Open data, transparency and power – role of the Virtual Health Information Network

Wednesday, June 14th, 2017 | Kate Sloane | No Comments

Dr Andrea Teng, Dr Barry Milne, Mr Philip Walker, Prof Tony Blakely

The NZ Government is showing strong leadership on data sharing. In this blog we describe some of the opportunities and the challenges in this new data environment. We focus on how the Virtual Health Information Network (VHIN) can contribute to stronger health research and therefore benefit the health of all New Zealanders. The VHIN is a network of health data users, especially in the Statistics NZ Integrated Data Infrastructure, looking to support each other and improve the quality of ‘big data’ research in NZ. We highlight the benefits of VHIN membership and how you can contribute.

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NZ’s Smart Use of Big Data: Employment & Income Impacts of Selected Health Conditions

Monday, March 14th, 2016 | Kate Sloane | No Comments

Prof Nick Wilson, Dr George Disney, Prof Tony Blakely

Word Cloud "Big Data"New Zealand is making rapid strides in the smart use of big data to provide better health information for decision-makers. Here we look at a recent output: a Treasury Working Paper that considers the employment and income effects of eight health conditions. Such information could ultimately inform the best use of resources for disease prevention and treatment interventions from a societal perspective.

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