MDHB News

Information Systems Strategic Plan (ISSP)

The Information Systems Strategic Plan (ISSP) is a high level, evolving plan that charts the course for current and future information needs of MidCentral DHB.

Palmerston North Hospital Medical Officer using a computer.

District Health Boards are required, under the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000, to develop and implement an Information Systems Strategic Plan. This plan complies with national requirements including:

The Information Systems Strategic Plan sets the goals and develops a high-level implementation strategy for a 3 to 5 year period. It is supported by a 3-year implementation programme which is aligned to the DHB’s capital expenditure programme.

MidCentral District Health Board’s (MDHB) vision for IT is to provide access to quality information across the district in a timely manner to ensure effective and efficient health decision-making. Over the next 3 to 5 years, MDHB will develop a comprehensive, integrated IT system that makes it possible to collect relevant information from various sources and report in such a way that it is timely, efficient, accurate and complete with respect to patient care, and MDHB funding allocations.

The Information Systems Strategic Plan supports MDHB’s vision: “The people of our district enjoy the best possible health and independence.” as well as our strategic directions of:

Strong public and primary health care services.
Effective early intervention and rehabilitation services.
Integration health and disability support services.
Responsive rural health services.
A collaborative, skilled workforce.
Effective and efficient healthcare services.

The Information Systems Strategic Plan addresses several key IT strategies that will assist MDHB to achieve the strategic directions outlined above and will:

Improve patient care.
Improve access to and quality of information for patients and providers.
Provide access to information for the public, patients and communities.
Provide information for clinical and management decision- making.
Provide access to information for education and research.

The Information Systems Strategic Plan outlines the current state of access to information, information systems, information management, IT guiding principles and the future activities that are required to support the MDHB District Strategic Plan and Vision. Also, taken into consideration are activities and strategies that are being communicated by both Central Region DHBs and the Ministry of Health.