Our Research
Independent research shows every $1 invested in 1737 returns $9.30 in social benefits
April 2025
A comprehensive Social Return on Investment (SROI) study by Sapere Research has found that 1737 Need to talk? delivers exceptional value for New Zealand, preventing approximately 5-6 suicides and 156 suicide attempts annually.
Key Findings:
- $9.30 social return for every $1 invested
- 1% reduction fatal and non-fatal suicide attempts in Aotearoa
- Over 100,000 calls and texts supported in FY24
- Conservative methodology suggests actual returns may be higher.
Healthline reduces pressure on emergency departments
December 2024
A study by Te Pūnaha Matatini and Auckland University reveals that that a simple phone call to Healthline prevents close to 23,000 unnecessary emergency department visits each year in the Midland region. Analysis of data from July 2019 to June 2024 demonstrates that Healthline advice has successfully diverted 14.6% of potential ED presentations, while identifying an additional 6% of current ED visits that could be managed through the telehealth service.
This research was initiated by Whakarongorau to gain a better understanding of the impact that Healthline has on diverting emergency department admissions – and therefore on the health system and health outcomes. The Midlands area was considered of particular interest given the high demand on emergency care and therefore system pressures in the region. The University of Auckland and Te Pūnaha Matatini undertook this mahi as joint independent third parties and trusted research partners of Whakarongorau.
Proven: How Healthline Tele-triage is Changing ED Care Webinar
Whakarongorau co-hosted a webinar (February 2025) with Collaborative Aotearoa where the researchers discussed this in more detail.
Meeting Increasing Youth Mental Health and Addiction Need – Are Digital Solutions the Answer? eMental Health International Collaborative (eMHIC) paper
February 2024
The paper takes an in-depth look at the role of the Whakarongorau-run 1737 service, and then asks:
1. What would an ideal continuum of telehealth delivered mental health and addictions services for youth look like?
2. How can the plethora of evidence-based e-therapy tools and apps be leveraged to achieve greatest impact for youth?
3. What role might AI hold?
Are Digital Solutions the Answer? The paper authors Dr David Codyre, Brian O'Connell and Dr Ruth Large conclude, yes.
Enhancing Aotearoa, New Zealand’s Free Healthline Service through Image Upload Technology. International Journal of Telemedicine and Applications, vol. 2024, Article ID 6644580 Miriama K. Wilson, Fiona Pienaar, Ruth Large, Matt Wright, Verity F. Todd
February 2024
Background. Healthline is one of the 39 free telehealth services that Whakarongorau Aotearoa/New Zealand Telehealth Services provides to New Zealanders. In early 2021, an image upload system for viewing service user-uploaded images was implemented into the Healthline service. Aims. The aim of this research was to understand the utilisation of Healthline’s image upload system by clinicians and service users in New Zealand. Methods.
This is a retrospective observational study analysing Healthline image upload data over a two-year period: March 2021 through to December 2022. A total of 40,045 images were analysed, including demographics of the service users who uploaded an image: ethnicity, age group, and area of residence. The outcome or recommendation of the Healthline call was also assessed based on whether an image was included. Results. Images uploaded accounted for 6.0% of total Healthline calls (n = 671,564). This research found that more service users were advised to go to an Emergency Department if they did not upload an image compared to service users who used the tool (13.5% vs. 7.7%), whereas a higher proportion of service users were given a lower acuity outcome if they included an image, including visiting an Urgent Care (24.0% vs. 16.9%) and GP (36.7% vs. 24.3%). Conclusion. Service users who did not upload an image had a higher proportion of Emergency Department outcomes than service users who did use the tool. This image upload tool has shown the potential to decrease stress on Emergency Departments around Aotearoa, New Zealand, through increased lower acuity outcomes.
Analysis of skin condition emergency department outcomes via Whakarongorau Aotearoa’s free Healthline service NZMJ Vol. 136 No. 1586 | DOI: 10.26635/6965.6242 Miriama K Wilson, Fiona Pienaar, Ruth Large, Matt Wright, Graham Howie, Siale Foliaki, Martin Mikaere, Rebecca Davis, Verity Todd
December 2023
The aim of this research was to understand the utilisation of the Whakarongorau Aotearoa | New Zealand Telehealth Services’ free 24/7 Healthline service for skin conditions, with a specific interest in whether Māori and Pasifika were utilising the service and their subsequent call outcomes.
An initial exploration into the benefits of a proactive post-COVID-19 health check NZMJ Vol. 136 No. 1576 | 26 May, 2023 DOI: 10.26635/6965.6168 Fiona Pienaar, Ruth Large
May 2023
Perinatal Bereavement Support Research: Perinatal Bereavement Support Environmental Scan Report. This Report provides a detailed analysis and key themes of current perinatal bereavement support available in Aotearoa. Authored by Whakarongorau
February 2023
Te Whatu Ora commissioned Whakarongorau Aotearoa to work with communities, service providers and whānau experiencing perinatal loss of a pēpi (baby) to understand the current experiences, inconsistencies, and challenges for both parents and support providers.
The aim of the environmental scan is to identify what is currently working well, service and support gaps, the inequities that exist and who may be impacted. The findings of this report will inform the development of a national bereavement care pathway.
Whakarongorau abdominal pain review 135(1561). ISSN 1175-8716 www.nzma.org.nz/journal ©PMA Matt Wright, Fiona Pienaar
September 2023
The purpose of this study was to compare the frequency and profile of abdominal pain calls to Healthline with that from other national healthcare providers; to evaluate the outcomes for this symptom against international telehealth providers; and to explore any inter-clinician variation in the response to abdominal pain that could be part of a quality improvement cycle.
Approximately 50,000 abdominal pain calls to Healthline over three years were analysed, with three-quarters from women, mostly of childbearing age. The majority call afterhours, with NZ European and, to a lesser extent, Māori, and callers from smaller geographical areas are over-represented. One quarter of patients had a hospital outcome (including 4% receiving an ambulance), which was found to be less acute than comparable health systems. Whakarongorau’s Clinical Governance Committee and the Specialist Group both supported the relative distribution of outcomes given by Healthline for abdominal pain. There was found to be variation in the outcomes given to abdominal pain callers at an individual clinician level. This was both in their changes to the disposition given by the Odyssey decision support tool and in their overall outcome distribution.
Conclusion: Healthline should be considered a key part of New Zealand’s healthcare system, as illustrated by the volume of calls that it receives and the fact that presentation types are similar to general practice and emergency departments. Given that abdominal pain is a difficult symptom to accurately address without in-person examination and investigation, the findings support Healthline’s outcomes as appropriate with hospitalisation rates lower than comparable healthcare systems. Whakarongorau’s (the organisation which runs Healthline) ability to identify individual clinician behaviours gives it a unique opportunity to improve care through decreasing variation.
Whakarongorau Aotearoa: insight into the delivery of New Zealand’s national telehealth services New Zealand Medical Journal, Vol 134 No 1544 ISSN 1175-8716 © NZMA www.nzma.org.nz/journal
October 2021
Whakarongorau Aotearoa/New Zealand Telehealth Services, formerly known as Homecare Medical, is New Zealand’s largest digital healthcare service. It originated as a house call doctor service about 20 years ago and now delivers free 24/7 telehealth services to the New Zealand public 365 days a year. Whakarongorau Aotearoa changed its name in April 2021 to reflect the growing kaupapa and was gifted this whakataukī: He reo mārohirohi ka taringa rongohia—A brave voice deserves a listening ear. This viewpoint sets out to address a number of public and professional misconceptions about Whakarongorau Aotearoa and provide a more detailed description of the depth, breadth and complexity of the organisation, how it is structured, the range of services available to the public and its clinical governance, leadership and oversight.
Multi-year evaluation of the National Telehealth Service
The Ministry of Health commissioned a multi-year evaluation of the National Telehealth Service. The evaluation comprised of three phases: the post-implementation review, evaluation of Healthline and injury related services and evaluation of mental health and addiction services.
The first report was the Post-implementation Review Report and the accompanying
And Technical Appendices for the Post-Implementation Review
December 2017
The second, Evaluation of Healthline and injury-related services
February 2019
The third Evaluation of Mental Health and Addiction Services
March 2020