At the height of the pandemic, ProCare and Southern Cross
Health Society launched CareHQ – a
telehealth service to support the healthcare sector and help
New Zealanders access the care that they need, when they
need it. Three years on, and more than 50,000 consultations
later, it’s clear this way of accessing medical support
and advice is here to stay.
“Our partnership with
ProCare and Southern Cross is delivering real benefits to
Southern Cross members, GP clinics and our communities. We
are delighted we’ve now had more than 50,000 consultations
with New Zealanders and visitors to Aotearoa,” said Dr
Reza Jarral, CareHQ Clinical Director.
“CareHQ
enables individuals and families to get on top of issues by
working respectfully alongside their general practice team,
which is particularly useful when seeing their usual GP
isn’t possible, or nearby clinics aren’t enrolling. We
regularly deliver more than 120 consults daily and even with
that rapid growth in volume, our customer satisfaction
scores remain exceptionally high.
Jarral said the team
has expanded to over 30 expert GPs and four Practice Nurses
who work together to meet increased demand from users,
employers, care providers, and general practices across the
motu. CareHQ is now available for after-hours, international
visitors and for injury management.
Southern Cross
Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Regan Savage said that the
injury management service was proving popular with Southern
Cross corporate groups to help their people with a planned
return to work.
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“If somebody is injured, an employer
may need them to follow a return-to-work plan that requires
assessment by a GP. Returning to work can be delayed if you
are unable to access your regular GP, with CareHQ offering
same or next day appointments, that process can be sped
up,” he said.
What’s next?
Jarral has seen
first-hand how telemedicine can work in conjunction with
face-to-face consultations and make real inroads into the
inequities driving healthcare access. Any doubts that
patients and practitioners had about the ability to deliver
high quality health support over the phone or via video call
are fading, as clinicians can see how early telehealth
interventions can fast track patient care and improve
outcomes.
“Increasingly people are comfortable with
online consultations – they can be more convenient and
save long waits at urgent care clinics. Many users also feel
more relaxed and empowered by having a consult in their own
homes, with whānau, friends and pets on hand to support
them.”
“We’ve been bowled over by the feedback
that we’ve received from patients. They’re incredibly
positive about the ease of access, our expert GPs’
empathy, and their overall experience, which is exactly what
all health professionals want to hear.”
Bindi
Norwell, ProCare CEO and Chair of CareHQ, said the CareHQ
team has also received encouraging feedback from GPs who
appreciate the ability for CareHQ to provide cover for their
practices if they are unavailable or experience increased
demand for services. CareHQ provides continuity of care for
their patients and is a welcomed relief during busy
times.
GPs who work for the service have conveyed they
appreciate the opportunity to work in a different
way.
“By offering a choice of shift times, GPs can
choose to balance their ‘in practice’ hours with
telehealth consults. With telemedicine predicted to continue
its steady growth, CareHQ is well positioned to support any
New Zealander needing healthcare advice.”
CareHQ is
also now offering a service for short-term visitors to New
Zealand who are unlikely to be enrolled at a GP practice.
This includes non-New Zealand residents, international
visitors, and international students.
Visit carehq.co.nz for more
information.
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