nostr:nprofile1qyt8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kytcqyqrn3n5vdut7dpnv9k35sqlutnpmt5q3fv6ttja46c4ha9xppg9rw6awcg4 nostr:nprofile1qyt8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kytcqyqypaj7tcz85yuzf4vdug9u6sh7mhs3tn87kq2t3haqezvw20gdu2qhelr2 nostr:nprofile1qyt8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyd968gmewwp6kytcqyzjp4vmfur87aaep7m9qwptn3cmjesaq7xe3y9q7p3kl38l8pv20sd55hpn some years ago I wrote a Project Initiation Document for Central TAS (the IT services unit of Capital Coast DHB) and the Ministry of Health.

The problem they were trying to solve (and had spent $24 million over 8 years with nothing to show for it) was primary to secondary health provider communications. Secondary had already made some headway (using Orion Helath- I could write a vast essay regarding issues they caused). 

The outcome needed to replace fax, email, phone calls, SMS, snail mail and so on with a secure, triagable, decision guided, standardised, messaging system. 

Solving this at the GP end of the process was the greatest challenge. At the time there were ~1300 GPs in Wellington. With a large delta in technology, money, time, technical skills and so on. Additionally there were many who didn't like the MoH telling them what to do. And others that had grouped together and bought their own systems- rather than wait another 8 years for MoH to do their job.

At this point, the Southern DHBs had implemented a platform, and Northern had implemented their own. Of course these systems were incompatible with each other.

At the same time, the MoH wanted to adopt a new health communications protocol (FHIR based), but had no way to force GPs to move from the antiquated systems they already had.

Central were required to have something that would work with South, and North, handle both old and new comms standards- as well as meeting the core requirements above.

The document was accepted with a recommendation to proceed, and a procurement process started. Of the 4 vendors who responded, all of them stated they could meet the requirement. Iir, Orion were the most expensive, but the Minister directed MoH to select them.

It probably comes as no surprise, that the vendor had said they could do it all- and could not actually do any of it. 

I'm sure it's been resolved now though.