Community health app launches in SI

Maia Kamareira is a ‘‘digital health aid’’ in training.

She and three others at Christchurch’s Te Whanau Tahi School – two school staff and a parent – are learning to diagnose minor illnesses and report them to volunteer doctors in Kaitaia through community health app iMoko.

Developed by 2014’s New Zealander of the Year Dr Lance O’Sullivan three years ago, iMoko made its South Island debut at the kura kaupapa Maori this week.

iMoko allows school staff to diagnose ailments like head lice, strep throat and skin or dental infections among students and have prescriptions sent to a local pharmacy without a doctor’s visit.

O’Sullivan said the app, used in about 35 North Island schools, helped ’’democratise healthcare’’ in Maori communities where children’s health outcomes had not improved despite free healthcare being available for under 13s.

Inconvenience, income and a lack of health literacy were barriers to Maori wellbeing.

‘‘These things are all factored into people’s decision about whether this [doctor’s visit] is something we do today,’’ he said.

‘‘It [iMoko] is using technology that’s simple, that everyone is uses, to put the power of healthcare in the hands of the people. A person who was doing reading recovery 10 minutes earlier can do an assessment in three clicks.’’

The Government’s Maori Health Innovation Fund provided seed funding for the app, but Ngai Tahu had shown ‘‘huge interest’’ as the scheme expanded down south, O’Sullivan said.

Te Whanau Tahi tumuaki Dr Melanie Riwai-Couch said a student had a cut or bug bite that became inflamed ‘‘at least once a week’’.

‘‘It’s not because it’s been neglected, it’s that kids don’t know it’s an issue. This opportunity . . . empowers us to work with whanau to prevent situations that cause children to be out of school.’’

She said the school already offered free annual paediatric checks for students but iMoko would ‘‘up our game’’ to improve the health of their families.