Minister Barr: Technology to help protect Canberra kids’ health
- Written by ACT Government
Released 07/09/2016
The ACT Government is investing in new technology to help Canberra parents keep up to date with important health checks and immunisations for their children.
In collaboration with the Federal Government’s Digital Transformation Office, we’ve announced a six-month trial to test a new ACT Health booking system that will help with the booking of immunisation and developmental health checks.
Today’s announcement is another in a long line of improvements we are making to our health system, alongside investment in a new sub-acute hospital at the University of Canberra, an expanded emergency department at the Canberra Hospital and a record investment in mental health services.
The new system, Access Health Online, sends text message reminders to new parents to make appointments for developmental health checks and immunisations. Parents are then able to easily and conveniently book their appointments using their mobile device or computer.
Assistant Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris said the Access Health Online booking system will make it easier for families with babies to better manage their appointments.
“During the design phase of this project, we spoke to new parents and they told us that the traditional phone booking system wasn’t flexible enough to fit in with their busy lives. They wanted to be able to quickly and easily book an appointment on their phone or online at a time that was most convenient to them,” Minister Fitzharris said.
“This new online booking system is going to make a huge difference to new parents in the early weeks of having a new baby by allowing them to book appointments on their own terms.
“I’d also like to personally thank each and every one of the people who took the time to assist the project team – either through being interviewed in the early stages or testing the prototypes as the project matured.
“Currently, the ACT Government records more than one million interactions with new families, either in person or over the phone,” Minister Fitzharris said.
Assistant Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation Angus Taylor said the focus of the federal Digital Transformation Office was to make everyday interactions with government a lot easier.
“The end result from projects like this will be convenience for the public - fewer phone calls, fewer trips to shop fronts and far less filling out of forms. That’s what people want.”
The six month trial will involve up to 100 participants and will be assessed before being rolled-out Canberra-wide in 2017.
- Statement ends -
Section: Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases
