Data and digital critical to health – Lester Levy

NEWS – eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

The role of data and digital in health systems is critical and few industry sectors have the potential to be changed so profoundly by digital and exponential technologies as healthcare, says the new board chair of Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora.

Lester Levy has been appointed chair of the Board of Health NZ, following the resignation of Karen Poutasi in April.

Levy is a medical doctor and a Professor of Digital Health Leadership at AUT. He took up his new role for a two-year term on 1 June 2024.

He tells eHealthNews there will be many examples of Health NZ deploying technologies to enhance patient and clinician experience and, given the advancing technology landscape, there will need to be more.

“In my view Health New Zealand needs to be very progressive and prioritise the accelerating advancement of digital and exponential health technologies, but from the perspective of truly adding value to clinicians and patients, rather than being captured by technological solutionism,” he says