General practices in the Whanganui Regional Health Network area are offering patients another way to access health information and services.
During the lockdown period, general practices have remained open and allowed their patients to still have one-on-one consultations. These have included phone, virtual, online and even face-to-face consultations, depending on how the practice has operated and the needs of the patient.
Now Whanganui Regional Health Network (WRHN) is also offering a patient portal, ManageMyHealth, that allows patients to view their primary health information online.
Patients are able to access a range of services and information including their lab results and health records such as prescriptions, allergies, diagnoses and recalls.
They are also able to send secure messages to their doctor or nurse and request repeat prescriptions, book appointments and receive recall reminders.
The majority of practices that fall under the WRHN are now offering the portal, with the remainder implementing it this year.
Practices currently participating include Aramoho Health Centre, Bulls Medical Centre, Gonville Health, Impilo Family Practice, Springvale Medical Centre, St Johns Medical Centre, Stewart St Surgery, Taihape Health and Wicksteed House Medical Centre.
Each practice will determine what services it will make available, and some services may have a fee.
A WRHN spokeswoman said the website is hosted in a secure environment in New Zealand and the information is completely protected.
Once patients have registered through their general practice and activated their account, they will be able to access their personal health information from any internet device, including the mobile app.
At this stage, patients must be 18 years and over to participate.
To register, patients should phone the reception staff at their general practice. They will need to provide a personal email address and proof of identity to get set up.
For further information on the patient portal visit www.managemyhealth.co.nz