New Technology in New Zealand's Health Service
Read New Technology in New Zealand's Health Service and check the IELTS Reading answers. At some time in their lives, nearly all New Zealanders will have to attend an after-hours clinic following an emergency or accident. On entering the consulting room, the patient is faced with a barrage of quest…
Passage preview
At some time in their lives, nearly all New Zealanders will have to attend an after-hours clinic following an emergency or accident. On entering the consulting room, the patient is faced with a barrage of questions. The first ones relate to the current episode, and are followed by more general enquiries. Do you have any allergies? Are you on any medications? And so on. But imagine a different scenario. The patient walks into the consulting room and there on the healthcare professional's computer screen is his or her medical record in its entirety allergies, medications, test results and everything else. To some, it's amazing that this isn't happening already. After all, individuals can track their bank accounts, phone records and countless other transactions online, so why can't they track their health? Ian McCrae, Orion Health's CEO, says that it's understandable if health often falls behind other sectors in its adoption of information technology (IT). It might be, he argues, because of concerns about patient privacy, but also because health care is just so complicated.
Vocabulary from this passage
5 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- catalyst noun
A person or thing that precipitates an event or change
The 2011 earthquake acted as a catalyst for the rapid adoption of health IT.
- complacency noun
A feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements
Medical professionals must avoid complacency when integrating new digital record systems.
- infrastructure noun
The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society
The current infrastructure lacks the capacity to shift funding toward preventative healthcare.
- interoperability noun
The ability of computer systems or software to exchange and make use of information
Achieving national interoperability between different health agencies remains a significant technical challenge.
- rehabilitate verb
To restore someone to health or normal life through training and therapy
Special sensors help patients rehabilitate from injuries by monitoring their movement data.
Answers with explanations
- 14. C
The answer is **C**. The paragraph mentions that the home visit, a medical practice that was once common but had become **infrequent**, has been reintroduced in Australia through a modern app. This matches the idea of a practice being used **more frequently** again.
- 15. B
The answer is **B**. The writer highlights that New Zealand's NHI system was established well **before most other countries**, indicating it was a scheme that was **ahead of the game** or more **advanced** than international counterparts at that time.
- 16. D
The answer is **D**. Kate Reid explicitly states that current information system **trials** are insufficient in scale, noting they are **not big enough** to prove their viability on a **national level**. This confirms the claim about systems being tested on a **small scale**.
- 17. A
The answer is **A**. The opening sentence of the passage states that **nearly all New Zealanders** will encounter an **emergency or accident** requiring clinical care. This directly supports the reference to most people experiencing an **urgent medical situation**.
- 18. B
The answer is **B**. The text identifies the **2011 earthquake** in Canterbury as a **catalyst** for accelerating health IT plans. This **dramatic event** forced the region to adopt electronic records because traditional medical records became **inaccessible**.
- 19. D
The answer is **D** (Kate Reid). Reid argues that technology should reach **at-risk people** now to enable **disease prevention**, but laments that current **funding** is focused on **treatment** rather than stopping people from getting sick in the first place.
- 20. A
The answer is **A** (Ian McCrae). McCrae provides **reasons** for the slow adoption of IT in health, citing **privacy concerns** and the inherent **complexity** of the sector. This aligns with the statement that there are valid reasons for the limited use of management technology.
- 21. D
The answer is **D** (Kate Reid). Reid emphasizes the need for **dialogue** and **cooperation** between agencies, even though they may be in **competition**. This matches the idea of working together despite having **different interests**.
- 22. C
The answer is **C** (Richard Medlicott). Medlicott suggests that IT will remove the burden of **administrative tasks**, allowing doctors to concentrate on **diagnosis and care**. These are described as the areas where their **skills are really needed**, i.e., the most important aspects.
- 23. eye
The answer is **eye**. The summary describes a camera designed by Dr. Chiong. The passage confirms he adapted a smartphone camera specifically to **examine the eye**, fulfilling the grammatical need for a noun after the possessive 'patient's'.
- 24. offices
The answer is **offices**. The text states that the Clever MedKit is an intelligent first aid system that is especially useful in **busy offices**. This matches the summary description of providing medical supplies for a specific environment.
- 25. tooth
The answer is **tooth**. Dr. Adam Doudney's innovation involves ceramic fittings for a **broken tooth**. The summary refers to 'repairing a [25]', and the text confirms this relates to dental treatment that reduces overall costs.
- 26. size
The answer is **wound** (based on provided key) or **size** (based on text). Per the provided answer key, the word is **wound**. The system detects changes in the **size** of **wounds**, providing accurate **images and data** to help practitioners monitor healing progress.