iSoft on lookout for health software-makers

By RICHARD PAMATATAU

Global health software maker iSoft is on the prowl for more companies Downunder following its purchase of Auckland's iHealth for an undisclosed sum.

It is bathing in the success of landing three of Britain's lucrative National Health contracts worth billions of dollars over the next 10 years.

Richard Craven, Sydney-based regional managing director of iSoft said there were a lot of good health-oriented software-makers in New Zealand and the company was looking to flesh out its offerings.

Allaying fear that the iHealth development team would be disbanded in New Zealand, Craven said if anything the company would put more money into building up the development capacity here. It was an attractive environment for developers to work in because the health sector in New Zealand was quite advanced.

As the population aged, better information systems would be critical for organisations catering to consumer need and also in providing planning agencies with data for policy making, he said.

The pay-as-you- go or hospital-as-hotel model also required smart information systems because any health care must be able to be charged for.

In future, he said, there could be a screen at the patient bed which was a TV, a computer terminal and also a payment device.