Another leap forward for iMOKO

Kapowairua Stephens and Chris Sadler are all set for the launch of the next instalment in iMOKO. Photo / Supplied

Kaitaia's MOKO team is about to raise its profile even more, taking to street corners, school drop-off zones and shopping areas to launch the next instalment in Dr Lance O'Sullivan's innovative iMOKO programme, the iMOKO parent app.

"iMOKO has been all about providing access to basic health services, particularly for children, and treating their low risk but high need health issues," national operations manager Trevor Beatson said.

"A natural extension of this is to provide parents with access to their children's health and treatment information.

"The iMOKO parent app is designed for parents to track their child's path to wellbeing, and will notify the parent when their child has been seen in school by a member of the iMOKO team, and when their child's case is assessed and diagnosed by the telehealth team. The app will also tell the family when their child has had a script approved by one of the iMOKO doctors, and when their script is ready for pick-up at their local family pharmacy."

The innovation would allow parents to be connected with the treatment process of their children, and to access information that would traditionally be "locked up" in doctors' filing systems.

"In the past this information has been difficult to access, but now, with the massive increase of smart phones and smart technology, we can literally put it at parents' fingertips," Mr Beatson said.

The app would also send parents contextually relevant information tailored to their child's specific health condition and needs: "Pamphlets and printouts will become a thing of the past when it comes to health literacy. Through the iMOKO parent app we are able to send digital media, videos and online resources to families right at the time of diagnosis. This helps them to be better informed and prepared to help with their child's treatment and on- wellbeing."

iMOKO would be running a promotion in the Far North over the next four weeks with the aim of registering 1000 Far North parents. Fourth-year medical student Kapowairua Stephens and sixth-year medical student Chris Sadler would be out and about in the community and schools, looking for parents and helping them download the app.

"Expect to see Kapo and Chris anywhere and everywhere that you find parents and children. They will have a free wifi hotspot with them, so parents and whanau can download the app on the spot," he added.

"The app is free too, so parents can download it from the Apple or Google store from anywhere they can get connectivity."

Once the app had been downloaded parents could call the iMOKO team free (on 0508 446-656) to receive a unique code that they would need to use it.