North Shore Times, 18 October 2011 - Patients of the newly refurbished Torbay Health have access to medical care online with a pioneering computer programme.

Manage My Health is a personal internet portal that lets people manage their own prescriptions, send emails to their doctors, make appointments and view lab results.

The new clinic has also been selected to pilot a $24 million bowel cancer screening programme, helping determine whether it is to be rolled out nationwide.

It will be the first screening programme involving men and is important in the early detection of bowel cancer, the second most common cancer in New Zealand.

Recovering cancer patient Shane Kelly is the first from Torbay Health to sign up for the Manage My Health programme and has been using it for three months.

‘‘When you get to my situation and require ongoing care you can’t rely on doctors to do everything for you,’’ Mr Kelly says. ‘‘This gives me control and it’s cheaper as well.

‘‘I would have had to make appointments to do all the things I can now do myself,’’ he says. David Thompson, one of four doctors managing Torbay Health, says there are 300 patients using the programme, who each have full access to their health records over the internet.

‘‘E-consultations’’ will also become available allowing doctors to consult with patients via email, saving them unnecessary travel and time. Patients like Mr Kelly are set to benefit most.

'‘Before I was diagnosed with cancer, I used to come to the doctors probably once every two years,’’ he says. ‘‘But I’ve had to admit that routine health care is a part of my life now. This has made things so much easier for me,’’ Mr Kelly says.

Associate Health Minister Jonathan Coleman was at the unveiling of the new clinic. ‘‘ I admire how they have embraced IT and it’s great to see that they haven’t just waited for the government to come along and deliver a cheque,’’ Dr Coleman says.

He says the demand for nationwide health care is predicted to double over the next 10 years. ‘‘This is also an area with a rapidly growing population and technology like this should allow the centre to serve more people in less time,’’ he says.

Dr Thompson says Torbay Health will also provide a seven-day service including accident and emergency, and onsite radiology within the next two years.

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