Welcome
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Clinical coding is an essential component in the value chain of good health information. The quality and granularity of health information extracted from storage warehouses/systems are directly reliant on the accuracy, level of detail, and completeness of the data being loaded into the warehouses/systems at point of collection.

I see the value proposition for health information as being summarised into three key categories:

1. Tier one statistical information for NZ (definitive historical records)
2. Improving health outcomes for all New Zealanders (clinical information)
3. Planning, payment and performance (administration information)

When one considers the reliance on good quality, accurate, timely and complete clinical coding to enable each of the three categories identified above. In many ways the importance and value of good clinical coding within the wider NZ health sector system speaks for itself.

Therefore from my perspective, any initiatives we undertake as a sector to continuously improve and ensure good/robust clinical coding practices, can only have a positive impact on health information and the overall performance of the wider NZ health sector system.

Jason Whakaari
Group Manager
New Zealand Health Information Service (NZHIS).