Âwhina App - communications tool for the health Sector

Discussions
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New app puts tailored COVID-19 information in the hands of health workers

A new mobile app, Âwhina, released today by the Ministry of Health will help health workers access the information they need about COVID-19.

Today’s release of the Âwhina app for health workers follows last week’s launch of the NZ COVID Tracer App, which is designed for all New Zealanders.

“For many of us, COVID-19 has changed the way we live and work. For those working in the health and disability sector, this is especially true,” says Deputy Director-General Data and Digital Shayne Hunter.

“There is a lot of information health workers need quick access to, like the latest case definitions, clinical care pathways or Personal Protective Equipment guidance. Âwhina gives them access to this information from their mobile device anywhere, anytime.

“Information for health workers is frequently updated based on latest research, advice, and changes to alert levels. Âwhina will notify health workers when new or updated content is available to them.

“The emergence of COVID-19 and the response required by people working in the health and disability sector highlighted the need for a tool to provide easy access to the up-to-date information relevant to their area of work. Digital technology can help ensure a coordinated, national approach and help us achieve better outcomes for everyone. At the moment Âwhina will be used to support the COVID-19 response but it can be used to get information to health workers to support any public health response,” says Mr Hunter.

Health workers can quickly filter content so they can find what is relevant to them and can also save content in the app to give them quick access to it again later.

The Ministry developed the app with feedback from people working in the health sector, and by learning from approaches taken in other countries to get information about COVID-19 to health workers.

“Initially the app will be used for communicating information about COVID-19 to health workers but as we return to our new normal, we can use the app to share other information to help us act in a more cohesive, collective, and collaborative style."

“We hope New Zealanders working in the health and disability sector will find this app useful,” says Mr Hunter.

Âwhina is free to download from the Google and Apple app stores.

ENDS

For more information about the Âwhina app, visit www.health.govt.nz/awhina.

3 Likes
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Thanks Jon, just downloaded. Looks pretty much like a mobile friendly MoH website. Who was It designed for and what need is it aimed at addressing?

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Is intended to be a single channel for communications. Opportunities might be DHBs publishing through this as well as their regular channels - but means you don’t have to go to the website.

Also a useful channel to identify key services for those new to the system like health pathways or death docs?

Ideas welcome on what we might do.

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I downloaded as well. I think will be very useful and great it has links to Healthpathways. Yet to clearly understand if Healthpathways reliably seen or used in both Community and hospital environs .@ruth do you have a view or knowledge on the hospital use of healthpathways

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I’ve recently had a good chat with Dan Cole - @jon_herries’s offsider who is project managing Awhina and NZ COVID Tracer.

Dan raised the the possibility of healthforum.nz being one of the links within Awhina; this could work very well as a way of enabling a ‘return channel’ and discussion around the MoH content. I was initially reluctant due to concerns about hijacking healthforum.nz for MoH purposes, but on reflection I think that it could be highly beneficial for both sides. I’d love to know other’s opinions on this.

Regarding both of the MoH apps, high quality constructive feedback from clinical informaticians would be extremely helpful for them for both apps - so let it rip.

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Hospital health pathways is not used in the midland region which is very sad (we couldn’t afford it). Agree that community health pathways is very useful. It’s embedded in DHBs our clinical workstation but I suspect not used as much as it should be as I am constantly reminding GPS of it when they phone ED for advice :slight_smile:

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It would be good to have an opportunity to work with the MoH agree. If Āwhina is designed to be a channel with the MoH then maybe ask us what we want first? What’s that saying ‘nothing for me, without me’? It seems from the outside looking in that the MoH (sorry @jon_herries) continue to take a paternalistic approach to what Clinicians need.