Adoption of information technology in primary care physician offices in New Zealand and Denmark, part 1: healthcare system comparisons

• Published in: Informatics in primary care Vol. 16; no. 3; pp. 183 - 187
• Main Authors: Protti, Denis, Bowden, Tom, Johansen, Ib
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT 2008
• Subjects: access and evaluation; comparisons; computerised; Danish health care system; Delivery of Health Care; Denmark; Diffusion of Innovation; healthcare quality; medical informatics; medical records systems; Medical Records Systems, Computerized - utilization; New Zealand; New Zealand health care system; out-of-hours services; Physicians' Offices; primary care; Primary Health Care; New Zealand; Denmark
• ISSN: 1476-0320; 2058-4555; 2058-4563
• DOI: 10.14236/jhi.v16i3.692

Denmark and New Zealand are two small countries whose primary care physicians are at the forefront of the use of electronic medical records (EMRs). This is the first of a series of five papers which contrasts the health care systems in Denmark and New Zealand. Though the delivery of care at the patient level is virtually the same in New Zealand and Denmark the way in which the health care is financed, administered and managed does vary. This paper highlights the differences, particularly in terms of the approaches taken to primary care and out-of-office-hours services.