In this update, we focus on the onboarding process for the Shared Digital Health Record, with the first general practices set to begin participating in April.
As well, there is a link to the recent HiNZ webinar on the Shared Digital Health Record, which saw wide-ranging discussion on privacy, security, data standards, and clinical workflow.
Onboarding to the Shared Digital Health Record
Onboarding general practices to the Shared Digital Health Record will begin next month. The first wave of engagement will focus on PHOs, practices and corporates in Te Waipounamu | South Island. Other regions will follow soon after, in this order: Te Manawa Taki | Midland, Northern region, and Central region. Clinicians are expected to be able to start accessing Shared Digital Health Record data from mid-2026.
The phased approach is to ensure each region is well-supported and to avoid overloading PHOs and practices. It helps make the best use of time and resources, while maintaining a smooth transition for providers.
The stages for onboarding to the Shared Digital Health Record are:
· Stage one: Preparation, registration and agreements
· Stage two: Data acquisition from PMSs, and shared electronic health record (SEHR) technical readiness
· Stage three: SEHR integration and clinician access to data.
Stage one involves general practices completing a registration and information sharing due diligence process. This includes assessing privacy and security requirements and entering into contractual agreements with Health NZ (access and use agreements). There is also a mandatory patient notification period, during which practices must inform patients about the Shared Digital Health Record and give them an opportunity to opt out if they don’t want their health information shared. These steps are completed before Health NZ takes a copy of patient data held in a practice’s PMS (stage two).
In stage three, planned from mid-2026, SEHRs will begin to integrate with the Shared Digital Health Record. At this point, clinicians using those SEHRs will be able to access patient health information held in the Shared Digital Health Record, to support patient care.
The Shared Digital Health Record adoption team supports PHOs and practices throughout onboarding, including providing guidance resources, communication materials and templates.
More detail about the Shared Digital Health Record onboarding process is available on the Health NZ website. Practices will hear more about being part of the Shared Digital Health Record from your PHO before the process begins in your region. You can also contact shareddigitalhealthrecord@tewhatuora.govt.nz to discuss onboarding.
Timeline as at 4 March 2026
Alignment with Primary Care Health Target and National Primary Care Dataset
Some of these processes – such as registration, assessing privacy and security, and signing the access and use agreement – will also support the collection of data for the Primary Care Health Target and the National Primary Care Dataset.
More information about an interim general practice information sharing agreement for the Primary Care Health Target will be shared with primary care teams and stakeholders next week. This interim agreement will be used while the longer‑term access and use agreement is finalised. You can learn more about the National Primary Care Dataset and the Primary Care Health Target here.
Great engagement at HiNZ Shared Digital Health Record webinar
Nearly 280 people tuned into a webinar about the Shared Digital Health Record, hosted by Health Informatics NZ (HiNZ) on 25 February. Panellists Dr Allan Moffitt (ProCare), and Dr Matt Valentine, Heath Tolley and Manu Sione from Health NZ presented on the Shared Digital Health Record before answering questions from attendees. You can view the webinar on the HiNZ website. Viewers can also claim a CPD or CME certificate after watching.
There was wide-ranging discussion and a number of questions, including on security, privacy and audit; consent and opt in/out provisions; architecture, interoperability and hosting; clinical workflow; and data standards.
We will have a focus on the responses to these questions in the April 2026 Shared Digital Health Record update.
