Health in Hand
A remote patient monitoring app
Health NZ - Te Whatu Ora and Alphero co-designed and built Piki Te Ora: an Android app and integrated digital service that supports remote patient monitoring. Designed for people with chronic health conditions living in rural Aotearoa, the system connects patients to clinicians through care plans, smart devices, wearables, and daily health tracking, all integrated into clinical systems.
How It Works
Participants receive a Samsung smartphone and smartwatch, preloaded with the Piki Te Ora app. They track key health metrics, like blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, using iOT devices and wearables and complete short daily surveys.
Data flows back into the clinical systems used by local health providers, thanks to FHIR-compliant data and integrations with Google Health Connect. Clinicians can see how their patients are doing day to day and step in early if needed.
Who It’s For
The pilot was launched in four of the most remote communities in Aotearoa, Northland, East Cape, Matakaoa, and the Chatham Islands, where access to care is limited. Each community selected the condition most relevant to them, and care plans were designed around that. Current conditions include cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with diabetes and others to follow.
Shaped by Real-World Use
Patient and clinician feedback shaped how Piki Te Ora works day to day. Group chat brings participants together with others on the same care plan or from the same community, creating a sense of connection and support. To help people stick with their care plan, the app includes daily check-ins, reminders, and prompts, giving clinicians regular insights into how things are going.
Tailored and Supported
Personalisation is built into the experience from day one. Feature flags ensure participants see the content, features, and tools relevant to their care plan and location. Localised content and community-specific guidance make the app feel familiar and useful.
Participants are also supported in person by local health navigators, who help with onboarding and ongoing care. Each participant and their whānau receive a welcome pack explaining how to use the devices and app. We're also exploring a view-only web page so whānau can check on their loved one’s progress, with participant consent.
Smart Tech Changes Lives
We built Piki Te Ora with smart, simple tools to make health tracking easy and meaningful. Binah.ai lets participants scan their face with the phone camera to check vital signs. Google Health Connect gathers data from all the connected devices and feeds it back to clinicians in one secure view. Atomic cards give patients a gentle nudge each day to log how they’re feeling.
We’re also looking at how large language models (LLMs) could help people better understand their treatment, based on what patients and clinicians told us they wanted.
Safe, Secure, and Connected
We know privacy is essential, especially with personal health data. During onboarding, participants were reassured that their information would be handled with care, and they had the opportunity to ask questions and understand how their data would be used.
Alphero took extra care to ensure all information remains safe, using industry-standard security and encryption methods. All patient data is structured using the FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) protocol, ensuring secure sharing and interoperability with clinical systems. Participants can feel confident their health details stay secure and confidential.
Impact So Far
Since its start in July 2023, Piki Te Ora is already making a noticeable difference.
Increased Confidence
Participants feel more informed and connected to their healthcare.
Better Health Results
Early data shows clear improvements in health indicators and consistency in following care plans.
Community Strength
Active conversations in the chat show strong peer support and reduced isolation.
Growing Interest
Other health groups have requested access to offer their communities additional care plans.
What’s Next
As the Piki Te Ora pilot continues, the insights gained will help shape healthcare support for even more communities, ensuring accessible, practical, and meaningful healthcare for everyone.
For further information, visit the Piki Te Ora page on Te Whatu Ora’s website.
