Digital platform improves child health equity – study suggests

NEWS – eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

More than 230,000 tamariki are enrolled in the National Child Health Information Platform (NCHIP) across the Northern region and a new study indicates its use was associated with a pro-equity impact during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The digital platform draws together child demographic information, including ethnicity and deprivation level, alongside health-care milestone data, to create a unified view.

It is used to identify children lagging behind in health milestones and now covers most children up to age six living in Te Tai Tokerau Northland, Waitematā and Te Toka Tumai Auckland, with less than one percent of parents opting out.

A recent paper published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health says use of the system in the Northern region was associated with a pro-equity impact during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In New Zealand, children are eligible for 30 child health milestone checks between birth and six years.