Patrick Wilson, aged 86, is a convert to patient portals, the latest in online health care. Patient portals allow direct, online access to doctors without having to travel, make an appointment or join the queue in the waiting room.
"At my age, it's so much easier if I can get information through the portal. I don't have to travel to the doctor so much and I can make appointments through it and renew prescriptions.
"Doing the best thing for my health is important to my family...I'm 86 and my brother is 95. I've been in my house for 35 years and I want to stay there. Patient portals make that easier because you can do more without leaving home."
Patrick's wife died of cancer three years ago and he wishes they'd had access to a portal then: "We could have been more active in the management of her illness."
Patient portals are a secure way to help people manage and keep track of their health 24/7. They are increasingly being offered by general practices around New Zealand - and can be compared to online banking, but for health.
There are 330 general practices offering patient portals currently, with over 136,000 New Zealanders registered to use one. The Ministry of Health has set up an online map showing which GPs offer portals.
Depending on what each GP has included, a patient portal can be used to book appointments, access medical history, and check medical records and lab results. Repeat prescriptions can be requested or the GP reached by email. All the patient has to do is to ask the GP about registering.
People with heart disease, diabetes, asthma or any condition requiring regular contact with doctors find the portal the most useful - but the portals are also a glimpse of the medical vision of the future. Without even realising it, users are dipping a toe into a whole new medical future where being able to view health data electronically is an explosive growth area, forever changing the way doctors and patients interact.
In the future, it's envisaged health care will also include apps and devices which can send vital data to physicians over the internet to ensure any early warning signs are detected and recognised. The patient portal is clearly a part of a connected future - and is growing in popularity here as busy people and parents realise they have a health tool saving valuable time.
That future - patient portals, Big Data and the Internet of Things - has yet to reach its zenith but patient portals are already getting rave reviews from more senior folk.
Research in early 2016 found people aged 65 years and over were very supportive of portals, with 75 percent saying they would be likely to use one.
Research in early 2016 found people aged 65 years and over were very supportive of portals, with 75 percent saying they would be likely to use one.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a term for appliances, gadgets and machines connected to the internet and which transmit data. Maybe the best known example is Fitbit or similar health trackers which can send health data to medical providers.
In the future, it's envisaged health care will also be managed by similar devices sending vital data to physicians to ensure early warning signs are detected and recognised.
The patient portals are clearly a part of that connected future; Ministry of Health officials are keen to have them widely available so all eligible patients can benefit.
For the moment though, the focus is on older people, like 75-year-old Betsy, who says the portal is a real time saver: "I have blood glucose tests and I can get the results on the computer, rather than having to phone up and wait for a nurse to give them to me.
"It also makes booking appointments really easy. You can book one on the computer, using the calendar, and if there's any problem with the time the nurse rings you straight away. I was a bit nervous about using the portal at first but I sat with the practice manager who set me up and showed me how the password worked and then I was away."
Also in the vanguard are people like Margaret Dickson (not her real name), in her 60s, who recently discovered she had high blood sugar levels through her patient portal.
"I was really surprised to see my blood sugar at pre-diabetic levels," she says. "I wish I'd known earlier so I could have made changes then - but now I do know, I have increased my exercise and being more careful about what I eat.
"Seeing the results online just makes it a bit more 'in your face'. I think you get more motivated and think, 'I can do something to change this'.
The portal also brings the global accessibility of the internet into play. Michael Stevenson (also not his real name) works eight weeks in Thailand and two weeks in New Zealand and has insulin-dependent Type 2 diabetes.
"When I started to use insulin, I wanted to monitor what was happening," he says. "We started with a low level of insulin, went to a higher level and then a higher level again. Each time, I sent my blood sugar readings to my GP via the portal so they could see what was happening. Now my levels are pretty good."
Michael says before the patient portal he went to a hospital in Thailand to get check-ups - "all at my own expense, of course" - but things became easier once he began using the portal.
"I could use it to make appointments and get prescriptions. I would order a script online from Thailand and pick it up when I got home. I could also email the practice via the portal."
For more information, go to patientportals.co.nz