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Health Navigator & MIMS to lead in online health information

15 October 2013

Health Navigator and MIMS reach agreement in ambitious plan to lead the way in online health information for New Zealanders

Big plans are afoot to create one nationally trusted and supported online health information service and website for health professionals and the public.

The Heath Navigator Charitable Trust has acquired MIMS (NZ) Ltd’s popular everybody content as a first step in this bold and exciting plan.

The Trust’s next step is to use the majority of the everybody website’s content to upgrade the current Health Navigator website while, at the same time, forming an alliance of health-focused organisations to create the ideal online gateway.

“We have good support already, but we’re aiming for the widest possible sector support for this project in order to reduce public confusion and information fragmentation, and to get the best from combined efforts and funding,” Trust Clinical Director Dr Janine Bycroft says.

She says it is critical for people to know what they are finding online is trustworthy.

“Our research shows New Zealanders are going to ‘Dr Google’ and finding all sorts of confusing and potentially misleading health information because there isn’t one nationally promoted or recognised website,” Dr Bycroft says.

New online health ‘go to’ place in NZ

MIMS is passing on its content to the Trust after a decision to exit online disease and prevention information in its current everybody.co.nz format.

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“Regrettably the online service is no longer economically viable and I am extremely pleased that Health Navigator has committed to maintaining and expanding this essential service, which I am sure will become the ‘go to’ place in New Zealand for relevant consumer/patient health content,” MIMS (NZ) Ltd Chief Executive Colin Abercrombie says.

MIMS (NZ) will continue publishing the popular everybody ‘tear off’ print sheets, supplied free to doctors. This resource was introduced in 1998 and has proved a popular resource enabling doctors to keep their patients better informed on a wide range of common conditions.

Both Health Navigator and everybody websites will continue to run in their current forms until at least the end of the year while the alliance is being formed and a new website created.

Calling all interested partner organisations

Dr Bycroft says the acquisition of such a wide range of health topics from the highly respected everybody website will significantly strengthen Health Navigator’s offerings to health professionals and their patients.

“But we know there is a lot to do to get there. It makes no sense to have 20 DHBs and hundreds of other government-funded organisations and non-profits all looking to purchase overseas content or create their own.

“Instead we are suggesting organisations combine efforts and focus on the improved efficiency, effectiveness and fiscal benefits of doing it together.”

Such information could then also be available for partner organisations to reuse for patient portals or deliver through their own websites.

Dr Bycroft invites any group, business or organisation interested in joining the alliance to contact her directly at janine@healthnavigator.org.nz

More about Health Navigator Charitable Trust
Health Navigator NZ (est 2008) is a collaborative, non-profit initiative led by clinicians and consumers in response to the need to find reliable, trustworthy health information, tools and self-help resources to support health and optimize the management of long-term conditions.

The Health Navigator website provides reliable, trustworthy health information and self-help resources with further information available by linking through to quality tested specialist websites. The purpose is to make it quicker and easier for health professionals and the public of NZ to find the right information at the right time. The content is written and reviewed by a wide range of clinicians from throughout New Zealand and approved content providers.

Health Navigator also provides a range of other services including the delivery of workforce training and workshops around long-term conditions, health literacy and self-management support, a LTC Network website, discussion forum and production and distribution of the LTC e-bulletin 8 times a year.

More about MIMS (NZ) Ltd and Everybody
MIMS is New Zealand’s leading publisher of key information for health professionals. MIMS provides news and education, reference data and decision support solutions to communities of GPs, specialist doctors, pharmacists, pharmacy staff, nurses, veterinarians and health consumers throughout New Zealand.

MIMS’ medicines information is a core resource used by every professional healthcare service in the country. New Zealand Doctor and Pharmacy Today newspapers have kept GPs and pharmacists informed for over 25 years and are ‘must read’ publications for all working in the primary care sector.

everybody.co.nz is an awarding winning website that provides useful and accurate consumer health information for New Zealanders. It is written and reviewed by medical writers, consumer health organisations and health professionals.

ENDS

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