button.
Information on cancer patients is currently created and stored by a plethora of local practitioners, clinics, hospitals and non-government providers. Building a view of a patient journey is therefore very manual and resource intensive. Establishing a reliable and accurate picture across a cancer type, region or demographic group is very challenging.
The New Zealand Cancer Health Information Strategy was developed by over 50 stakeholder groups and sets the strategic direction for the sector over the next five years. It is a pragmatic approach to achieving the vision of comprehensive, accessible and accurate information to support the delivery of quality care across the cancer patient pathway.
The Strategy is built on the premise that there is no ‘silver bullet solution’ to achieving its objectives of better quality information for patients, clinicians and service managers. It outlines four strategic interventions and a framework for delivery that will require commitment from everyone working in the cancer sector.
It is acknowledged as an important building block of achieving person-centred health information.